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Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread/Wholemeal Toast

written by Marvellina Updated: February 17, 2024
10.1K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE RECIPE VIDEO
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread

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

Tangzhong 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
Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread/Wholemeal Toast

Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Proof the dough twice: 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Servings 12 slices (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf)
5 from 19 reviews
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

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)

  • ⅓ 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

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Kitchen Aid Standmixer
digital kitchen scale
digital kitchen scale

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Tangzhong 100% Whole Wheat Bread/Wholemeal Toast
Serving Size
 
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
190
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Cholesterol
 
5
mg
2
%
Sodium
 
277
mg
12
%
Potassium
 
202
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
29
g
10
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
56
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
58
mg
6
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I’d love to see your photos/videos on Instagram

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24 comments

Eli SH June 5, 2023 - 10:02 am

If the tangzhong is made a day ahead and stored in refrigerator, should it come to room temperature before making the dough?

Reply
Marvellina June 5, 2023 - 8:10 pm

I have tried it either way, use it cold or room temperature and I personally didn’t seem to notice any difference.

Reply
Dayana Ortega Ríos May 22, 2023 - 12:14 pm

Hi! It is possible substitute whole wheat flour with whole grain spelt flour?

Reply
Marvellina May 23, 2023 - 3:34 pm

Hi Dayana, I’ve never tried it with 100% spelt flour before. I know spelt has even less gluten-forming protein compared to whole wheat, so you may want to play around with the amount of the water to make sure the dough is not too slack. Start with less amount of water and see how the dough is like.

Reply
Dayana May 23, 2023 - 5:34 pm

Tried today and turns amazing with whole grain spelt flour!!!

Reply
Marvellina May 23, 2023 - 6:21 pm

Hi Dayana, wow..that’s great! Did you replace all with whole grain spelt flour? any adjustment you have to do? I will have to try this myself. I have a lot of spelt flour I want to use up 🙂 Thank you for the update!

Reply
Dayana May 23, 2023 - 7:11 pm

Hi!!! The only thing I did is use the spelt flour instead of whole wheat. All 100% spelt. Brand I use is organic arrowhead. The oil that use was organic coconut oil refined.

Marvellina May 24, 2023 - 7:49 pm

Awesome! Thank you so much for your feedback! I will give it a go this weekend 🙂

Anna December 26, 2022 - 10:14 pm

Hello, I would love to make this bread using my bread machine as much as possible during the mixing, rising and baking, I’ll give it a goes and see how it works out. My question is, would adding seeds into the dough affect the end result in a negative way? Thank you.

Reply
Marvellina December 26, 2022 - 11:35 pm

Hi Anna, I would suggest adding the seeds after the dough has been kneaded to that elastic stage (window pane stage). I’m not sure how a bread machine works as I don’t have one, but use the lowest setting for kneading to mix in the seeds after that. I hope it makes sense.

Reply
Lyn L October 9, 2022 - 7:01 am

Hi, can I omit the milk powder if I don’t have? Thanks

Reply
Marvellina October 10, 2022 - 10:03 pm

Hi, yes you may. The milk powder just improve the flavor, but you can omit if you don’t have any

Reply
wmh October 8, 2022 - 9:08 am

Would rate 5 stars, except for confusing, incomplete and contradictory instructions. Also, why ml and gr for milk measure in ingredients? Need much more than 100 gr milk to mix. In 1. “Add the milk, syrup and the yeast.” – syrup?, omits tangzhong and oil in mixing instructions. “Cover and let the dough proof for the second time” – twice in instructions. Makes more sense to put dough in pan before 2nd rise. Instructions in both photo and recipe need correcting.
Bread came out great with my guesses on process. Thanks.
Happy for this comment to be deleted with revisions to recipe.

Reply
Marvellina October 10, 2022 - 10:19 pm

Sorry for the confusion! I’m glad you brought this up so I can amend them! That’s what happened when one tried to type a recipe late at night! LOL! I’m glad you figured it out though!

Reply
WMH October 12, 2022 - 3:27 pm

Thank you, Marvellina, for such a kind and understanding reply. Appreciate the clarifications (and the original detailed instructions re mixing and kneading). I might have guessed wrong the next time I try. to make 😉

Reply
Marvellina October 12, 2022 - 5:37 pm

I’m pretty sure there are many mistakes in my other recipes that I haven’t caught yet! (unfortunately!) So, it’s great that you let me know! I appreciate it a lot! Though, I feel bad for those who might have tried and didn’t turn out well because of my messed up instructions!! Thank you for taking the time and let me know 🙂

Reply
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4.95 from 19 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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