🍞 Tangzhong Dough (The Secret to Ultra-Soft Bread)
Tangzhong is a Japanese technique that makes bread incredibly soft, fluffy, and long-lasting. It’s commonly used in Hokkaido milk bread and other Asian-style bakery breads.
The method is simple: you cook a small portion of flour and liquid into a paste before adding it to your dough. This pre-gelatinizes the starches, allowing the dough to hold more moisture — which means softer bread that stays fresh longer.
🧪 What Is Tangzhong?
It’s a roux made from:
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1 part flour
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5 parts liquid (milk or water)
Heated to about 150°F (65°C) until thick like pudding.
🥣 Basic Tangzhong Formula
🔹 Tangzhong Paste:
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3 tbsp bread flour (25g)
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½ cup milk or water (120g)
Instructions:
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Whisk flour and liquid in a small saucepan.
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Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly.
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Cook until thickened to a paste (about 2–3 minutes).
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Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.
🍞 Soft Milk Bread Using Tangzhong
🛒 Ingredients
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All the tangzhong paste (above)
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2½ cups bread flour (320g)
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¼ cup sugar (50g)
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1 tsp salt
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2 tsp instant yeast
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½ cup warm milk (120ml)
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1 large egg
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3 tbsp soft butter
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
2️⃣ Add milk, egg, and cooled tangzhong.
3️⃣ Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth.
4️⃣ Add butter and knead until elastic.
5️⃣ Let rise 60–90 minutes (until doubled).
6️⃣ Shape, place in pan, rise again 30–45 minutes.
7️⃣ Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes.
🌟 Why Bakers Love Tangzhong
✔ Softer crumb
✔ Higher rise
✔ Stays fresh longer
✔ Prevents dry, crumbly texture
✔ Great for rolls, buns, sandwich bread
💡 Pro Tips
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Replace about 5–10% of total flour with tangzhong.
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Always cool the paste before mixing.
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Works with milk for richer bread, water for lighter texture.
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Dough will feel slightly tacky — that’s normal.
If you’d like, I can give you:
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Tangzhong cinnamon rolls
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Ultra-soft dinner rolls
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Burger buns
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Or a sourdough tangzhong hybrid