Chicken Farm Bakers' Project # 8: Bread Baking "Around the World!" - Semlor The Scandinavian Bread

This month the Chicken Farm Bakers' Project # 8 is "Bread Baking with the auntie on the hot summer". Actually my friend is not that old, but all the people in our group like to call her auntie from her behavior (ok, it's in a good way, she always concerns about us ^ ^). The host (haha, the auntie) wants everyone to try something new and different so each one of us has to bake the bread from different countries or continents around the world.

I had to make "The Scandinavian Bread", which I feel so lucky as this continent has a lot of bake goods specialty. But the only problem for me is I don't have a book about Scandinavian baking before >*<. So, I had to buy 2 books on this project (haha, it's an excuse, you know that). This time I use the book name ......................

I choose the Semlor, the bread that usually eat from after Christmas until Easter. (you can read the whole story about the semlor here). And I know that when you see the look of this bread you can understand why I choose to make it, ^ ^.
The bread is so cute with the whipped cream and the icing sugar topping. Originally, the bread will be served in a bowl of milk, but eating it on its own is

Semlor
Makes 6

Bread
40g	Unsalted butter
150cc	Milk
3g (or 1tsp)	Instant yeast
30g	Sugar
½	Egg
8	Cardamom
3g	Salt
240g	Bread flour
Egg wash
	1 egg yolk + 1tsp of water
Filling
60g	Almond powder
20g	Silvered almond
120g	Icing sugar
1tbsp	Sugar
1tbsp	Amaretto
2tbsp	Water
Decoration
200cc	Whipping cream
2tsp	Icing sugar
	Icing sugar for dusting
To serve
	Milk (optional)

Make the bread:
Put the flour, the sugar, cardamom and yeast in a bowl, whisk to combine, add and salt whisk again. Pour the liquids mixture into the bowl.

Use large spoon (or pastry scraper) to mix everything together, and knead briefly to bring all the ingredients together.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead, you will see the dough will be elastic after about 2 minutes.

Add the butter and knead by using the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself (see the picture here). Give the dough a little turn and repeat. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm. Keep folding over and compressing the dough.

Knead for 10-15 minutes (up to your strength and up to the recipe) or until the dough is soft, pliable, smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny.

Put the dough into a light buttered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, and butter the muffin pan (Texas Muffin pan).
Take the dough out of the bowl. Gently press down the dough and cut the dough into 6 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, place on the prepared muffin pan. Cover and rest for 30 minutes or until almost double in size.

Mix egg yolk and water together and pass through sieve.
Brush the bread with egg wash before put into the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Take the bread out of the oven and place on the wire rack.
Let the bread cool completely before make the filling.

Make the filling:
Mix almond powder, icing sugar and sugar together, pour the amaretto and water into the mixture, mix until combine.
Fold the silvered almond into the mixture. Set aside.

Whip the whipping cream with the icing sugar until stiff. Set aside.

Filling the bread and decorating:

Cut the bread, with a knife point a little downward to make a hole in the bread.
Cut the top of the bread with the cookie cutter.

Put the almond filling in the bread, then top with the whipped cream.
Cover with the top, and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Serve in a bowl and pour the milk in the bowl or eat on its own.

Chicken Farm Bakers' Project # 8: Bread Baking "Around the World!" - Semlor The Scandinavian Bread