Japanese milk bread – Shokupan @rachelallencooks #Ballymaloe

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rachelallencooksVerifiedHappy Homemade Bread Day 🍞

Japanese milk bread – Shokupan

This is a Japanese tear-and-share loaf of bread with the most wonderful pillowy soft texture. It’s inspired by the Yudane and Tangzhong method where a little bit of flour and water or milk (both in this case) are cooked together to make a white sauce before mixing in the remaining ingredients. This method pre-gelatinises the starch in the flour allowing it to absorb more liquid, giving you a super-light loaf that stays fresh for longer as it retains the moisture.

It also is divine with cinnamon, cardamom,dried fruit and/or candied peel added as a sweet treat.

Here’s the recipe 👇🏽 below in Comments in 2 parts! Happy baking 🧡

This bread can be made so easily using a Thermomix @thermomixukandireland too!Edited · 3h
rachelallencooksVerifiedThis quantity will make one 23 cm tear-and-share loaf.

50g water
50g milk
15g strong white flour

375g strong white flour
15g milk powder
25g caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
115g milk
1 egg, beaten
25g fresh yeast or 12g dried yeast
50g butter, melted

Pour the water and the milk into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add in the 15g of flour & cook, whisking all the time, over the heat for a couple of minutes until the liquid has thickened to a white sauce. Tip the white sauce into a bowl & cool.
Place the 375g of strong white flour in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric food mixer (with the dough hook attached) ) with the milk powder, the sugar & the salt, & mix.
Now place the milk in a separate bowl & add in the beaten egg, the yeast,the melted butter & the white sauce. Stir then pour all of this liquid into the dry ingredients & mix to a dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand or in the machine until you have a smooth and almost springy dough, don’t add flour while you’re kneading, the dough is supposed to be slightly sticky. When I’m using a stand mixer for this I scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times during kneading.
When the dough has been kneaded enough it will be smooth on the outside. Press it with a floured finger and the dent that you make with your finger should spring back a little bit.
Place the dough into a bowl that’s large enough to take the dough when doubled in size (or leave it in the stand mixer bowl) & cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or a plate. Place it somewhere warm, not above 45’C, or just standing on the counter in your kitchen and allow the dough to double in size, this may take 2 hours. If you wish you can place the covered bowl of dough in the fridge overnight.
When the dough has doubled in size, using a floured fist, punch the dough down to knock it back then knead it for just 1 minute.
Brush a 23cm spring-form tin with melted butter, then dust with flour.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, each weighing about 90g. Keep all dough covered with a clean tea towel while you work with one ball of dough. On a very lightly floured work surface, place one ball of dough.4h2 likesReply
rachelallencooksVerifiedOn a very lightly floured work surface, place one ball of dough. Fold the edges, all the way round, into the centre of the ball of dough, squashing it down in the centre as you go. Turn the ball over so that the folded side is on the underside and the smooth side is on top. Roll the ball gently under the palm of your hand to make a round roll then place into the prepared tin. Repeat with all the other balls of dough so that you end up with 7 around the sides, spaced apart, and one ball in the centre. Now cover with the tea towel again and place on the worktop or somewhere a little warmer, again not above 45’C , and allow to rise again until almost doubled in size, about 35-45 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 200’C. The dough is ready when you make a little dent with a floured finger and it doesn’t spring back. Also, the balls of dough should have joined together at this stage. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and brush very gently over the top of the risen bread. Place the bread in the lower part of the preheated oven to bake for 30-40 minutes. The dough, out of the tin, should sound hollow when you tap it on the base. If you wish you can bake the bread out of the tin for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Place on a wire rack to cool.4h2 likesReply
leanwithlesleyLooks delicious, reminds me of your ciabatta/tabata 😂❤️4hReply
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June 1, 2026

Rachel Allen’s Strawberry Muesli

This recipe comes from the original Swiss Bircher muesli, where porridge oats are soaked in a little water, then sweetened with delicious seasonal or dried fruit, and sometimes nuts and seeds too. Strawberries and raspberries work particularly well in this muesli recipe, as does grated apple, to which you could also add a smidgen of ground cinnamon.

The recipe was created in the early 1900s by the Swiss physician Dr Maximillian Bircher-Benner, who knew that a diet rich in nutrients was essential for the recuperation of the patients in his hospital.

Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever you’re using, to sweeten the mixture.

Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

Serves 2-3.

You will need:

75g (3oz) porridge oats
150ml (5fl oz) water
110g (4oz) strawberries
2-3 teaspoons light agave syrup or honey

To serve, you will need:

Cream and brown sugar (optional)
Natural yoghurt and toasted chopped hazlenuts or almonds (optional)
Place the porridge oats in a bowl with the water. Allow the oats to sit for 10 minutes, then add in the strawberries. Mash with a fork before adding enough light agave syrup or honey, whichever you’re using, to sweeten the mixture.
Serve the muesli on its own, or with cream and brown sugar; or topped with natural yoghurt and toasted, chopped hazelnuts or almonds.

