Hokkaido Milk Bread Tangzhong Roux Method Recipes

SOURDOUGH HOKKAIDO MILK BREAD WITH TANGZHONG

Steps:

• See the Photo Gallery below for step-by-step process photos.
• Starter
• Mix the starter ingredients in a straight-walled, transparent container with space for at least 50% growth. (See photo gallery where 150ml grows to approximately 225ml in a Pyrex container.)
• Press down with your knuckles to create a uniform surface and to push out air. This reduces drying and allows you to see actual CO2 aeration over time.
• Let the starter develop at room temperature. It takes 6-12 hours for this sweet stiff levain to peak.
• Tangzhong
• In a small saucepan, whisk the milk and flour until blended. Cook it on med-low heat for several minutes until it's thickened, stirring frequently.
• Remove the pan from the heat and see the instructions below for melting the butter in the tangzhong if you're using a stand mixer.
• Dough Mixing and Bulk Fermentation
• These instructions are for using a stand mixer. Scroll to the end for hand-kneading instructions if you do not have a mixer.
• Add the butter in chunks to the tangzhong to melt it.
• Whisk the two eggs and then the milk into the tangzhong-butter mixture. Set aside briefly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, briefly whisk together the flour, sugar and salt; and then add the sweet stiff starter, separating it into 5-6 portions as you add it to the bowl.
• Now pour in the prepped wet ingredients.
• With the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for a minute, scrape down the sides, and then mix on medium speed for about 15 minutes. As you approach the 15-minute mark, the dough will become smooth and should pass the windowpane test.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, form it into a ball, flip it smooth side up, cover and let rise for 6-12 hours depending on room temperature. If you refrigerate the dough, plan for longer rise times. See the photo gallery for approximate dough expansion during the bulk fermentation.
• Shaping and Final Proof
• Prepare your pans by greasing them. You can use two standard loaf pans, or make one loaf and eight rolls in a 9" round pan like I did. Other options include: sixteen rolls in two 9" round pans, eighteen rolls in two 8" square pans, twenty-four rolls in two 9" square pans, and eighteen rolls in a 9x13" rectangular pan. Your total dough weight is about 1470g.
• Scrape the dough out onto a clean countertop. There's no need for flour. Press the dough into a rectangle, divide it and roll the pieces into balls.
• Place the dough balls in your pans, cover and let proof for 2-4 hours (more if you put the dough in the refrigerator).
• Baking*
• Preheat your oven to 350F and brush the dough with the egg-milk wash.
• Bake loaves for 45-55 minutes and rolls for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil partway through if the bread seems to be browning excessively.
• The internal temperature when ready should be at least 190F.
• Remove the bread from the oven but not the pans, brush the top with butter while its hot, and then let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.
• After the bread is completely cooled, store it in a plastic bag at room temp for a week or longer.
• *Bread baked in a glass loaf pans will need longer than metal pans.
• Instructions for kneading by hand
• Mix all of the ingredients except the softened butter in a bowl with a spatula, dough whisk and/or your hands. Let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to your countertop and knead by hand, adding 2 Tbsp of butter at a time, kneading between butter additions until the butter is incorporated and the dough stays together. Now follow the instructions above from when you transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and start the bulk fermentation.

HOKKAIDO MILK BREAD (TANGZHONG ROUX METHOD)

Steps:

• 1. To make tangzhong, combine bread flour, milk and water in a saucepan. Whisk to remove lumps. Place saucepan over medium-low heat on the stove and cook till thicken, whisking constantly. Cook till it thickens into a pudding-like consistency and you can leave lines in the roux. Set aside to cool.
• 2. Cool the tangzhong to ambient temperature before using. Tangzhong can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and has to be brought to ambient temperature before using.
• 3. To make the bread, weigh out all the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl of the stand mixer.
• 4. Combine all the wet ingredients together (milk, egg and tangzhong) except butter.
• 5. Pour wet ingreidnts into the dry ingredients and mixing till combine, approximately 10 minutes. Add in butter and continue to mix till dough is smooth and elastic, approximately another 15 - 20 minutes. Conduct the windowpane test to determine if dough ready for proofing.
• 6. Place dough in a greased big bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof again for qbout 40 minutes till it has doubled its size. Can be proofed in oven at 40 Deg C covered with a towel.
• 7. Split dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
• 8. Grease a 5" x 9" loaf tin.
• 9. Roll one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a long oval. Fold the right edge inward to the middle of the dough. Fold the left side inward overlapping the earlier layer. Seal and flatten the dough with a rolling pin.
• 10. Roll up the dough into little logs. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough.
• 11. Arrange the 3 pieces of dough, seam side down, in the loaf tin. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for another 40 minutes.
• 12. Preheat oven to 175 Deg C, while the bread is proofing.
• 13. Brush the top of the bread with a little egg wash. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes until top is dark golden brown and bread is firm to the touch and sound hollow when tap on the bottom.
• 14. Turn out bread onto a wire rack and cool before slicing.
• 1. To make bread using a Bread Machine (Panasonic model), place all wet ingredients in the mixing bowl (milk, egg, tangzhong).
• 2. Add in all dry ingredients (salt, sugar, milk powder, bread flour, yeast).
• 3. Select "DOUGH" (9) function which only does mixing and proofing.
• 4. When all ingredients are combined, slowly add in butter and continue mixing till dough is smooth and elastic.
• 5. When the process switched to "RISE", turn off machine and repeat Step 3 again. This is to increase the kneading time to 40 minutes (each kneading cycle is 20 minutes).
• 6. Leave the machine to run its full cycle which also include approx. 40 minutes of proofing.
• 7. When dough has doubled its size, remove from mixing bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Roll them into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
• 8. Refer to previous instruction on shaping the dough prior to second proofing and baking instructions.