Panda Bread

A white sandwich loaf, with a fun panda surprise inside!

girlversusdough Recipe by girlversusdough

Rated 4.5 Stars
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65

2 hours 30 minutes

3 hours

1 sandwich loaf



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    Ingredients

    • 3 cups Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 cup milk w/ 1 egg yolk (both should total 1 cup together)
    • 3/4 tbsp salt
    • 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 tbsp green tea (matcha) powder mixed w/ 2 tsp hot water, OR green food coloring
    • 3 1/2 tsp cocoa powder mixed w/ 1 1/2 tsp hot water
    • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

    Directions

    1. 1In a small bowl, microwave milk and egg yolk for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
    2. 2In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar and yeast.
    3. 3Add in butter, salt and milk mixture, stirring on low speed with the dough hook attachment.
    4. 4Increase speed to medium and knead until dough comes together and pulls away from the sides, about 5-10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a tbsp-ful of flour at a time until it is smooth and elastic.
    5. 5Divide dough into three pieces, two about equal and one about 1/3 the size of the other two.
    6. 6Place one of the large pieces in the stand mixer bowl and mix with green tea/water mixture OR green tea food coloring until desired color is reached.
    7. 7Remove dough from bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
    8. 8Clean stand mixer bowl, then place smallest piece of dough in stand mixer and combine with cocoa powder/water mixture until color is blended through. Remove dough from bowl and place in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.
    9. 9Place plain piece of dough in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled. All pieces should double in about an hour.
    10. 10Once dough is risen, on a floured surface, divide plain dough in thirds, with one piece being half the size of the other two (as you did before). Use one of the larger pieces to form the face. Divide the cocoa dough in quarters and use two quarters to form the eyes.
    11. 11Quickly place the smallest piece of plain dough between the eyes to keep them in place. Stretch remaining piece of plain dough over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
    12. 12Take last two quarters of cocoa dough and form the ears.
    13. 13Divide green dough in two pieces, one twice the size of the other. Take the small piece to fill in the space between the ears. Take the larger piece of green dough and stretch over the whole bread to lock everything in place.
    14. 14Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
    15. 15Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    16. 16Once dough is risen, bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside (the inside should register 190 degrees F). Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing or serving.
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    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    deidre1987 try yoyomax12 great vid

    2/14/2013 5:05:05 PM
    deidre1987

    this looks awesome & i'd love to make it, but need to see a step by step vid. every one i find on youtube is either not step by step, or not in English. help??

    7/3/2012 4:53:29 PM
    abbajen
    abbajen said:

    If your bread didn't turn out, try these things: 1. Make sure that your liquids are not hotter than 100-110 F, or you will kill your yeast (and then your bread will not rise). If the water feels hot to you, it is too warm. However, if it's too cold, the yeast won't activate. If it is still not working out, try using a kitchen scale. Here's the measurements from Taro-san's recipe: 230 g bread flour, 70 g all-purpose flour, 30 g sugar, 210 g egg yolk plus warm milk, 4.5 g salt, 18 g unsalted butter (it has to be unsalted), 4 g dry yeast, 8 g green tea powder/maccha powder mixed with 10 g water, 8 g cocoa powder mixed with 8 g water. Kitchen scales are cheap, and when you're making bread, it usually turns out better and the results are the same time after time when you weigh because the measurements are more accurate, and more consistent. I got a digital one from Target for less than $40. Here's the link to the original recipe (it has step by step photos): http://cookpad.com/recipe/print/349795

    7/1/2012 7:12:13 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Just made this and delighted by results- is simple and fun to make if you also YouTube the video of it. Tastes amazing, one of the best breads we have ever tasted, and so cute! Definitely will make again.

    4/17/2012 2:10:07 PM
    BakingPanda20

    Also, I'm at a mile above sea level, does that matter?

    3/10/2012 9:30:44 PM
    BakingPanda20

    So, does this taste like regular bread or is it sweet like cinnamon raisin bread??

    3/3/2012 7:45:02 PM
    jadda2468
    jadda2468 said:

    found pics. recipes a bit confusing but pics help a lot. http://perfectpandas.com/2008/01/08/panda-bread/

    2/17/2012 1:33:01 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    I am one sad panda :( Made this twice in the last two days. Yesterday after following the recipe to the tee...the bread didn't rise and the color was uneven. Fail So today I tried again with brand new yeast and added the color to the milk (for the green as I didn't have the powder) and cocoa to the flour...good color saturation...however the bread still didn't rise. :( I also made three individual loaves so the color was consistent...which made three good sized loaves. So I'm thinking there is a problem in method? Four loaves, no rising, very salty, heavy and just plain sad. The only upside is it is very cute...even if inedible. I will try again...panda bread can't be a internet myth...but with a new tried and true bread recipe.

