Chinese use Tangzhong Method to get softer, lighter and fluffier bread. These bread have a long shelf life without using any chemical or preservatives. Japanese originally developed the Tangzhong method. It is also known as Tangzhong Roux or water roux method.
In this method, we mix 1 part of the flour with 5 parts of water and make a smooth paste. The gluten in the mixture will absorb the moisture and become leavened. Knead this roux with yeast-based dough and you will get a good rise to the dough.
Autolyse is another different method that I have used in my Multigrain bread.
Tangzhong Whole Wheat Bread
Until I learned the Tangzhong Method, I was never satisfied with my whole wheat bread bakes. I always used to end up with a dry and dense loaf. My quest to find a possible recipe to bake a fully whole wheat bread made me read many articles talking about different methods to make bread but nothing convincing.
Finally, I came across this unique Tangzhong method. I started to read more on the Tangzhong method recipe or so-called water roux bread recipe. I tried my hands on this recipe and surprisingly I was able to get my perfect soft and moist whole wheat Tangzhong bread loaf in the first attempt.
How to make water roux
To make the Roux, mix 1 part of the flour in addition with 5 parts of water to get a smooth paste. Now cook this mixture over medium flame and keep on stirring until the mixture becomes thick.
Transfer this mixture into a bowl and cover it with a clean wrap to avoid from drying. Once it cools, mix this roux with other ingredients to make a bread dough. You can keep Tangzhong only for a day or two in the refrigerator.
Now let’s have the Tangzhong Method bread recipe. It is eggless, non-dairy whole wheat bread recipe.
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Quick Notes
Tin Size | |
Oven Temp | 200 °C |
Baking Time | 40 min |
MW Convection Temp | 180 °C |
Baking Time | 40 min |
Demold Instructions | Immediately |
Cooling Time | 2 hr |
PS: Use conversion table to switch recipe between grams and cups.
Prepare the dough with the Tangzhong method as described above and let it cool down.
In a bowl take water. Dissolve regular sugar and yeast in it. Keep it aside and let the yeast activates.
In another bowl, add Tangzhong, whole wheat flour, regualr salt, refined oil, and activated yeast. Mix it well to make a dough.
Take this dough out on a dusted surface and keep on kneading till you get a soft, smooth and non-sticky dough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise until it is doubled in volume.
Take out this dough on a dusted surface again and punch it gently to release the air. To shape the loaf, spread it into a rectangular shape and roll up tightly into a log.
Place the shaped log into a greased loaf tin. Cover it with a greased cling wrap and let it rise until it doubles in volume.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Apply water on the loaf with brush and bake it at the same temperature for 35 minutes.
If the top of your bread is browning faster then cover it with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
Once done, take out the bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Brush the top with some olive oil and cover it with moist cloth or towel. It will help to cool it faster without losing its moisture.
Now cut the slices and enjoy it.
Ingredients
For Tangzhong
- 35 gm Wheat Flour
- 175 ml Water
For the Dough
- 400 gm Wheat Flour
- 170 ml Water
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2 tbsp Sugar You can use Honey as an alternate
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 130 gm Tangzhong
Instructions
- Prepare the dough with Tangzhong method as described above and let it cool down.
- In a bowl take water. Dissolve sugar and yeast in it. Keep it aside and let the yeast activates.
- In another bowl, add Tangzhong, wheat flour, salt, oil and activated yeast. Mix it well to make a dough.
- Take this dough out on a dusted surface and keep on kneading till you get a soft, smooth and non-sticky dough
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise until it is doubled in volume.
- Take out this dough on a dusted surface again and punch it gently to release the air.
- To shape the loaf, spread it into a rectangular shape and roll up tightly into a log.
- Place the shaped log into a greased loaf tin.
- Cover it with a greased cling wrap and let it rise until it doubles in volume.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius. Apply water on the loaf with brush and bake it at the same temperature for 35 minutes.
