65°C tang zhong (湯種) bread

I first saw this in Angie's Recipes and later in Florence's blog and many bloggers gave good reviews for the bread using this water roux starter/tang zhong starter. I've always wanted to give it a try after reading the positive reviews. What deters me was the cooking of the water roux starter as I do not have a cooking thermometer. After procrastinating for over a year, I finally made an effort and gave it a go today.

Here's my tang zhong/water roux starter, I'm not sure if I've obtained 65°C but the texture looks quite similar to what Florence has posted so I assume I'm almost there.

I doubled the recipe again and managed to get 100g x 9 buns.

At this point in time, how I wished I've got a pullman loaf pan or in French, a Pain de mie. Though the desire is great, I have no additional counter space for this unless I start clearing out my old pans.

I've initially wanted to add some black sesame seeds to make a loaf of sesame bread but I forgot to add it in at the last stage. These were already washed and drained, had to discard it since I do not know if they keep well. I just hate to waste ingredients or whatsoever food, it is just too sinful. Everytime I dumped leftovers into the bin, I always feel a great sense of guilt, thinking of the poor folks in developing countries dying of poverty. This leads me to recall Kevin Carter's Pulitzer Prize winning photograph, featuring a vulture waiting for a famine striken child to die. We should be constantly reminded never to waste food and not to take things for granted.

Alright, back to the bread, I'm not exactly satisfied with the texture of this bread. To me, the Matcha bread and the Anpan bread yield the same softness. Also, the bread is somewhat chewy and DH doesn't quite like it. I'm not sure if it's because I've replaced water and milk powder with milk (which I doubt) or I've not achieved the correct roux starter temperature. I'm sure I'll give this roux starter another try (not so soon though).

Water Roux/Tang Zhong starter
Ingredients
50 g Bread flour
250 ml Water

Method

1. Mix flour and water till it is smooth in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat and stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent burning. You will see lots of small bubbles forming on the top. Keep stirring and when the bubbles disappear, you will see streaks in the mixture for every stir you make with your whisk. Stop at this stage and you will have the 65°C TangZhong.
3. Pour the hot TangZhong into a bowl and cover it with a piece of glad wrap with the wrap touching the surface of the mixture. This is to prevent a film from forming on the TangZhong.
4. Leave the 65°C TangZhong to cool till room temperature before using it. Leftover TangZhong can be kept refrigerated and should be used within 3 days. All chilled TangZhong must return to room temperature before using. If your chilled TangZhong has turned greyish in colour, you should discard it.

65°C tang zhong (湯種) bread
Ingredients
500g bread flour
160g TangZhong/Water Roux Starter
200ml milk
1/2 salt
50g sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
50g butter

Method

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Let the machine knead for 15mins, stop the cycle and re-start the machine and let the dough knead for another cycle.
2. Let it proof in machine for 30 - 45 mins or till double in size.
3. When proofing is completed, punch down the bread dough to release the air.
4. Roll out dough and shape into small balls. Let the dough rest for 15 mins.
5. Shape as required and let it proof on lined or greased baking tray for another 45-60 mins or until dough is double in size.
6. Bake at pre-heated oven at 170C - 180C for 25 to 30mins.
7. Remove bread to cool on rack completely.