    11/19/2011 12:34:59 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    This is fantastic!Definitely have to try this one:)

    9/25/2011 1:30:13 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    i just baked this! AMAZING! SO EASY! and it tastes delicious! a definite keeper!

    9/13/2011 2:03:12 PM
    mooleggs
    mooleggs said:

    This is too cute, my kids are gonna love this!

    9/4/2011 10:02:59 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    I LOVE pandas! of course I am going to have to try this! It will be a challenge since im not super amazing at cooking,but practice makes perfect! :D

    8/30/2011 2:37:43 PM
    farmgurly
    farmgurly said:

    This is brilliant! I can't wait to try it!!

    8/29/2011 8:27:51 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Some step-by-step pictures would be helpful. Especially when forming it...

    8/29/2011 3:24:59 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    can you make cat bread??

    8/28/2011 5:00:11 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Can this be made with cake mix?

    8/26/2011 4:46:52 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    heres the youtube video link for the breaad- for those wanting to watch it done- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6463yUq_0aw&feature=related

    8/24/2011 12:33:41 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    there is sugar in it! also, this bread tastes AMAZING. my favorite bread recipe so far.

    8/23/2011 3:02:45 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    But how does it TASTE? That's what I want to know. It looks cute but there's no sugar in it... is the cocoa powder sweetened or unsweetened? Don't want to make it if it's not tasty... I can always use a different bread recipe and food coloring for the panda look. Anyone tried it yet and can vouch for tastiness?

    8/22/2011 10:34:28 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    I am excited to be making this at a surprise for my kids. I wonder about the taste of this as well. I will more then likely post an after its made comment about the taste and how good the directions. are. I would also like to say to the person that wants a video on how to make it. RECIPES COME IN TEXT FORM.. GET OVER IT.

    8/21/2011 6:05:53 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    CHOU CHOU CHOU KAWAII!!!!!!

    8/17/2011 3:23:46 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    cant wait to make this! its soooooo cute!!!

    8/16/2011 3:47:10 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    i agree with anonymous on aug 11!!!!!!!!

    8/12/2011 7:38:05 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    ooh I could use this to make "pandwiches"!! how cute

    8/11/2011 9:28:44 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    quit crying a holes....anonymous on aug 6 "you ppl" go find ur xxxxx you xxxx

    8/11/2011 4:31:59 PM
    TBSPSara
    TBSPSara said:

    @Anonymous: The photo instructions are available right here: http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2011/03/12/panda-bread/ There's a hyperlink to them at the top of the recipe.

    8/11/2011 3:20:29 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Step by step pix please or a video! How do you actually expect people to make a THREE-COLORED CAKE from nothing more than text instructions, with no step by step pix or video? I give this website a one star for effort. Terrible! Whoever is running it clearly is not trying very hard to make a well-run site with well-thought-out information that would be easy for cooks to follow. This recipe requires photos and there are none. In addition, there should be a video. What a let-down.

    8/7/2011 11:37:10 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    You people do know that you can find conversions by googling them, right?

    8/6/2011 3:27:16 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Conveeeerrrrsion

    8/4/2011 4:35:00 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Finally! A recipe that uses American measuring system! I found this recipe somewhere else, but they had everything in grams. In making this bread, I had to find my mom's bread recipe and guess on how large everything should be. And since I didn't have green tea powder or the cocoa powder, I had to use food coloring instead, but the food coloring doesn't have black or even dark brown, only a regular color of brown (well, that's after you mix some of the colors together). It was such a hassle to do it that way. I made two loaves. The first one didn't come out quite right, but the second one came out much better because I knew more of what I was doing. Anyway, thanks soooo much for posting this recipe! I'll definitely be using it in the future!

    7/30/2011 8:43:17 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    *Adding the color before kneading is easier turned out really well >_<

    7/28/2011 2:23:11 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    yummy

    7/24/2011 12:55:29 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    It's about to go in the oven!

    6/19/2011 8:42:53 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    What do I do if I don't have a microwave?!

    6/19/2011 3:59:44 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    i really want to try this! it looks sooo cool to make! thanks:)

    6/16/2011 11:45:19 AM
    Unluck
    Unluck said:

    I tried this last night, and while it was hard to get the shape right and colors didn't quite come out all that well, you can really see the panda in it and it tastes fantastic!

    6/10/2011 8:02:12 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    there is a youtube video for this. it's in another language but if you follow the steps on the video, it should be easier than this article

    6/9/2011 2:42:30 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    i wish there were step by step pics

    6/7/2011 2:10:22 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    I'm curious if anyone's tried adding flavour to the plain white dough? Like vanilla or such.

