Rye bread With Tangzhong Method: For Baking Partner’s Challenge No.8

While coming back from work, my hubby asked me “Again you are making bread today?”  I replied yes I am.  I am addicted to bread baking, and want to try as many different bread types of bread possible. I have a very long list of breads to try and I have done only a tiny percentage. So for this month’s Baking Partner’s challenge I choose two different methods of bread making. The first one is Tangzhong (water roux) method and other is scalded flour method.

Tangzhong method is commonly used in Asian style bread, where the second method is used in Scandinavian bread baking. As a curious student, I did research on each of them and baked 4 types of bread. So you are going to see bread more often on my blog. I found this great recipe of bread with Tangzhong method from Christine’s blog. Asian community especially Japanese and Chinese likes soft fluffy bread. We Indians also make soft white bread, but not as soft as Japanese styled one.  This technique was introduced by Yvonne Chen in her Chinese book, entitled “65°C Bread Doctor”. In her book, she described that this water roux method/ tangzhong is the “secret ingredient” which originated from Japan, to make soft bread. Water roux/ tang zhong is made by cooking 1 part of bread flour in 5 parts of water to 65°C.

At 65°C, the gluten in the flour and water mixture would absorb the moisture and become leavened. When this water roux/ tangzhong is added into other ingredients of the bread, the bread dough will be heightened and produces softer bread. Bread also stays soft for a few days. I also thought it will be a wonderful idea to try famous sweet stuffed bread from bakeries in India called Dilpasand /Dilkush, so I made that. I also realized Dilpasand /Dilkush is not very healthy bread, so tried rye bread with tangzhong method.

I made tangzhong starter with bread flour and added it to a mixture of rye flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour and flax seed meal. I didn’t add any egg in the bread, but did an egg wash to make the bread shiny. I adapted from this recipe of whole wheat meal toast  .  This bread turned out to be delicious and soft; it has lots of flavor, heartiness of rye, nuttiness of flax seed and whole wheat and also little chewiness from the bread flour.  You can also spice up the bread with caraway, cumin seeds or coriander seeds. I will try that next time. 

It makes really good toast. So try it and it won’t disappointment you. Please take a look at the bread creations from fellow baking partner’s creations of breads with this method. If we can, you can also try it.  Here comes the recipe. 

 First make tangzhong.

                                                     
  Print Recipe from here

Rye Bread with Tangzhong Method

Adapted from Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 10 mins
First rise: 3 hours, Second rise, 1 hour, Baking 45 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf（one loaf tin sized 20.5cmx10.5cmx9.5cm）

Ingredients:
For Tangzhong

• 50gm/ 1/3 cup bread flour
• 250ml/ 1 cup water (could be replaced by milk, or 50/50 water and milk) ( I used milk and water)
• Formula of  1 parts of flour with 5 parts of water heat at 65 c/ 150F.

For Dough

• 110 gm milk
• 100 gm Tangzhong
• 36gm sugar
• 6 gm salt
• 100 gm bread flour
• 150 gm whole wheat flour
• 100 g  rye flour
• 24g flax seed meal
• 6 gm instant dry yeast
• 40 gm unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Method
First make tangzhong

• Mix flour in water and milk well without any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook along the way.
• The mixture becomes thicker and thicker. Once you notice some “lines” appear in the mixture for every stir you make with the spoon. It’s done.  If you want to check the temperature of tangzhong it is 65 C/149 F. Remove from heat.
• Transfer into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap sticking onto the surface of tangzhong to prevent from drying up. Let cool. The tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature.  Just measure out the amount you need. The leftover tangzhong can be stored in fridge up to a few days as long as it doesn't turn grey. If so, you need to discard and cook some more. (Note: The chilled tangzhong should return to room temperature before adding into other ingredients.)

For making bread

• ·  Whisk the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the milk, and tangzhong.

•  Mix until the ingredients come together, and then knead until it forms dough. Add the butter and continue to knead and medium/high speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and no longer sticky. To test the dough, pull it until it forms sort of a thin membrane.  This could take up to 20 minutes.
•  Place the dough into an oiled bowl or dough rising bucket, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled.   First rise took 3 hours.  

• On a floured surface, deflate and divide the dough ( 721g)  into 3 equal parts and form into balls. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it rest for 15 minutes.

• Take each piece and, using a rolling pin, roll out into an long oval shape. Fold the shorter sides of each oval over like an envelope, into sort of a square. Flip the squares over, and roll out into an oval again. Flip them back over, and roll each oval into a roll/cylinder, from one end to the other.

• .Arrange the rolls in an oiled one-pound bread pan, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise to about ¾ of the height of the bread pan. It took about 1 hour.
• Brush the loaf with the egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. If the top gets too brown, tent the loaf with foil while baking.
• Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Let it cool completely

• Enjoy this bread makes a great toast.
                           

  I am linking this  Yeast Spotting.