Sandwich Bread with Tangzhong
I love crusty artisan bread but, once in a while, I enjoy a nice slice of sandwich bread with butter and jam or peanut butter and jelly.
When I came across the tangzhong method on other blogs I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about and decided to give it a try.
The sandwich bread made with this method is tender, soft and stays fresh even after a few days.
The secret ingredient is the tangzhong, or water-roux, a method used for Asian breads. It’s a mixture of 1 part flour to 5 parts water, cooked until the starches in the flour gelatinize and the mixture thickens ( this happens at 150°F, or 65°C). Once it cools, you simply add it to the other ingredients and knead.
This sandwich bread is so versatile. You can toast it and slather with butter, jam, cheese spread, make sandwiches out of it or use it for french toast.
A few notes:
– Tangzhong can be kept for a day or two in the fridge.
– Instead of all-purpose flour you can use bread flour.
– You can replace the milk with water.
– While baking if the top of your bread is browning too fast, cover it with foil.
Store the sandwich bread at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days or slice it, wrap it well and freeze.
This bread will soon become one of your favorites!
HOW TO MAKE IT: Sandwich Bread with Tangzhong
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong:
- ⅔ cup+1 tablespoon (175 g) water
- ¼cup+½ tablespoon (35 g) all-purpose flour
For the Dough:
- 3 ¾ cups (450 g) all purpose-flour
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk I used skimmed milk
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) dry yeast
- 4.7 oz. (135 g) Tangzhong
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (8 g) salt
Instructions
- Make the water roux. Whisk together the flour and water until there are no lumps.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened and has the consistency of a thick paste. If you have a thermometer check the temperature, it should be 65 degrees C (150 degrees F).
- Remove from heat, place the mixture into a small bowl and cover with cling film (make sure that the surface is touched with the cling film to prevent a skin from forming).
- When the water roux is cool, make the dough.
- Dissolve the yeast in half of the milk.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the tangzhong and all the other ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil and salt.
- Start mixing and, when all the ingredients come together, add the oil and salt .
- Continue to mix until the dough becomes soft and smooth. This will take about 10/15 minutes.
- Make a ball,
- put it in a bowl covered with cling film and let it proof until it’s double in size, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- After the dough has doubled in volume, oil a 9"x5" (22×12 cm) loaf pan.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface .
- Using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle. The long side should be slightly longer than the loaf pan.
- Gently roll the dough into a log
- and transfer the log into the loaf pan (seam side down) tucking the ends underneath the log.
- Cover with cling film and place in a warm place to allow to rise until doubled ( about 1 hour).
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Bake for about 25 minutes. If the top of your bread is browning too fast, cover it with aluminum foil.
- Let the sandwich bread cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Updating my earlier comment – I’ve been making this bread every three days or so for a few weeks now, and I could pretty much do it in my sleep. I’ve never *eaten* this much bread, never mind baked it – but nobody in the house is complaining. (Especially considering how wonderful it is lightly toasted with breakfast – toasting really brings out the sweetness.)
Kiki’s comment above about making the tangzhong in the microwave is a great tip – also, whisking the 3/4 cups of cold milk directly into the hot tangzhong yields a perfectly lukewarm mixture, so you don’t have to wait for it to cool OR worry about it killing your yeast. (I was worried that this might change the magical properties of the tangzhong, but it doesn’t make any discernible difference in the end loaf from when I was adding them separately.)
Thank you again for this recipe – it’s a keeper.
I agree this bread is amazing lightly toasted :)
I don’t have a stand mixer, but I wanted to take a shot at this anyway, and I’m REALLY pleased with the results.
I followed the directions & amounts, mixing the tangzhong & milk & yeast & flour with a wooden spoon vigorously, trying to imitate a dough hook – then added the salt and TWO tablespoons of oil, using the third tablespoon to oil my hands and my kneading surface (a wooden cutting board), as I didn’t want to add any more flour.
It worked well – it was a soft wet dough, but the oil kept it from sticking to my hands or the board, and I was able to get it VERY smooth and stretchy.
Its second rise wasn’t as impressive as its first, and I probably should have let it go longer – the loaf is soft and delicious, but just a tiny bit denser than I wanted it to be – I’ll give it more time the next time I do this (which will probably be tomorrow!)
Thanks for the recipe
Thank you for the feedback, Bob!
Elena. ELENA. This is the SOFTEST sandwich bread I’ve EVER made, and I’ve been making bread for years now. My mom used to be a chef, so I knew all my basic cooking and knife skills when I was only 9. I’ve made a few tangzhong buns here and there but this recipe is absolute bomb. I thought I was doing something wrong since the dough starts so super sticky and batter-like in the mixer, but in about 12 minutes it was pulling off the sides of the bowl, soft and stretchy. I’m in love, Can’t wait to try the whole wheat version. My boyfriend said this was the best sandwich bread he has ever had, homemade or storebought ♥
A few tricks!
