Introduction To Tangzhong

[JHan]

An Intriguing Technique For Softer Yeast Breads and Rolls

Tangzhong is a Japanese technique where a small percentage of the flour and liquid (water or milk) is cooked in a yeast recipe very briefly before combining the resulting thick slurry with the remaining ingredients.

How does this technique affect yeast dough? It pre-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, meaning they can absorb more water. In fact, flour will absorb twice as much hot water or milk as it does the cool/lukewarm water or milk you’d usually use in yeast dough.

Not only does the starch in the flour absorb more liquid; since heating the starch with water creates structure, it’s able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. Which in turn means:

• Since there’s less free (unabsorbed) water in the dough, it’s less sticky and easier to knead;

• The bread or rolls may rise higher, due to more water creating more internal steam (which makes bread rise in the oven — along with the carbon dioxide given off by the yeast);

• Having retained more water during baking, bread and rolls will be moister and will stay soft and fresh longer.

https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2018/03/26/introduction-to-tangzhong/

[csziggy]

1. That's interesting - I wonder how well it would work with whole grain bread?

I make a good multi-grain bread that requires more moisture but this is a whole different system.

At the bottom of the page you posted is another article: How to convert a bread recipe to tangzhong: a surefire path to softer bread and rolls

I may try that with my old multi-grain bread to see if that would improve the texture and softness.

Thank you for posting this!

[JHan]

2. It's a fabulous technique. I came across this..

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/34107/tangzhong-whole-wheat-multigrain

I haven't tested that recipe but his experience should be a useful guide.

[csziggy]

6. That youo - that is exactly what I need!

I haven't been very scientific about my bread - measurements are not exact and I add flour by feel - so I will have to work with it a little to figure out the hydration. But I had complained a while back here about my loaves being a little crumbly. It sounds as though the Tang-Zhong method might help it move from being good bread to really good good bread.

Now to get the time to try it - between health issues and life I haven't made bread for a couple of years and have spent my time on other things.

[dem in texas]

3. Sounds interesting

I love to make yeast breads and always like to try new techniques. I will give this technique a try on
Sunday. I usually make a batch of dough, half into dinner rolls and half into cinnamon snails. Using the slurry to make dough more moist will lend itself to this dough. Sorry to say, I have been making this dough for so long that I not longer use a recipe.

I will post about the results.

[ElishaMiner]

4. Yum dish

The disk is looking really yummy. Ill surely try it once.

[gopiscrap]

8. welcome to DU

[FSogol]

5. Thanks for posting. n/t

[Hortensis]

7. Interesting technique, thanks.

[trof]

9. Have to try this. Looks good.