Daifuku Matcha Bread / 大福抹茶面包 /抹茶の大福あんぱん

Daifuku bread was quite popular awhile ago in Japan. Instead of the usual sweet red bean paste, a whole daifuku is wrapped inside the bread. It is amazing to have soft and fluffy bread, and chewy mochi textures all together in one bite. Definitely a great treat for all ages.

I made it a few times when I found daifuku selling at discounted price. Other than this matcha version, the combinations of white bean paste daifuku with milk bread, and white bean paste daifuku with strawberry flavored bread were pretty good too.

It is recommended to bake at lower oven temperature as to maintain its beautiful green color on the surface after baking. 

Daifuku Matcha Bread

Ingredients (makes 6):

200 g Bread flour

5 g Matcha powder

3 g Instant dry yeast 

3 g Salt

25 g Granulated sugar

20 g Unsalted butter, room temperature

40 g Milk

100 g Water

Filling:

6 pcs Daifuku (3 pcs if the size is big, cut into halves)

Methods:

1. Place all the ingredients for bread, except the butter, in bread maker pan and select the Dough mode. Put in the water/milk first followed by dry ingredients.
   
2. When the dough has formed, throw in the butter and let the machine continue the cycle.
   
3. Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough gently to remove air bubbles, and divide it into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a dough ball, rest for 10 minutes.
4. Flatten each dough ball, wrap in a daifuku. Put them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until they are doubled in size. 
   
6. Preheat oven at 160ºC.  Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.