This month's bread was Leopard Patch (spots) bread which I had first seen on a chinese website and thought of making. I was happy when I saw this bread has to be made. I enjoyed the whole process with my sister Anu.
Pao de Leite Leopardo which translates a Leopard Patterned Milk Bread.
As a variation on this if you just colour one half of the bread with enough cocoa to make it dark and then follow the recipe with just two different colors of dough, one white and one dark, you can make A Giraffe Patch Bread!
For the darker brown coloured dough:
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( Cadburys cocoa )
1 tbsp milk
For the lighter brown coloured dough:
1 ½ tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder ( Another brand cocoa which was lighter in colour )
A little milk for brushing while baking
Divide the dough into two halves. Shape one half into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely and let it rise till double (about 2 hours). This is the white coloured dough.
Take the other half and divide it into two equal portions. To one portion, add the 3 tbsp cocoa powder dissolved in the 1 tbsp of milk and knead well until uniform in colour. This is the dark coloured dough for the leopard's patches. Shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely and let it rise till double.
Add the 1 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder dissolved in the 1 tbsp of milk to the other half of dough an knead well till the colour is uniform. This is the light coloured dough for the leopard's patches. Shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely and let it rise till double.
This recipe makes 1 loaf.
Leopard Patch bread is ready to be served.
I added extra sugar , the original recipe calls for 2 tbs , but I added ½ cup sugar.
I used cadburys cocoa for darker patch and a local brand cocoa for the inner patch. You can increase the amount of cocoa powder to get the darker shade. Make sure to increase the sugar accordingly.
For the darker patch some use activated charcoal powder , if you get that can use in the bread.
