Taro Bread Recipe

I've putting off this taro bread recipe for quite some time already. I couldn't find much info or recipes on it and was afraid of failure, but it turned out so amazingly well. The crust has a beautiful purple marble pattern that was also flakey and delicious. I absolutely love the texture of the crust. There are three different doughs used in this recipe, yeast dough, water dough, and oil dough. The water and oil dough is combined together to make the marble patterned crust. The yeast dough is just the bread part of the bun. It sounds complicated but really isn't, and the water and oil dough parts are actually really quick and easy to make. I really enjoyed assembling this bread together it was something different. I've always wanted to learn how to make Taro Bread after getting it several times from 85 Degrees Bakery. I'm super satisfied with the recipe and it turned out like the bakery or even better.

Taro Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Taro Filling

• 4 Cups Peeled and Cubed Taro
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• Water

Yeast Dough

• 3 Cups Bread Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Yeast
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Milk (Or Heavy Cream)
• 1/2 Cup Warm Water
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• For Second Proofing:
• 1 Teaspoon Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Water Dough

• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• 3-5 Tablespoons Water 

Oil Dough

• 1 Cup All Purpose flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Oil
• Red and Blue or Purple Food coloring

Directions

1. Taro Filling: Boil Taro Bread until soft and can be easily pierced by a fork. Drain and mash in a bowl and add in 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp of butter. 
2. Yeast Dough: In a stand mixer using a dough hook attachment mix together 3 cups flour, 1 tsp yeast, 1/4 cup sugar, until combined. Add in the 6 tbsp butter until well mixed. Add in the 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup warm water. Add in the 1 egg and 1 egg white. Just as it starts coming together add in 1/2 tsp salt. Mix until elastic, scrape the bowl whenever needed. Shape into a ball and let it double in size for 3 hours covered.
3. Yeast Dough (2nd Proofing): Release the gas in the dough by pushing it down. Add in 1 tsp yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 egg white and 1/2 tsp of salt and mix until its elastic. Shape into a ball and cover and let it rise for 15 more minutes
4. Water Dough: Combine together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 3 tbsp oil, 3-5 tbsp of water (or enough water until it comes together). Divide into six pieces and place in a bowl and cover, place in a fridge until needed.
5. Oil Dough: In a stand mixer combine together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup neutral oil. Color it with red and blue food coloring to make purple. You may need to use your hands to incorporate the color better. Cover and store in the fridge when needed.
6. Creating The Marble Crust: Roll the water dough into a flat circle using a rolling pin. Shape the purple/oil dough into a ball and place in the center of the water dough. Wrap this up and seal. Place the dough seam side down and roll it into a flat thin oval, roll it out as thin as you can. Roll the dough up into a thin cigar. Cut the dough in half leaving two stumps, and the spirals facing up. Push down onto the dough and you'll see a spiral design on a lump/ball of dough. Using a rolling pin roll the dough out into a big oval, big enough to cover the tops of the buns. (If its too small you can make it bigger later). Stack the marble crust and set it aside to work on the yeast dough.
7. Yeast Dough (Shaping): Release the gas in the dough by pushing it down gently with your fist, knead it for 15 seconds on a table lightly dusted with flour to release any excess gas. Divide the dough up into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Roll each piece flat. Fill the flat dough with some filling wrap and seal, (be generous, I used a ice cream scoop full and had twice the amount of filling leftover). Wrap this in another layer of yeast dough and seal. Place it seam side down and shape into a long oval. Place a marble crust over the dough. (If you'd like you can place another one on the bottoms which I didn't do because I was following odd instructions)
8. Bake: Place on a pan lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. I needed two half sheet trays and fit about 3 buns on each tray. Bake at a preheated oven of 350°F for 26-28 minutes. 

TARO BREAD VIDEO TUTORIAL: 

STEP BY STEP TARO BREAD RECIPE PHOTO TUTORIAL: 

1. Taro Filling- Boil Taro Bread until soft and can be easily pierced by a fork. Drain and mash in a bowl and add in 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp of butter. 

2. Yeast Dough- In a stand mixer using a dough hook attachment mix together 3 cups flour, 1 tsp yeast, 1/4 cup sugar, until combined. Add in the 6 tbsp butter until well mixed. Add in the 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup warm water. Add in the 1 egg and 1 egg white. Just as it starts coming together add in 1/2 tsp salt. Mix until elastic, scrape the bowl whenever needed. Shape into a ball and let it double in size for 3 hours covered.

3. Water Dough- Combine together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 3 tbsp oil, 3-5 tbsp of water (or enough water until it comes together). Divide into six pieces and place in a bowl and cover, place in a fridge until needed.

4. Oil Dough- In a stand mixer combine together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup neutral oil. Color it with red and blue food coloring to make purple. You may need to use your hands to incorporate the color better. Cover and store in the fridge when needed.

5. Creating The Marble Crust- Roll the water dough into a flat circle using a rolling pin. Shape the purple/oil dough into a ball and place in the center of the water dough. Wrap this up and seal. Place the dough seam side down and roll it into a flat thin oval, roll it out as thin as you can.

 6. Roll the dough up into a thin cigar. Cut the dough in half leaving two stumps, and the spirals facing up. Push down onto the dough and you'll see a spiral design on a lump/ball of dough. Using a rolling pin roll the dough out into a big oval, big enough to cover the tops of the buns. (If its too small you can make it bigger later). Stack the marble crust and set it aside to work on the yeast dough.

7. Yeast Dough (Shaping)- Release the gas in the dough by pushing it down gently with your fist, knead it for 15 seconds on a table lightly dusted with flour to release any excess gas. Divide the dough up into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Roll each piece flat. Fill the flat dough with some filling wrap and seal, (be generous, I used a ice cream scoop full and had twice the amount of filling leftover). Wrap this in another layer of yeast dough and seal. Place it seam side down and shape into a long oval. Place a marble crust over the dough. (If you'd like you can place another one on the bottoms which I didn't do because I was following odd instructions)
8. Bake Place on a pan lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. I needed two half sheet trays and fit about 3 buns on each tray. Bake at a preheated oven of 350°F for 26-28 minutes.