Matcha Bread Without Butter or Milk

Matcha bread asks you to watch the dough more than the clock. It rises twice, then the loaf must cool before you cut the first slice. Among matcha yeast doughs, this bread is distinct: with neither butter nor milk in the dough, its crumb will be less tender than brioche.

This loaf makes eight slices with 14.1 oz (400 g) flour and about 5 tsp (10 g) matcha. Allow at least 4 hours 15 minutes, including two rises and 60 minutes of cooling.

• Preparation 25 minutes
• First rise at least 90 minutes
• Second rise at least 45 minutes
• Baking 35 minutes
• Cooling at least 60 minutes
• Total time at least 4 hours 15 minutes
• Makes 8 slices
• Tools a large bowl, a fine sieve, a scale, a baking sheet, parchment paper, a clean cloth, a sharp knife, a rack, and an oven

We keep this dough simple, with flour, water, yeast, and salt, so you can feel the effect of kneading and the two rises. We sell Essence for cooking; another matcha suitable for baking can work. What matters most is giving the dough time to rise.

Matcha bread ingredients

• 14.1 oz (400 g) wheat flour for the bread
• About 5 tsp (10 g) matcha for the bread
• About 1 3/4 tsp (5 g) instant dry yeast for the bread
• About 1 1/4 tsp (8 g) salt for the bread
• About 1 1/8 cups (260 ml) water at about 86°F (30°C) for the bread

How to make matcha bread

1. Sift 14.1 oz (400 g) wheat flour with about 5 tsp (10 g) matcha into a large bowl.
2. Add about 1 3/4 tsp (5 g) instant dry yeast and about 1 1/4 tsp (8 g) salt.
3. Pour about 1 1/8 cups (260 ml) water at about 86°F (30°C) into the bowl.
4. Mix until no dry flour remains.
5. Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes supple and elastic.
6. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.
7. Let rise for at least 90 minutes at around 72 to 75°F (22 to 24°C), until the dough doubles in volume.
8. Press the dough gently to release large air bubbles.
9. Shape it into a tight ball.
10. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Place the ball on the sheet.
12. Cover it with a clean cloth.
13. Let rise for at least 45 minutes at around 72 to 75°F (22 to 24°C), until the ball is well puffed.
14. Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C) during the last 20 minutes of the second rise.
15. Slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
16. Bake for 35 minutes, until the crust is firm and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
17. Transfer the bread to a rack.
18. Let it cool on the rack for at least 60 minutes.
19. Cut the bread into eight slices.

Wait for the dough to double during the first rise. In a cool room, 90 minutes may not be enough. On the second rise, the shaped loaf should be well puffed without collapsing when touched. If it spreads, it needs to be shaped with more tension.

Which matcha goes into homemade bread?

We recommend Essence for cooking in this baked dough. Bread has few ingredients to mask the tea; a powder chosen for drinking with water won't necessarily bring more. Sifting distributes about 5 tsp (10 g) through the flour and colors the crumb evenly.

Matcha bread or brioche: what changes?

This bread has no sugar, egg, or butter. Sliced matcha brioche, in contrast, contains fat in its dough. We wait until the loaf is completely cold before slicing: while hot, its crumb sticks to the knife and the slices compress.

Watch for both signs of a successful rise rather than relying on time alone. Water at about 86°F (30°C) helps get the dough started, but it doesn't replace ten minutes of kneading. The dough's volume tells you when to move on.

Our tip. Slash the loaf just before baking. A cut made before the second rise opens too soon and no longer guides the crust in the oven.

Allergens. This bread contains wheat (gluten).