I cannot belive how fast the year is galloping past, and we are at the end of January.
Month end also means Fresh From the Oven reveal date, where this month we were challenged by Silvia and Ivan from mushitz, to make bread using the Tangzhong method.
Tangzhong means water roux – and the method was popularised in the 1990s by Yvonne Chen’s book “The 65º C Bread Doctor”. By making a roux you develop some of the gluten before the bread is baked, and the resulting loaf is very fluffy soft and tender.
The bread was indeed, fluffy, soft and tender and delicious, but was also the stickest dough I have ever worked with, not something that I would have liked to attempt without Fifi, my new and already very loved stand mixer with her trusty dough hook.
I will be making this one again, maybe stuffing the loaf next time.
Thanks to Silvia and Ivan for a fantastic challenge.
- 30 g flour
- 150 g cold water
- 350 g strong flour
- 5 g instant yeast or 15 g fresh yeast
- 55 g sugar
- 5 g salt
- 1 egg
- 125 g milk buttermilk works too
- 120 g tangzhong
- 30 g butter melted and cooled
- the rest of the tangzhong it adds gloss and nice golden colour to the crust during baking
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Whisk together cold water and flour (there should be no lumps) and cook over low heat (stirring all the time) until the temperature reaches 65ºC.
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If you don't have a thermometer – no problem – cook until the spoon you're stirring with leaves a trace. The mixture should have the consistency of something in the middle between crème anglaise and pastry cream.
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Leave the tangzhong to cool down at room temperature before using it.
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Dissolve yeast in the milk.
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Combine together flour, sugar and salt then add in milk with the yeast, tangzhong and egg. Use your hand or stand mixer equipped with the dough hooks to mix all the ingredients into a soft dough then add in the butter.
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Let the mixer do the kneading part for 15 – 20 minutes. You can see if the dough is ready by tearing a small piece of it and stretching it to a very thin membrane before it tears.
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Cover the bowl and leave it to become double in bulk.
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Knock the dough down on a lightly floured counter top, give it a quick knead just to let the gas escape, then form it as desired – a loaf or small buns.
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Transfer to buttered loaf pan or lined with paper sheet pan if making buns. Cover with plastic wrap and let it double in bulk again.
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Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Brush with the rest of the tangzhong and bake for around 30 – 35 minutes until nicely golden.
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Silvia
Fifi did a great job :) Thank you for participating.
Helen
Well thank you for another excellent challenge!
bakingaddict
I love challenges like these when I get to see how everyone did with the same recipe. Everyone mentions the sticky dough, will bear in mind when trying it out. Love the look of your loaf :)
Helen
Thanks. It was a really good challenge. I love FFTO as it challenges me to do something different, but without being too time consuming.
I am really really loving having a stand mixer, cannot imagine how I managed without one for so long.
whatkatebaked
I absolutely agree Helen- the great thing about FFTO is that I would be unlikely to make the breads suggested otherwise, as I usually tend to stick to my trusty and often used white/granary loaf recipes.
Sally - My Custard Pie
I’m a much more confident yeast baker after almost two years of Fresh From the Oven challenges. Your loaf looks lovely – clever old Fifi! :)
Tandy
I love the name FIFI! She is really helpful :)