- If the top of your bread is browning faster then cover it with aluminium foil and continue to bake.
- Once done, take out the bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Brush the top with some olive oil and cover it with moist cloth or towel. It will help to cool it faster without losing its moisture.
- Now cut the slices and enjoy it.
I want to try your recipe! For your wheat flour, are you using atta?
Also, what size is your baking pan?
Yes, whole wheat flour mean atta only. And the tin size is 9x4x4 inches.
Awesome bread–I added 1 tsp of diastatic malt, used honey & molasses instead of sugar. Both proofings resulted in an impressive rise. This is the 1st time Ive tried the Tangzhong Method so Im curious how this loaf will be in a few days time. Overall Im very happy with this recipe.
Thanks much for your feedback.
Hi..after second proofing bread has so many cracks..why?
Plz reply
I made it twice to be perfect. It was great in taste. Omg it’s fluffy. I really loved it. I used vegetable oil actually. The next day i add raisins on it. It was the best. Thank u for the recipe. My family love it.
Thanks a bunch for your lovely feedback Imelda.
Can u please make video of whole wheat bread using tangzong method
Hello Geetanjali,
Noted.
Thanks
Best whole wheat bread I have baked! Thank you Sonia!
Hi Sonia,
I baked this bread. First proofing was decent but the second proofing didnt rise that much..in fact it didnt even come uptil rim for a 8x4x4 tin…What could possibly be the reason.
Hello Roopa,
Whole wheat bread doesn’t rise much so nothing to worry about.
Happy Baking!
I have only dry yeast. Instant Yeast us not available in my area. Please tell me Dry Yeast, sugar and lukewarm water ratio.
Hey Dicvee,
Please refer to the recipe notes as everything is mentioned there.
Happy Baking!
Hi, I have tried burger buns with this method using all purpose flour and they were excellent. I wanted to try this recipe using 250 gm whole wheat flour since I have a bread tin for that size. How much flour & water should I use for the roux? Do you apply butter on the top post baking?
Also what’s the resting time after demoulding?
Whenever I bake, my bread rises well after 2nd rise till the top of the tin at the end of 40min. to an hour & remains the same height even after baking. This happens with my ladi paav as well. They turn out soft but doesn’t ever rise more while baking in the oven (spring rise). What could be the reason?
Hello J.S.,
Use 1:5 flour to water for the roux. Yes, I apply butter post-baking. Bakes with whole wheat or whole grains don’t rise much.
Happy Baking!
Hello , any hints to why my bread doesnt rise so much??
Hey Gunjan,
Well, bread baking needs practice. Keep baking and you will get a better understanding of the concepts like kneading, proofing, etc.
Thanks
Happy Baking!
Hi, again, Sonia! I wrote a VERY LONG “reply” earlier, and my comments are awaiting moderation. I forgot to ask you if you mean “100% whole wheat flour” in your recipe for WHOLE WHEAT BREAD by Tang Zhong method, because in the recipe you have listed “wheat flour” in both the roux ingredients, AND the ingredients for the main bread dough. Also, I will be replacing the oil with softened butter or melted butter, because butter gives a luxurious texture to the bread … and I think I’ll also add some Vital Wheat Gluten … 1 tablespoon for ever 2 – 3 cups of flour / 100% whole wheat flour … just to ensure an optimal RISE of the bread during proofing, with a good oven spring. And, I think I’ll add one medium mashed boiled potato … it’s a bread baking trick I learned from my Italian-Canadian girlfriends and their mothers who baked Italian Calabrese and Sicilian breads at home, every weekend. Please confirm to me that what you mean by “wheat flour” in your recipe for WHOLE WHEAT BREAD by Tang Zhong method, is actually 100% WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. I am planning to make your Whole Wheat Bread using Tang Zhong method in a few days. I have been looking for an eggless recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Bread using Tang Zhong … I don’t mind the milk and butter in most Hokkaido Milk Bread recipes, but I want to avoid “eggs” in the bread, unless I’m making German Egg Bread or Jewish Challah bread which has eggs in it. And, milk and butter in any Hokkaido Milk Bread recipe gives a SOFTER and DELICATE texture to the bread. So, I might just replace the oil with butter (softened or melted), and replace the water with milk in both the cooked roux and the main bread dough. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I used to bake bread for some 20 years at home, using ORGANIC GRAINS and grinding my own grains to make fresh flour.
