Tiger Bread

Tiger Bread also called as Giraffe bread in the US and Dutch crunch in the UK is a motled crust bread. This is a bread which has a crusty layer on top made with rice flour, yeast and sesame oil. The interior of the bread is soft and moist like any regular white bread. This bread gets the name Tiger Bread due to the patches of different shades on top. This has been on my to-do list since some time. What better occasionto bake this

than on World Bread Day 🙂

Since I have started baking breads, my only wish is to try almost every kind and type of bread atleast once. The yeasty rice paste on top of the bread breaks while baking and gives this bread the characteristic molted effect on top and a very crispy and crunchy crust. Moreover, the crisp crust ensures that the crumb remain super moist and soft, making it a bit different than the usual breads. Pair it up with a warm soup and some stir fried vegetables and your dinner is sorted. Also the sesame oil imparts a distinct flavour to this bread.

Use any combination of flours and try it. The cup used is 240 ml. If your yeast is new and powerful, add lesser quantity and increase it if your yeast is a bit old or not so fast acting. Use around 1.5 to 2 times of active yeast. For more details on bread baking facts, please click here. Incase you struggle with the type of yeast to be used and the amount to be added in a particular recipe, please read the post on yeast facts.

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• All purpose flour 150 gm
• Whole wheat flour 150 gm
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Instant yeast 3/4-1 tsp
• Butter 2 tsp
• Milk 1/2 cup (120 ml)
• Lukewarm water 1/2 cup (120 ml)
• Olive oil 1 tbsp

For the topping:

• Rice flour 50 gm
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Instant yeast 1/2 tsp
• Sesame oil 2 tsp
• Lukewarm water as required

Method:

• Mix the flours, salt, sugar and yeast in a big mixing bowl.
• Add the milk and lukewarm water slowly and knead into a soft dough using the stretch and fold method.
• Add the oil and butter while kneading. Make sure that the dough is soft and supple.
• Grease a big bowl and place the dough into it. Cover the bowl with a wet muslin cloth and allow the dough to double in size.

• Knock out the gases from trough and knead for a minute.
• Shape the dough into a tight oval shaped ball.
• Place the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

• Apply some water or milk and cover it and allow it to rise for 10 minutes.

• Now to make the paste for the topping, mix the rice flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl.

• Add oil and warm water and stir to form a lump free thick batter.

• Allow this batter to rest for ten minutes.
• After ten minutes, apply this paste liberally on the top and sides of the bread and allow it to rise again for 10 minutes or so.

• Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180-200 degree Celsius for atleast 10 minutes.
• Bake the bread for around 30-40 minutes or till the top looks nicely cracked and golden.
• Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool.

• Transfer the bread onto wire rack and cool well.

• Slice it and your delicious crusty top and soft interior tiger bread is ready.