– Make the tangzhong in the microwave! it doesn’t stick, it’s less messy to clean and very easy. Just mix the ingredients well and microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring well in between each one.
– I let the dough rise at room temp (about 2 and half hours) and then formed the loaf, covered it and let it rise in the firdge overnight. That way you wake up, pop it in the oven and you have freshly baked break in the morning. If you do this, let it bake for 5 minutes more, since it enters the oven cold. Also, slow fermentations leave a milder flavor and even softer loaves, since the flour has more time to hydrate and the gluten to relax
– I used a mold with a lid, to get perfect square slices that fit the toaster and sandwich maker. If you plan to do this, consider the dough will rise a bit in the oven, so when you form the loaf it should have a bit of space to grow once it has risen inside the mold. This recipe makes a 850gr loaf. Also, covered molds give you a soft crust, since the moisture has nowhere to go. Once it’s ready let it cool inside the mold for 7 to 8 minutes and unmold.
– Let it cool COMPLETELY before slicing. The bread is so soft it will collapse when cutting, even with a special knife. First time I let it cool for just one hour and it was not enought. Second time I baked this I let it cool for at least three hours.
Again thank you for this beautiful recipe ♥♥
Kiki, you win the award for “The Best Comment”! So glad you loved this recipe and thank you for the tips! :)
I have made this twice, the second better than the first. However where the ends are tucked under, the bread separates there versus staying as a loaf. Any tips to prevent that?
Hi Andre! This is what I do (step 5)
I guess I need to rewrite my instructions to make them more clear. I hope this helps :)
Thank you for the feedback!
I tried this a while ago it was amazing!
Can you remind me if I should put all the tangzhong mixture in my dough or weigh out 135g?
Thanks
135 grams. Once the mixture has thickened, it should be more or less 135 grams :)
It tastes absolutely heavenly! Chewy and delightful! I added some caramelized onion inside and it was sooo soft!
Glad to hear that! :)
Excited to try this recipe. I just learned of this method by a friend and have been wanting to make bread for my son instead of store bought, but he hasn’t liked the bread I baked in the past.
I hope he likes it! Let me know how it goes :)
Fantastic recipe! Baked at 410°F for 17 mins and top was only slightly burned. Inside was perfect though! Used 1/4 c milk and 1/2 c water. For the flour I used mostly ALP and 1/4 c whole wheat and for the roux I used 1T whole wheat.
So rich and moist. Very happy I came across this recipe!!
Currently proofing another loaf that I used 1 c ground quick oats. Keep you posted!
Thanks for your feedback, Amanda! I’m glad it came out great for you! :)
Do you use a flat baeter or dough hook ???
I use the dough hook.
Made this today…brilliant! It was a lovely soft dough, and has a great crumb. A keeper! I’ve been baking for 5 years plus, and have tried all sorts to get a nice soft sandwich loaf…rice flour, potato etc, but this seems to the best yet. I added a knob of Clover ( uk spread with buttermilk) and used milk as the liquid in the main dough..mixed in the KA ( I normally make no knead bread). I didnt use sugar, and rather than rolling the dough, i made it into three boules and popped them in the tin….it baked really well…15 minutes at 240ºc, 25 minutes at 200. Thanks…!
Simon, the bread looks amazing, I just saw it on Facebook :) Well done!
May i know how to use tangzhong method in bread machine ?
Hi Sally! First put the wet ingredients into the bread machine (milk and tangzhong), then add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, yeast).
Select the “dough” mode. When all the ingredients come together, pour in the olive oil and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Thank you Elena to remember our blog AMMODOMIO ….Few bloggers write where found the published recipes and you are one of them. I’m glad to know our recipes go all over the world and that some people are happy for the result.Thank you again.
Paola Lazzari e Ornella Mirelli
Hi Paola! Thank you for sharing your great recipe, it’s one of my favorites :)
I tried this recipe and it turned out well. It’s the first loaf of bread I’ve ever made successfully. :)
Imagining a whole wheat version would be great!
ive tried tangzhong methods before and they bombed! This was perfect and we fought over it!!
Now I want a wheat version please!!!
Hi Tracee! I am glad you liked this recipe. I already made a whole wheat version…I will test it one more time this week and publish it! :)
I’ve actually never heard of this method. I bake a lot of artisan breads around here but not actually sandwich loaves. I’ll have to keep this one in mind, especially since the method intrigues me. Thanks for the info.