A fresh loaf of bread is one of our favourite things to eat, and this cucumber bread recipe is one of our faves! It’s a delicious tangzhong milk loaf that’s extremely pleasant due to its lightness and airiness. It’s not only fresh cucumber-flavoured, but it’s also extraordinarily fluffy and creamy. The result resembles savoury brioche bread. We employed the Tangzhong technique to achieve this ideal equilibrium. Tangzhong is a Japanese technique for making extraordinarily fluffy milk bread with minimal dairy. Instead, a water roux is used in the dough.
How to Make Cucumber Bread?
Slice and freeze your cucumber bread if you want to keep it for a longer time. Place it in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes to eat. It’s also delicious toasted. Milk Bread is recognized for its moistness and fluffy texture. This thickly sliced bread, invented in China and commonly found in Japanese-style bakeries or Korean coffee shops, is generally served with jam and butter.
The traditional Tangzhong method of baking milk bread employs a unique process that gelatinizes the starches, allowing them to contain more water, resulting in a higher rise and softer texture. The outcome is a satisfyingly chewy loaf that will not crumble or break like traditional English bread.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peeled and seeded blended cucumber (comes from about one medium cucumber)
- 1 cup of water
- Two tablespoons milk
- 2 3/4 cup flour for bread
- 3/4 teaspoon dried active yeast
- a half-cup of thick cream
- Two tablespoons sugar
- Two teaspoons salt
- Two medium eggs, plus additional eggs for the egg wash
- 4 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
Instructions
- Tangzhong: Combine the blended cucumber puree, water, and 14 cups of flour in a small pot over low heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until thick paste forms.
- Bring the milk to a lukewarm temperature. Allow for five minutes of resting time after adding the active dry yeast. It should start bubbling and activating.
- Add the tangzhong, activated yeast, 2 12 cups flour, heavy cream, sugar, salt, eggs, and unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix on low for 1 minute or until a shaggy dough forms. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for another 10 minutes. It would help if you had a nice soft dough at the end. If it’s too sticky, add a couple of tablespoons of flour and stir well.
- Place the bowl on a floured surface and roll it into a ball. Cover securely with plastic wrap and place in a clean basin. Allow for a 12-hour proofing period or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Set up the pan: Butter the inside and outside of a standard loaf pan. Line the bottom and two long sides of the pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang on both sides. Set aside the parchment after lightly buttering it.
- Stretch the dough with a rolling pin on a floured counter until it is 10″x12″. On the entire surface, evenly sprinkle the parsley or chives and onion powder. Squeeze the dough with a little thicker in the center, tug outward to elongate and level out the thickness, and then rest it seam-side down. Bring the dough ends together, aligning the two sides of the log so that they are parallel and bending at the middle to keep the alignment (forming a U). Twist the dough lengths twice to form a small, tight corkscrew, then place the coil in the prepared loaf pan. To flatten the twist into the pan, gently press it down.
- Brush the bread with one egg that has been whisked until there are no more streams.
- Proof for another 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After a second egg wash, top the dough with flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- 35-40 minutes in the oven until the cake’s top is a rich golden brown and puffy.
- Allow at least 15 minutes for cooling in the pan before unmolding.
Is it Possible to Substitute Cucumber Bread for Zucchini in Bread?
Darlene Kamis has replaced zucchini with cucumbers in this luscious, cinnamon-flavoured loaf. “I utilize cucumbers in my favourite zucchini recipes when we have a lot of cucumbers in our garden,” says the Romeoville, Illinois chef. You can substitute ordinary cucumbers for raw zucchini in recipes that call for it. Cucumbers are a good choice if you’re making a salad or a dish that doesn’t require much cooking. These two popular squash cultivars are very similar when it comes to flavour.
The canary yellow kind is the ideal yellow squash to use as a substitute for zucchini. You can substitute yellow squash for zucchini in any meal you wish to make, especially those that involve frying. However, there are a few differences! Cucumbers require peeling since their skin is thicker than zucchini. They’re also a little watery, so make sure to deseed them and shred them lightly.
How do you Make a Cucumber Sandwich not Soggy?
To avoid soggy bread and bring out the cucumber flavour, give yourself plenty of time to salt the cucumber slices. Pair these cucumber sandwiches with peppermint tea to stay as cool as a cucumber. Slice the cucumber into long slices and season generously with salt. Pat them dry with paper kitchen towels after about 10 minutes. This will undoubtedly assist. Cream cheese also spread functions as a barrier between the cucumber and the bread, preventing the bread from becoming soggy. Cucumber sandwiches may appear simple, but they can quickly become sloppy and boring.
What are your thoughts on peeling, slicing, seasoning, salting, whether to cut the crusts off, and whether or not to use Marmite? How to Store Cucumber Sandwiches and How Long Do They Last They’re finest made fresh on the day, but you may prepare them ahead of time and store them. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container to avoid drying out.
What’s the Best Way to Make a Hilda Cucumber Sandwich?
Cut enough cucumber slices to cover one slice of bread completely. On the other bread piece, spread the cream cheese mixture. To make your cucumber sandwich, combine the bread and serve with a hot cup of mint tea. You may make these up to a day ahead of time, but they taste best when made just 1-3 hours before serving. Enjoy cucumber sandwiches as an appetizer for parties and showers! Make sure you don’t make them ahead of time. The cucumbers will lose moisture as the sandwiches rest longer, making the sandwiches soggy.
On the other hand, the cream cheese spread can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator (then soften it before spreading on the bread.)Place the slices in a jar and close tightly. Refrigerate any leftovers. Before serving, I like to let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you hurry, use flavored cream cheese (like vegetable cream cheese or herb and garlic cream cheese) to make these faster!
Are Cucumber Bread Slices Good for you?
Nutrients Cucumbers are abundant in them, and a single cup of cucumber slices has 14 percent to 19 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement. Vitamins B and C and minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium are all included. It’s hard to beat the refreshing crunch of a raw Cucumber as an on-the-go snack, chopped up for a light salad, or sliced up and dipped in your favorite spreads. They are low in calories but heavy in the water and contain several vital vitamins and minerals.
Cucumber consumption may result in weight loss, balanced hydration, digestive regularity, and decreased blood sugar levels, among other health benefits. If you can stick to the cucumber diet for at least one week, you might see some weight loss. You will, however, most likely regain all of the weight you lost once you resume your regular diet. In addition, the diet is nutritionally deficient, exceedingly restricted, and ultimately unsustainable.
Conclusion
In this Cucumber Bread Recipe, we used a cucumber tangzhong to avoid the cucumber’s extreme moisture. The remaining dough components are then combined to make an enriched dough, and it also gives the loaf’s flavour a lovely freshness. After the dough has been proofed once, it is laminated with onion powder and parsley (you may also use chives) for added flavour.
