Tang Zhong Milk Bread

4.9 from 36 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: Bread

Cuisines: Japanese

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 3 hours 25 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Tang Zhong (starter)
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose/bread flour
• 3 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoon milk
• Bread dough
• 300 gram (2.5 cup) all-purpose/bread flour (*)
• 50 gram (1/4 cup) sugar
• 2 tablespoon dry/instant milk powder
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
• Egg wash (mix the following together)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Prepare the tang zhong: Whisk together all-purpose/bread flour, water, and milk in a small saucepot. Place the pot over low heat, continue whisking until the mixture is thick. About 5 minutes. Transfer the tang zhong to a small bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare the bread dough: Place all-purpose/bread flour, sugar, milk powder, instant yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well, then add in the egg, milk, and cooled tang zhong. Stir into a shaggy mass, then knead until smooth.
3. Add unsalted butter to the dough, continue kneading until butter is fully incorporated into the dough and the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a mixing bowl covered with a damp kitchen towel (or a saran plastic wrap) until puffy and the volume is close to double. This should take about 1 hour in a warm kitchen.
5. Shaping the bread: Gently deflate the dough, divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an oblong/oval shape, and roll (like a swiss-roll) into a log.
6. Arrange the four rolled logs into a lightly greased a a 9"x5" loaf pan. Cover the pan and rest until the dough fills the pan, about 1 hour.
7. Baking the bread: Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Brush the dough with egg wash, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
8. Remove the bread from the oven. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently and carefully remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

• (*) You can also use a combination of 75 gram whole wheat flour and 225 gram all-purpose/bread flour.