The Traditional Chinese Technique That Yields The Fluffiest Bread
Japanese milk bread has become prized in western cultures for its uniquely fluffy texture. Its softness makes it the perfect bread for French toast. Even celebrity chefs like Martha Stewart enjoy using milk bread as a way to make sandwiches more luxurious.
While many people love milk bread's fluffiness, few people actually know and understand what allows it to be so soft and pillowy in the first place. The answer is tangzhong, a Chinese technique that creates a starch gel that can be used in baking. This technique is used to not only improve the texture of bread, but also to increase its shelf life so it doesn't go stale as quickly.
Tangzhong is sometimes confused with yudane, which is a Japanese technique that is similar but still different from tangzhong. The best part about tangzhong is that it is easy to replicate at home. A few simple baking ingredients and water can be combined to make this gel, thus granting home bakers the ability to make stunningly soft bread.
How to make and use tangzhong
Tangzhong is made by combining flour and water, although some methods will use milk instead of water. Simply combine the flour and liquid and cook the mixture at 150 degrees Fahrenheit until the mixture becomes gelatinous. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before adding it to bread dough.
Depending on the specific bread recipe you are using, tangzhong should be added to the dough either as the last or second to last ingredient. Generally speaking, it will go in towards the end of making the dough. Regardless of the recipe, it is important to make sure the tangzhong is fully incorporated and homogenous once it has been added.
As for the recipes that tangzhong can be used in, the options are endless. It can be added to buns, like hot cross buns, bread rolls, and even cinnamon rolls to make the texture softer and more tender. It can even be added to more complex bread recipes, like braided challah bread.