Hi Sheila,
Yes, I have used 100 % whole wheat flour to make this bread.
I agree that butter adds richness to the bakes.
Happy Baking!
Hi, Sonia! WOW … I have been looking for a NON-DAIRY Whole Wheat bread made with the Tang Zhong method, & didn’t find a good recipe until NOW, on your website. My husband of over-45 years, and I live in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, & I used to bake bread 2 – 3 times every week for about 20 years, back in the early-1980s till the early-2000s, because I have a husband who has a love of our typical North American foods that are not good for one’s health. So, I decided to start baking EVERYTHING at home … breads, cakes, cookies, pies, crackers, muffins, etc. … with ORGANIC GRAINS which I used to grind myself at home, in my electric grain mill. I have WON Prizes for my baking over the decades of my life … I am now 67 years old. When I read about your son’s love of “popular” foods, which are not always good for health, & how that inspired you to start baking healthy foods at home, which resulted in your blogs, which then brought you to your present business of being a renowned and Award Winning Baking Instructor … I was able to identify with your situation. I stopped baking bread at home starting in the mid-2000s when FRESH ORGANIC BREAD became widely available in our mainstream major grocery retail stores in the Toronto area. My husband and I were Corporate Accountants, and now we are RETIRED. So, I’m getting back into baking bread at home, especially with the COVID-19 Pandemic which has caused all sorts of food shortages in our grocery stores, across Canada & the U.S. But I couldn’t find a non-dairy recipe for Hokkaido Milk Bread using the Tang Zhong method of making a foundation roux for the bread dough, until I came across your recipe on your website. I am also getting into Sourdough Bread baking, & I have freeze-dried Sourdough Starter that I need to hydrate, feed, and activate in order to bake bread with it. My husband’s mother was German from Europe, & my husband’s father was Canadian-born of Swedish ancestry which is why my husband’s family loves sourdough breads. I would like to be on your email list to receive any updates on baking bread. Now that I’m retired, I “teach baking”, for FREE, as a hobby of mine, especially to East Indian women living here in the Toronto area because the children of these East Indian women have been born in Canada, and they want their mothers to ‘bake’ cakes, cookies, etc. at home. These Indian women are excellent cooks in their own cultural foods, but they don’t know quite how to start learning to bake our western sweet baked goods. I also GIVE these women some of the “BASIC” baking equipment for FREE, to get them started, with measuring cups, spoons, bowls, bake pans, etc. And these Indian women are very talented, and they learn very quickly & are off to baking on their own very quickly after only a couple of free baking lessons from me. I am very impressed with your ability to have mastered Tang Zhong Whole Wheat Bread. BRAVA !! I will let you know how MY Tang Zhong Whole Wheat Bread turns out after I follow your recipe. Also … I plan on using MELTED BUTTER in your Tang Zhong Whole Wheat Bread recipe instead of oil, even though I did say that i was looking for a NON-DAIRY recipe for Tang Zhong / Hokkaido Whole Wheat Milk Bread.
I am so much impressed with your journey of baking.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. This has given me the motivation to continue with whatever I am doing.
Thanks much Sheila!
Hi Sonia
Thanks for the great recipe. I have a tin which is 25.5*11.5*7 cm . I used about 750 gms of flour and for roux I used about 65 gms. I have calculated the required ingredients to desired measurements.
My bread rose well bit when I started baking it became crusty on top and when I demoulded it , it cut in the middle.
What could be the reason. I have used whole wheat flour.
