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Tangzhong is one of my favorite methods for extending the shelf life of bread and getting that soft and moist crumbs. Here is my take on applying tangzhong to 100% whole wheat bread that is made without any butter and refined sugar.
If you are looking for a healthy loaf of whole wheat bread, 100% whole wheat at that! then you may like this tangzhong 100% whole wheat bread.
How soft is the soft we are talking about here!
I know 100% whole wheat/wholemeal bread is not a favorite by many people, especially kids. I’m not saying that this 100% whole wheat bread is as soft as this tangzhong milk bread I made. Nope, it’s not possible! We are working with 100% whole wheat here. So, we need to be realistic. BUT, with the tangzhong method, the bread stays moist and soft for a longer period of time compared to regular 100% whole wheat made from the straight-dough method (without tangzhong or any preferment!)
Why you’ll like this recipe
1. It uses 100% whole wheat
2. No refined sugar
3. No butter is used
4. The tangzhong extends the shelf life of this bread longer than typical recipe made without using tangzhong
Let’s talk ingredients
1. Whole wheat flour
I used the regular whole wheat flour made from hard red wheat. If you prefer a milder taste of whole wheat, you can use white whole wheat flour
2. Milk
I use whole milk. You can use low-fat or skim milk, or other non-dairy milk. Keep in mind that milk helps to add more flavor to the bread and if you use whole milk, expect much richer, tender crumbs because of the higher fat content vs if you use low-fat milk
3. Milk powder
Milk powder also helps to add flavor. I used this because this is milk bread and I want more flavor of that in a pleasant way
4. Honey
Not only honey helps to lightly sweeten the loaf, it also adds moisture to the loaf. Not to mention that I love a bit of that honey aroma in a baked bread
5. Salt
Unless you are really watching your sodium intake, I suggest not cutting down on the amount of salt. It does help to bring out the overall flavor of the bread
6. Oil
I use neutral-tasting oil. Any oil of your choice would work here. The oil’s primary role is to keep the crumb moist. I would not skip this if I were you, especially with 100% whole wheat bread
How To bake tangzhong 100% whole wheat milk bread
1. Place milk and whole wheat flour in a small saucepan. Whisk until there are no more lumps. Cook this mixture over low-medium heat until it reaches 65 C (149 F). Remove from the heat and cover with a plastic wrap, touching the tangzhong so the skin won’t form. You can use it once it has cooled down completely but if you have the time and patience, I highly suggest using this the next day instead of using it on the same day. Store this in the fridge
2. If you use active dry yeast, dissolve the yeast in 2 Tbsp of water and let it bloom. Put the flour, milk powder, salt in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Roughly stir to combine. Add the milk, honey, tangzhong, yeast, and oil
3. Turn the mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, on to the lowest speed to let it mix until just combined and no dry bits of flour. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes. This gives the whole wheat flour some chance to hydrate, making it easier to knead later
4. After resting, turn the mixer back on and knead on speed 2 for about 6-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and just slightly tacky, but not sticky. Due to different brands of flour, you may need to adjust by adding a bit more milk if you find the dough is a bit too dry. Add 1 teaspoon at a time if you need to. You won’t reach the window pane stage, not with 100% whole wheat flour anyway
5. Oil the bowl and let the dough ferment at a warm place until puffy.
6. It may be close to double, not necessarily double the size. This may take somewhere from 1-2 hours depending on the temperature. Observe the dough, not the time
7. Gently deflate the dough and give it a few knead and round it up into a ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes before shaping. Grease your loaf pan on all sides. Shape it into a log, about the same length as the length of your pan.
8. Mist with some water on the top. Roll and gently press the surface on some oats. Kind of gently press them onto the dough.
