Soft and fluffy no-knead brioche bread loaf in pandan flavor and filled with Southeast Asian kaya jam (coconut egg jam). This is a healthier version of brioche with less butter but still yields really soft loaf.
Combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add pandan juice, coconut milk, and eggs. I use a stand mixer with a paddle beater to beat on medium speed (speed 4 on KA) for 1 minute. If you don't have a stand mixer, just use a wooden spatula to stir until you get a wet sticky dough. The dough is unbelievably wet and sticky, so don't be surprised. You are on the right track!
First proofing:
Cover and let the dough proof at a warm place for about 1 - 2 hours or until it's double in size.
You can also put this dough in the fridge and let it rise overnight. This actually gives the dough a much better flavor too. Just bring it out to room temperature, about 1-2 hours and then proceed to the next step
Deflate the dough and rest:
Grease the loaf pan with some non-stick spray or oil. Once the dough has doubled in size, use a sturdy rubber spatula to pull the dough from the edge of the bowl into the center, turning the bowl as you do this until you have gone all away around
Lightly dust your work surface with some flour. Spray your hands with some non-stick spray. I do this to help with work through the stickyness, so I don't end up using too much flour as this will affect the final texture of the bread (the more flour you use, the less fluffy and soft the bread is going to be). Divide the dough using a bench scraper into two and form each half into a round dough. Cover and let both of the dough rest for 20 minutes (DO NOT skip the resting)
Shaping:
After resting, dust your work surface with some flour. Transfer one dough to the work surface and gently stretch it out into a 8 x 11-inch rectangle (roughly)
Spread half of the kaya jam over the surface and then roll it up tightly from the short end, like a Swiss roll. Repeat with the second dough
Lay one roll over the other to make a "plus" sign. Twist the ends around each other to form a spiral. Transfer this to the loaf pan. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. You don't need to cover the pan
Second proofing:
Let the dough rise in a warm place again, this may take another 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how warm it is where you are. Let the dough rise about 1/2-inch below the rim of the pan. This dough is not a high riser. Start preheating the oven at 375 F (190C) 30 minutes before the end of proofing
Baking:
Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and spring back when you touch it. If the bread gets brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the top with an aluminum foil, shiny side facing up.
If you have a digital thermometer, the inner temperature of the bread should be 190-200 F
Cooling:
Remove the bread from the oven and brush the top with some butter/coconut oil. Let it sit in the pan for about 5 minutes and then turn it out into a cooling rack and let it cool down completely before slicing, this may take about an hour or so
How to store:
Let the bread cool down completely. Wrap it up with a cling wrap to preserve the softness and it can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days