Tangzhong Milk Bread But Different
Tangzhong milk bread made with a twist
Servings
Prep Time
Cook Time
Ingredients
Total Time
Ingredients
For Tangzhong:
- 40g all purpose flour
- 60 ml water
- 120 g whole milk
For Dough:
- 240g whole milk
- 15g instant yeast
- 600 g all purpose flour
- 50 g wholemeal semolina
- 15g sea salt
- 70g granulated sugar
- 2 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50g olive oil
For Egg Wash:
- 1 egg white
Other ingredients:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Kitchen brush
- Clean tea towel
- Bread pan
Instructions
Tangzhong milk bread is a Japanese recipe that uses a paste called 'tangzhong' or 'water roux' for keeping the bread soft and fluffy for a longer period of time.
I wanted to make a loaf similar to how my grandmother makes her homemade bread. She uses milk, eggs, and sugar, resulting in some kind of sweet milk bread recipe. Anyway, I took all her steps and added some tangzhong technique on top. The result was a big, fluffy bread that we ate in less time than we should have.
- The first thing that you need to start with is making your tangzhong. So, in a saucepan, put the flour, then pour the milk and water. Place it on medium-low heat and stir continuously, until you get a paste.
- Take the pan off the heat and focus on your other ingredients.
- Heat the milk a little. You don't want it hot, just warm.
- Pour it in a bowl, and add the yeast and sugar on top. Stir, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and start working your way to combine them.
- Do not discard the extra egg white. You will need it later.
- When the ingredients start to mingle with one another, add the tangzhong and bring everything to a working surface.
- Start working until you form the dough. You may need to add more flour as the dough will be sticky.
- Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes.
You can use a standing mixer with a hook if you don't want to make the dough and knead it by hand. However, I do find the result more satisfying.
- After you finish kneading it, the dough should be soft and elastic.
- Oil a bowl and place the dough in it. Cover it and let it proof for 2 hours in a warm place. I use my oven with just the light on.
- After 2 hours, take your dough out and knead it for another 10 minutes. Form a loaf as big as your bread pan.
- Line your bread pan with parchment paper. Place the dough in there, cover it, and let it proof for another hour and a half.
- Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).
- Beat the egg white, and with a brush, give your bread a wash. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then wash it again. Spread the sesame seeds on it and put the bread in the oven.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160 degrees Celsius (320 F) and leave it for another 40 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven, spread melted butter on it and let it rest in the pan at room temperature for 30 minutes. Gently take it out of the pan and let it sit on a cooling rack for another 30 minutes.
- After an hour of drooling on the bread, you can actually cut a slice and eat it.
As I said at the beginning of this article, I took the Japanese bread-making method and combined it with a family recipe.
However, I feel the need to tell you that the classic version of using tangzhong is for making a bread called Hokkaido Milk Bread. It can be baked as a loaf made from individual pieces or as milk bread rolls.
I will make the classic version as well so you can see the main differences between what I did here and the traditional way of making Japanese milk bread. Now, if you think that for making this bread, there is too much work involved, you can always try our Easy No Knead Bread for Lazy People.
Wondering about the milk bread calories? They are listed below.
* You may need more or less flour than the recipe says. It really depends on the flour and how wet it is.
** You can replace the sesame seeds with poppy seeds if you like them more.
*** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram when baking this bread.
Nutrition Facts / Serving
- Calories 268
- Total Fat 7 g
- Cholesterol 54 mg
- Sodium 31 mg
- Potassium 65 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 6 g
- Sugars 6 g
- Protein 8 g