Krithi, its difficult to tell the mistakes as it can happen because of poor shaping, under-proofing, less hydration or over baking. So work with recipe again.
Happy Baking!
Sonia
Hi thanks for sharing this.
Is this whole wheat flour ? The pictures look like plain flour.
I thought I could use whole wheat. What do you recommend?
John
The recipe is with whole wheat flour.
HI Sonia, can you also share the brand of yeast you’d use that that gives good results.
Nithya,
I mostly use Prime, Gloripan or Angel. These all are equally good.
Happy Baking
Sonia
Hello Mam,
I used gloripan yeast . The rise and the bread was good but a yeasty smell was present in Bread..Gow to reduce the yeasty smell.
Hey Megha,
Punch the bread well after the first rise and use the same amount of yeast as suggested in the recipe.
Hope it will help.
Happy Baking!
I did this twice and both times, first and second rise were very weak..,I made sure the yeast was active…Is it because I used atta flour?
There can be many reasons for less/low rise.
1. poor quality of yeast.
2. Kneading the dough too rigorously.
3. Keeping the dough dry and hard.
4. Cold weather/low temperature.
So troubleshoot what went wrong in your case.
Happy Baking!
Sonia
superb recipe..amazingly soft loaf
Thanks a bunch, Sharmila for liking the recipe.
Cheers!
Sonia
Has this been tried with sourdough instead of commercial yeast?
Hi Nicholas,
Yes I do bake with sourdough but those are mu business recipes so I don’t make those public on blog. But Results are awesome.
Thanks,
Sonia
Easy to follow recipe with great results! Tender, fine crumb, plenty of moisture without being soggy or dense. A nice change of pace from long fermented artisan bread.
Thank you so much for liking the recipe and sharing your feedback.
Happy Baking!
Sonia
How much do we have to cook the roux? Should it form a lump of dough?
Hi Riddhi,
No it shouldn’t be like a lump but it should look like thick pancake batter. Hope it helps.
Sonia
Hi sonia , tried the whole wheat tanzong loaf… loved it . Thank you for yet another amazing recipe.
Hi Sharmilla,
You are so kind. Thanks much.
Sonia
I tried this recipe. But my bread was too dense and gummy in texture. Is it because of underproofing?
Avani,
There can be many reasons for the same. So without knowing the details Its difficult to answer. Try baking bread following the same recipe once again and Let me know the results.
Happy Baking!
Hi Sonia,
Such an awesome blog you have. You recipies are foolproof.. I have made so many of them and all of them are successful.. Thank you very much.
If possible pls post some healthy whole wheat rusk recipe.
Raji
Hi Raji,
Thank you so much for liking my work and leaving such an amazing message. I have added your wish to my “to-do-list”. Soon will post the recipe.
Thanks again,
Sonia
Dear Sonia,
I am a fan of your baking. Thanks for sharing the recipes even though you conduct classes!
Could we use this recipe for buns & garlic knots ? Please share the dimension of your bread tin that was used for the same measurement.
Take care & Happy baking!
Hi Moumita,
Thank you for your kind words. Feeling Humbled.
Yes, you can use the same recipe for buns and knots. I have used 9x4x4 inches loaf tin.
Happy Baking.
what yeast would you suggest? I am lil confused between fresh yeast/ dry yeast/ instant yeast..please suggest one nice brand also. I usually use “blue bird instant yeast”..
about kneading, how much time should we knead the dough? should it be hard like doing for rotis or soft kneading??
Hi Alekya,
Here is the link to an article that will answer all your questions regarding yeast. Check this https://anybodycanbake.com/buy-best-yeast/
Blue Bird is the one and only brand that I never recommend to use. A big no for this brand.
About the kneading part, it depends upon the recipe that you are following. Check my any bread recipe. You will get all the details.
Happy Baking
Sonia
Can a Kitchenaid mixer be used to knead the dough?
Yes Rama.
Hi Sonia, I tried your tangzhong method for wheat bread,it has become very sticky, I don’t know what went wrong, can you help me….
