🌾 Sourdough Tangzhong Bread (Soft & Fluffy)

 🧾 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

⸻

🍳 Step 1: Make Tangzhong

1. In a small pan, mix flour + water until no lumps.
2. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly.
3. It thickens into a paste (like mashed potato consistency).
4. Once you see lines when stirring, remove from heat.
5. Let it cool completely.

✨ Tip: You can make this ahead and chill it.

⸻

🥣 Step 2: Mix Dough

1. In a bowl, combine:
• Bread flour
• Milk
• Tangzhong
• Sourdough starter
2. Mix until a rough dough forms.
3. Cover and rest 30 minutes (this is your autolyse).

⸻

🧂 Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients

1. Add:
• Sugar
• Salt
• Butter/oil
2. 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.

⸻

🕰️ Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

1. Cover and let rise at room temp (around Singapore weather = fast lane 🚀).
2. Duration: 3–5 hours, depending on your starter strength.
3. 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

⸻

🔄 Step 5: Shape

1. Lightly flour surface.
2. Gently deflate dough.
3. Shape into:
• Sandwich loaf (roll it up) OR
• Round boule
4. Place into loaf tin or banneton.

⸻

❄️ Step 6: Final Proof

Option A (same day):

• Proof 2–3 hours at room temp

Option B (better flavor):

• Fridge overnight (8–12 hours)

⸻

🔥 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

⸻

🧊 Step 8: Cool (Important!)

Let it cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Cut too early = gummy interior (the bread equivalent of undercooked cake).

⸻

🌟 What to Expect

• Super soft crumb (almost like milk bread)
• Light sourdough tang
• Stays fresh longer thanks to tangzhong