June 1, 2026

Rachel’s warm winter green salad with Caesar dressing, smoked bacon and a poached egg #ballymaloe 🥰🇮🇪

For the salad, you will need:

4 good-quality eggs
1 tablespoon sunflower oil, for frying
8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1cm (¼in) dice
4 handfuls of mixed lettuce leaves, including rocket and winter greens, such as baby spinach, mustard greens or beetroot leaves
50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve
1 tablespoon chives, chopped, to serve

First, make the dressing – you can do this either in a food processor or by hand. First, pour the sunflower or vegetable oil, whichever you’re using, and the extra-virgin olive oil into a jug.

If you’re making the dressing by hand, mash the anchovies with a fork, then put them in a bowl along with the egg yolk, the crushed garlic, the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, the pinch of salt, the Worcestershire sauce and the Tabasco sauce. Whisk together.

As you’re whisking, add the oil mixture from the jug very slowly and gradually. The dressing will become creamy as the emulsion forms.

When all the oil mixture has been incorporated, whisk in 25ml (1fl oz) of water to make the dressing the consistency of double cream, then add some extra seasoning to taste.

If you’re making the dressing in a food processor, add the anchovies, the egg yolk, the crushed garlic, the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, the pinch of salt, the Worcestershire sauce and the Tabasco sauce. Whizz together, then gradually add the oil mixture from the jug and the water, as previously described, pouring them in through the machine’s feed tube.

To poach the eggs, first put a saucepan of water on a high heat and bring it to the boil.

Meanwhile, pour the sunflower oil into a frying pan on a high heat, add the bacon and fry it for 3-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown and crispy. Drain it on kitchen paper and set aside.

While the bacon is frying, tear the mixture of lettuce and winter greens into large, bite-sized pieces and place a handful on a plate. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing, then sprinkle with the crispy bacon pieces.

Once the egg-poaching water has come to the boil, turn the heat down to low. Crack each egg into the lightly simmering water and poach for 3-4 minutes, or until the white is set and the yolk is still a little soft.

Turn the heat off under the saucepan and carefully lift each egg out, one by one, allowing all water to drain from the egg. Arrange one egg in the centre of each plate of dressed salad leaves, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped chives.

Serve immediately.

http://www.rachelallen.com/post/warm-winter-green-salad-caesar-dressing-smoked-bacon-and-poached-egg

May 31, 2026

Rachel Allen No Pastry Pear and Almond Tart #recipes @KerrygoldUSA

Exquisite pear and almond tart video recipe from Rachel Allen. Ideal for people who don’t want to make pastry. Pears can be also replaced with a variety of different fruits. Find more recipes on: http://www.Kerrygoldusa.com/recipes

May 19, 2026

Mags Coughlan our head gardener @Ballymaloe #Cork

Ballymaloe House‏Verified account @Ballymaloe 16 minutes ago

May 17, 2026

Rachel’s Banana Butterscotch Pudding @kerrygoldusa

I absolutely adore this pudding from Bill’s book, Simply Bill. He made this when I appeared with him on Great Food Live, and as soon as I tasted it I was hooked. I have adapted the recipe slightly to fit the pie dish that I have. To make this for 12 people, double this recipe and cook in a 10-inch square gratin dish for 55 minutes.

FOR THE PUDDING:

1 cup (4 oz) all-purpose flour

3 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup (4 oz) superfine sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 banana, mashed

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) Kerrygold Butter, melted

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/2 cup (4 oz) light brown sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

2/3 cup boiling water

Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

TO SERVE:

Preheat the oven 350°F (180°C). Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar. Mix together the beaten egg, mashed banana, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour this wet dough into a 9-inch pie dish and place the dish on a baking sheet.

To make the topping, put the brown sugar, corn syrup and boiling water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then drizzle over the pudding. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until it feels slightly firm in the center. Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. If you’re not going to serve the pudding immediately, keep it somewhere warm until you are ready—it sits quite happily.

http://kerrygoldusa.com/recipes/banana-butterscotch-pudding/

May 12, 2026

Delicious coffee cake decorated with chocolate craque,hazelnut and chocolate shards and caramel hazelnut peaks @ballymaloecookeryschool Co.Cork, Ireland🇨🇮☘️ #12weekstudents

ballymaloecookeryschool

Delicious coffee cake decorated with chocolate craque, hazelnut and of chocolate shards and caramel hazelnut peaks by @rosiemence — one of the #12weekstudents.

May 5, 2026

Gratin of haddock with Imokilly cheddar and mustard by Rachel Allen #Ballymaloe

Serves six.

You will need:

6 x 175g (6oz) pieces of haddock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

225g (8oz) Irish mature Cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons cream

Ovenproof dish 8½ x 10 in (21.5 x 25.5cm)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.

First season the haddock pieces with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer in the ovenproof dish (it should be a dish that is posh enough to bring to the table). Mix the grated Cheddar cheese together with the Dijon mustard and the cream and spread carefully over the fish.

The fish can be prepared ahead and refrigerated at this point. It will keep in the fridge for a day.

To cook, place in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked and the top is golden and bubbly. If the fish is cooked but the top is not yet golden, place under a hot grill for just a few moments to colour the cheese.