After adding tangzhong, yeast, started kneading but couldn’t get the dough shape, help me pls…
Hi Padmashree,
Maybe you added more water to the flour than required. water amount depends upon the quality of flour. Always add water little by little. It will make the dough manageable for you.
Happy Baking
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
Had used fresh yeast the 1st time I tried the above recipe…..the result was so gud. Second time I made with gloripan yeast the bread was a bit dense…plz let me know why???
Hello Kavitha,
Nothing to do with the type of type of yeast. Something related to the process you followed. Check that.
Regards
Sonia
Hi, tride again with instant yeast the bread came out good…one more doubt can we add falx seed powder to it……if yes how much??
Hello Kavitha,
Thanks for writing back to me. Yes, you can use 2 tbs of flax seed powder.
Regards
Sonia
Hello mam….170 ml water bahut kam ho raha h…bahut hi tight dough lag raha h… thoda water add kar du ya nahi….
Taruna
Water amount can vary depending upon the flour quality you are using. The dough should be soft like our chapati dough. So add water accordingly.
Happy Baking
Sonia
Hi
Have you experimented with
1 whey protein in bread
2 jowari bread
Thanks
Not yet.
Hi can I add oats to this and make a whole wheat oat bread with this.. How much oats can I add
Hi Nupur,
Definitely you can add oats.
Happy Baking
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
I would like to bake your whole wheat bread by Tangzhong method.
I have a pullman loaf tin 13″”x4.5″x4″
How much flour can I use.
Thanks for your lovely recipes.
Hi Vimala,
Try doubling up the recipe.
Regards
Sonia
Hi Sonia is instant yeast nd instant dry yeast the same. can I use jaggery instead of sugar..will the yeast get activated if I use Jaggery.. thank u .. waiting for ur reply 😊
Dear Epcibha,
Instant yeast and instant dry yeast are same. Yes, you can use jaggery instead of sugar for activating the yeast.
Sonia
I baked . It came out ver well but top wsa not red in color like yours.
May be bake for 2-3 minutes more.
I tried this recipe. Bread came out so wonderful!!
Had tried so many whole wheat breqds earlier but never came this close . Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks Richa for such a wonderful feedback.
Sonia
I read about adding vital gluten to whole wheat bread but its not easily available in Shimla well even dry yeast not easily available any of the good brands. We have what is called nashasta in local language. It white uneven broken pieces . its made by soaking wheat in water n then removing water and again n again soaking it in water n removing outer layers till u get pure white inside stuff. this is dried in big chunks n then broken. its made into halwa n is considered very health. its very spongy. could this be vital wheat gluten thats added in whole wheat bread to make it soft n rise well. I think i have not been able to explain it well. heres a you tube link showing uncooked nashasta n how halwa is made frm it.
Hello Shivani,
I am not aware of what you have expressed in your message. However, here is the link to Vital Gluten Powder that you can directly order from Amazon. No more local hunting of ingredient. Hope that helps.
http://amzn.to/2FTUGYG
-Sonia
Hi..is this vital gluten good for health? Or its like improvisers..sorry if its a silly one
Gluten is not improver. Gluten is a natural protein present in Wheat Grain.
– Sonia
Hi Sonia,
I have been trying to bake whole wheat bread for quite some time…Tried this recepi, it was the best so far.. still it is not as moist as market ones. The sides break…Please tell me how to cut nice ,even ,not so thick slices ?
Dear Seema,
It is not correct to compare your whole wheat bread with market bread. Market-bought bread are not 100% whole wheat, please check the ingredient list. Hence the texture of both the bread will be different. To get nice slices, you must ensure that you have allowed the bread to cool down properly before slicing. Slice them with only a bread knife.
Hope this helps
Sonia
Hi,
this bread looks awesome !!!
i just have a few queries:
How long does it approximately take for the first and second proof
Can i know ur wheat flour’s brand ?