9. Put this inside the prepared pan. Gently press the dough to fit the size of the pan. Cover and let the dough proof for the second time
10. Let the dough proof in the pan until it crowns about 1-inch above the rim of your loaf pan. This may take about 1 hour or longer. 10 minutes before the end of proofing time, preheat the oven to 350 F. Position the oven rack in the middle rack
11. Put the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake for the next 40 minutes. You may want to tent with a foil, shiny side up, after 20 minutes of baking if the loaf gets browned too quickly. Remove from the oven and turn the bread out from the pan onto a cooling rack. Brush with some oil while it is warm if you want a softer crust. I also like to wrap the bread in a clean tea towel to preserve moisture. This really helps to keep the bread moist and tender
12. Let the bread cool down completely on the cooling rack if you prefer a crusty top
Did you make this tangzhong 100% whole wheat milk bread recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread/Wholemeal Toast
Ingredients
Tangzhong roux:
- 30 gr whole wheat flour
- 120 gr whole milk
Main dough:
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp water
- 360 gr whole wheat flour
- 30 gr milk powder
- 8 gr salt
- 40 gr honey
- 100 gr whole milk or as needed
- 50 gr oil
Topping: (optional)
- â…“ cup oats or more a needed
Instructions
Prepare tangzhong: (one day before)
- Place milk and the whole wheat flour in a small saucepan (I accidentally wrote "bread flour" in the video). Whisk until there are no more lumps. Cook this mixture over low-medium heat until it reaches 65 C (149 F). Remove from the heat and cover with a plastic wrap, touching the tangzhong so the skin won't form. You can use it once it has cooled down completely but if you have the time and patience, I highly suggest using this the next day instead of using it on the same day. Store this in the fridge
- If you use active dry yeast, dissolve the yeast in 2 Tbsp of water and let it bloom
Prepare the dough:
- Put the flour, milk powder, salt in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Roughly stir to combine. Add the milk, honey, tangzhong, oil, and the yeast. Turn the mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, on to the lowest speed to let it mix until just combined and no dry bits of flour. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes. This gives the whole wheat flour some chance to hydrate, making it easier to knead later
- After resting, turn the mixer back on and knead on speed 2 for about 6-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and just slightly tacky, but not sticky. Due to different brands of flour, you may need to adjust by adding a bit more milk if you find the dough is a bit too dry. Add 1 teaspoon at a time if you need to. You won't reach the window pane stage, not with 100% whole wheat flour anyway
Bulk fermentation:
- Oil the bowl and let the dough ferment at a warm place until puffy. It may be close to double, not necessarily double the size. This may take somewhere from 1-2 hours depending on the temperature. Observe the dough, not the time
Shaping:
- Gently deflate the dough and give it a few knead and round it up into a ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes before shaping
- Grease your loaf pan on all sides. Shape it into a log, about the same length as the length of your pan. Mist with some water on the top. Roll and gently press the surface on some oats. Kind of gently press them onto the dough
- Put this inside the prepared pan. Gently press the dough to fit the size of the pan. Cover and let the dough proof for the second time
Final proofing:
- Let the dough proof in the pan until it crowns about 1-inch above the rim of your loaf pan. This may take about 1 hour or longer. 10 minutes before the end of proofing time, preheat the oven to 350 F. Position the oven rack in the middle rack
Baking:
- Put the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake for the next 40 minutes. You may want to tent with a foil, shiny side up, after 20 minutes of baking if the loaf gets browned too quickly
Cooling:
- Remove from the oven and turn the bread out from the pan onto a cooling rack. Brush with some oil while it is warm if you want a softer crust. I also like to wrap the bread in a clean tea towel to preserve moisture for about 30 minutes. This really helps to keep the bread moist and tender. If you prefer a crispier crust, then just transfer it to a cooling rack to let it cool down completely before slicing or storing
Storage:
- The bread needs to be cooled down completely before storing. Once it has cooled down completely, wrap it well and keep in an air-tight container or zipper bag. They can be kept at room temperature for 3-4 days
- For longer storage, I suggest freezing them. You can slice the loaf. I like to wrap 4 slices in one batch and then put inside a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal the bag. It can be kept frozen for one month for the best result and quality
24 comments
This is a very confusing recipe. The video, recipe, and written instructions all say different things. My bread is currently in the second fermentation stage and I’m worried it isn’t going to turn out right. I’ll come back and edit this review when it comes out of the oven and is cool enough to slice.
I hope the bread turns out for you. I just accidentally wrote “bread flour” in the video and the instruction for preparing tangzhong, but it should be whole wheat flour. Even if you use bread flour by mistake, it shouldn’t ruin the bread.
Hi, my bread turned out better than expected, I enjoyed the flavor and the texture is okay but it’s not so soft that it can be folded without it breaking. I will definitely make it again 😊. I have a question though. Can I add seeds to this recipe without it compromising anything? Also, the written recipe says active dry yeast but in the video you say instant yeast.
Hi Veronica, I’m glad at least it turned out okay. You can add finely chopped nuts and seeds to the recipe, I’d say probably somewhere 70-100 grams should be enough. Actually either active dry yeast of instant yeast can be used. It’s just that active dry yeast usually needs to be bloomed first before adding to the dough. I have amended the recipe accordingly.
In regards to the texture of the bread, you can try to add a bit more liquid to make the dough softer. Whole wheat flour is a thirsty flour, and different brand can also absorbs liquid differently. When the dough is softer, the crumbs will be softer too. And of course not overbaking it also prevents the bread from drying out. Also the fact that this is 100% whole wheat so it’s not going to be as soft as let’s say 50% whole wheat bread or white bread.
Hi! To make two loaves do you just double all the ingredients?
Hello! yes, simply double the recipe to make two loaves
Hello, in the video it says bread flour to make the tangzhong while the written recipe says whole wheat flour. Can you clarify please
Hello, it is whole wheat flour. It’s a typo error in the video. Thank you for catching that!