🧾 Ingredients
Tangzhong (make first)
- 20g bread flour
- 100g water
Dough
- 300g bread flour
- 100g active sourdough starter (bubbly, recently fed)
- 120g milk (or water if you prefer)
- 30g sugar (optional, but helps softness)
- 6g salt
- 30g butter or oil (softened)
- All of the tangzhong
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🍳 Step 1: Make Tangzhong
- In a small pan, mix flour + water until no lumps.
- Cook on low heat, stirring constantly.
- It thickens into a paste (like mashed potato consistency).
- Once you see lines when stirring, remove from heat.
- Let it cool completely.
✨ Tip: You can make this ahead and chill it.
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🥣 Step 2: Mix Dough
- In a bowl, combine:
- Bread flour
- Milk
- Tangzhong
- Sourdough starter
- Mix until a rough dough forms.
- Cover and rest 30 minutes (this is your autolyse).
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🧂 Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients
- Add:
- Sugar
- Salt
- Butter/oil
- Knead until smooth and elastic:
- By hand: ~10–15 mins
- Mixer: ~8–10 mins
You’re aiming for a soft, slightly tacky dough, not sticky chaos.
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🕰️ Step 4: Bulk Fermentation
- Cover and let rise at room temp (around Singapore weather = fast lane 🚀).
- Duration: 3–5 hours, depending on your starter strength.
- Do stretch & folds every 30–45 mins for the first 2 hours.
Signs it’s ready:
- Dough has risen ~50–70%
- Feels airy and jiggly
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🔄 Step 5: Shape
- Lightly flour surface.
- Gently deflate dough.
- Shape into:
- Sandwich loaf (roll it up) OR
- Round boule
- Place into loaf tin or banneton.
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❄️ Step 6: Final Proof
Option A (same day):
- Proof 2–3 hours at room temp
Option B (better flavor):
- Fridge overnight (8–12 hours)
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🔥 Step 7: Bake
For loaf tin:
- Bake at 180°C for 30–35 mins
For boule:
- Preheat oven to 230°C
- Bake:
- 20 mins covered (with lid/foil)
- 20 mins uncovered at 200°C
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🧊 Step 8: Cool (Important!)
Let it cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Cut too early = gummy interior (the bread equivalent of undercooked cake).
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🌟 What to Expect
- Super soft crumb (almost like milk bread)
- Light sourdough tang
- Stays fresh longer thanks to tangzhong