Hello Sowmya,
Proofing time depends on the climatic conditions, warmer the climate, lesser the time to proof.
For wheat flour, use any. I use whatever is available in my home. No Specific brand.
Regards
Sonia
Thks a lot for clearing my doubts .. just another question .. what is the size of ur loaf tin ?
Hi Sowmya,
The loaf tin size is 9x4x4.
Regards
Sonia
Hi
Thank u so much for whole wheat bread recipe..
When I bake the bread sides of the bread are not as brown as we get bread in bakery stores..what is the reason behind this?otherwise bread bakes perfect..
You may use cast iron tin instead of aluminum tin and you will get brown sides.
Thank u soniaji..can we get cast iron tin easily?
I have one more query regarding gluten..I read in so many articles that we need to add extra gluten(vital wheat gluten) to make whole wheat bread or multigrain bread..so is it really necessary? I heard vital wheat gluten is good protein source for vegetarians..need ur expert opinion on GLUTEN..
Waiting for ur sourdough starter and bread recipe..
TIA..?
Dear Lata,
Cast iron tins are available, however, they are going to be expensive. They are worth to buy if baking is your passion and if you care about the appearance of the end products. Check this link: http://amzn.to/2obURam
Vital Wheat Gluten: Gluten is naturally available in wheat and the %age depends on the quality of wheat. So adding extra gluten is not harmful unless you are allergic to gluten. Remember, Gluten is protein.
Sourdough starter and bread recipe shall follow in coming future.
Regards
Sonia
Thank u so much soniaji..
Yesterday I made aata buns using this recipe..with a little change..I made Tangzhong with Maida..it came out nice..next time planning to make Tangzhong with aata flour..
Once again thanks..
Sounds good Lata. Share your buns images on our FB Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonlicious/). It will be nice to see your bakes.
– Sonia
I followed ur recipe but I didn’t get high loaf after 2nd rise. I used rapid rise instant yeast. What went wrong with my baking?
It’s difficult to answer this question without knowing the details. Bread proofing is dependent on weather conditions, kneading, quality of yeast etc.
What type of instant yeast u used in your recipe
Gloripan Instant yeast.
Instant yeast and dry yeast…what’s the difference between them
Hi Sathi,
Instant yeast works fast. For Dry yeast to work you need to activate it first.
– Sonia
The water used to dissolve yeast is lukewarm water?
Hello Shubha,
Yes, yeast is always dissolved in lukewarm water.
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
My dough didn’t rise during the 2nd round. And the bread ended up being flat although the taste and the texture seem fine. Also it didn’t sound hollow on knocking after I finished baking. Where did I go wrong?
Dear Stuti,
It is impossible to give you a direction at this point in time because I have no clue what changed between the first and second rise. Assuming that the first rise was proper and the yeast was working fine, please observe the following during your next bake:
1. Do not overproof during any rising process.
2. climatic condition may slow down the proofing process. Be aware of the climatic condition and if required wait for those extra minutes.
Sonia
Hi Sonia, I missed your live session on whole wheat bread on 21st July. Is there a way to post the tips out?. I followed this whole wheat bread recipe , it came out a bit dense and hard on top. Pls let me know where I went wrong?. (Guessing I should have kneeded for longer) )
Hi Kaveri,
Within a weeks time, you will have a post on our website with all the tips and tricks shared during the live session.
Bread could be dense for two reasons:
– Overproofing
– Less moisture content
– After kneading if the dough was not elastic enough.
However, the whole wheat bread will always be denser than all-purpose flour bread.
Hope this helps
Sonia
hi sonia.sonal here. just a query…… the water used to dissole yeast is to be taken from 170ml of water from the recipe or is it extra?
Hi Sonal,
Yes the water to dissolve yeast is to be taken from 170ml of water.
Sonia
Hi…Sonia..how much active dry yeast have to put instead of instant yeast??
Hi Hemali,
Please use 7gms of active dry yeast.
Thanks
Sonia