Tangzhong or Yudane Method: one of oldest method in baking

Tangzhong is a combination of small amount of flour and water cooked together like a paste or water roux. It is a Japanese traditional method of baking and according to my research Japanese called it "Yudane" since tangzhong is a Chinese word, the only difference is in Yudane they pour boiling water in flour instead of cooking it together.

The Japanese realized that by cooking the flour, the dough absorbs the water. This cooked dough is added to the rest of bread mixture. This method dated back 1875 when Japanese samurai invented the "Anpan". The popularity of bread in Japan rise after World War II after shortage of rice and replace it with wheat. It make your soft rolls more moist, soft and fluffy, its also add good structure in your breads which your breads can able to hold an amount of water in your mixtureThis method of baking breads not only appealed on Asian palates which often crave a milky sweetness, but also work on the lack of ovens only requiring a stove top and met the demand on extended shelf life.

so this is the procedure on how you do it on a certain recipe

Soft Roll Recipe

1000g Bread Flour

100g skimmed milk

200g sugar

15g salt

20g yeast

15g bread improver

2pcs eggs

50ml whipping cream

100g butter

400g water (AS PER NEEDED)

100g TANGZHONG

For Tangzhong

50g Flour

150g Milk

Procedure

1. For Tangzhong add Milk and flour in a pan mix it well and bring it to boil until sticky let it rest and cool before you use it for dough.

2. For the soft roll, combined all dry ingredient mix well then add all wet ingredients and tangzhong into the dry, mix it using your mixer with hook attatchment.

3. Once you form a dough  add your butter. mix until you hear a slap sound on you mixer or do the windowpane test. Rest and let it ferment for 1 hour until double the size. 

4. Portion the dough in your desired weight, roll it to make a ball shaped let it rest and proof until double the sized and bake.

How it works?

as we bake the breads, the water will remain there, with water trapped it stay longer which is shelf stable. It was also springier in a good sense like a sponge and it springs back with a good elasticity while Yudane technique. When it comes to taste there was ultimately a little variation, the outcome was very similar, the sweetness was on the same level but compared to the control bread the Tangzhong and Yudane method were more shelf stable even days later.

Tips!

-    adding more roux does not make the breads softer, instead the crumb become dense

-    for 100% wholewheat bread make the roux all purpose or bread flour and reduce the flour used from the original recipe.

-    do not cook the dough more than 149F. Cooking it more will dry out the roux and will not help retain the moisture 

sources: https://www.ice.edu/blog/tangzhong-bread-baking-technique

              https://oventales.com/tangzhong/