Dutch crunch bread\ Tiger bread

I ate this wonderful bread during our visit to San Francisco....All the sandwich shops had them and it was a delight to eat...I kept wondering , how they managed to create such lovely patterns on the crust of the bread....The bread was very soft and dense with crunchy topping....When I came back to LA, I looked for the similar bread but could not find it anywhere...
So when I saw the same bread for this month's challenge, I was quite happy...Now the patterned crust is no more a mystery....

The Dutch crunch doesn't refer to the type of bread but rather the topping that is spread over the bread before baking....You can use any bread recipe for the bread and just cover it with the dutch crunch mix and you have a beautifully patterned bread in no time...

The recipe calls for very basic ingredients, except the rice powder....I did not find it in any of the local grocery stores....But being an Indian , I knew that rice flour is used in many Indian recipes, so went and checked it in a near by Indian grocery store and could find it there....

I halved the recipe given by Sara and Erica and it yielded me 4 rolls....

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

Ingredients

For the Dutch crunch topping

Rice flour-1\2 cup
Salt-1\4 tsp
Vegetable oil-1 tbsp
Sugar-1 tbsp
Active dry yeast-1 tbsp
Warm water-1 and 1\2 cup

For the soft white roll

Active dry yeast-1\2 tbsp
Warm water-1\8cup
Warm milk-1\2 cup
Sugar-3\4 tbsp
Vegetable oil-1 tbsp
Salt-1 tsp
All purpose flour-1and 1\2 cups

Method of preparation

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugar, milk and water ( bread ingredients )
Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes, till mixture starts to bubble a bit
Add in vegetable oil, salt and 1\2 cup flour
Mix with a spatula until combined
Add the remaining flour, little by little, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes until it is smooth and elastic
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover and keep in a warm place for an hour or until it doubles in size
Once the dough has risen, turn  it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions
Shape each into a ball and keep on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Cover the baking tray and let the balls rise for 15 minutes
Mix all the ingredients of the dutch crunch topping in a bowl and mix vigorously
The consistency of the topping should be like stiff royal icing-spreadable but not runny
Add more rice flour or water if necessary
Keep aside for 15 minutes
Pre heat the oven to 380 degrees
Coat the top of each ball with a thick layer of topping using your fingers ( a thin topping will not crack properly )
Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, till the crust appears well browned