    6/1/2011 11:01:45 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Has anybody tried this bread yet? Is it easy and does it taste good?

    5/30/2011 8:51:33 PM
    shamanlvr
    shamanlvr said:

    If you don't have a stand mixer, you can just use a bowl (not a wooden one) and mix and kneed by hand. It still turns out just as wonderful. I have to say though, I tried with matcha powder and I tried with green food dye, and I like how it comes out much better with the powder. It also gives it more of a better taste, since the taste of dye isn't that favorable

    5/26/2011 2:17:38 PM
    2MiraRose3

    This was my first time ever making bread. I have to say, it really wasn't as complicated as it sounds. I DID however change a few of the ingredients around to suit me better. Instead of adding 3/4 tbsp salt, I used 1/2 tsp and then used salted butter, switched the green out for blue (family said they wouldn't eat it if it was green), and then got rid of the cocoa powder all together and used red, yellow, and green food coloring to get the right brown. Mine ended tasting like homemade "sandwich" bread. Again, really not all that difficult. Tastes great! Would do the cocoa powder with a little more sugar for a breakfast type bread. THANKS! <3

    5/16/2011 11:33:45 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    @Ani87 Look at the ingredients. Or even just the subtitle, lol.

    5/15/2011 11:40:18 AM
    Ani87
    Ani87 said:

    what are you supposed to eat this with? Is it like regular bread?

    5/11/2011 9:46:03 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    if you don't have a stand mixer?

    5/7/2011 8:23:02 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    @anonymous, in ref to step four, i think she meant add more flour (1 tbsp at a time) until it pulls away from the sides smoothly. i would sprinkle it in though. add a very small amount at a time.

    5/1/2011 10:27:37 AM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    @Anonymous - I think they meant to say that when you're stretching & pulling the dough and it sticks to the surface or gets holes in it, to add more dough.

    4/30/2011 3:11:54 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    step four says if the dough is sticky, add a tbsp of dough until it's smooth. what?

    4/25/2011 8:40:26 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    sounds complicarted

    4/13/2011 9:01:07 PM
    JulieAnnKroske
    4/5/2011 12:39:09 PM
    justbyluck13

    great recipe, super easy to follow. my panda bread turned out perfectly!

    3/31/2011 7:13:35 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    This sounds amazing, but I am panda intolerant. Is there anyone that could help me with the conversion to a panda free recipe?

    3/29/2011 8:08:53 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    This sounds amazing, but I am gluten intolerant. Is there anyone that could help me with the conversion to a gluten free recipe?

    3/26/2011 3:33:26 PM
    TBSPEric
    TBSPEric said:

    Here is Stephanie's full post on <a href=http://taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com/2011/03/12/panda-bread>Panda Bread</a> with step by step instructions.

    3/18/2011 9:35:50 AM
    blueally25

    This... is.... awesome lol. I might have to steal this and substitute the green and the brown for orange and black for SF Giants colors in support of the panda and all his weight loss ;)

    3/15/2011 7:29:06 PM
    hugadandelion

    I'm currently waiting for my dough to rise so i can put it all together and was trying to find a good way to mold the dough and came across this: http://perfectpandas.com/2008/01/08/panda-bread/ so i'm going to follow the directions to make the face with that link! i'll let you know how it all turns out once i'm done

    3/11/2011 7:44:30 PM
    shukaru754

    this seems kinda hard. will you show pics of the steps for the face molding? that seems like the hardest part to me...

    3/11/2011 1:53:30 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Does this work ?

    3/10/2011 9:52:58 PM
    girlversusdough

    Hey guys! Sorry I haven't responded to your requests -- there will be a post on Taste For Adventure very soon with step-by-step pics, so that should help! :)

    3/10/2011 7:08:07 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Maybe this will help you guys. At least, that's how I understood it pieced together. http://www.flickr.com/photos/avicat/5515675727/

    3/10/2011 5:54:30 PM
    lund4given

    I agree, please post some pictures for dough placement. I love this!

    3/10/2011 5:40:06 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Yes pleasssse some pics regarding dough placement! I would love to do this with my daughter for her school project she has coming up! Thanks!

    3/10/2011 5:27:23 PM
    Anonymous User
    Anonymous said:

    Yes, I agree. Pictures would be AWESOME! Need a visual on placing the different colored dough all together.

    3/10/2011 5:18:11 PM
    tuckerrtime

    @megkmatz, I agree! I haven't tried this yet, but I will and let everyone know how it goes. It's just to adorable not to try! Great idea!

    3/9/2011 3:09:50 PM
    megkmatz
    megkmatz said:

    You should post some step-by-step pictures!

    3/9/2011 2:55:45 PM
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