Soft fluffy milk bread (Water roux method)

Since I was pretty free ytd, I decided to have another go at bread-making. It wasn't that the previous times failed, but I just didn't get the soft, fluffy texture I wanted cos home-made bread MUST be eaten fresh to retain its freshness since we don't add bread improvers and stuff. I want my bread to last at least overnight with the same fluffy texture as when it's hot from the oven :) SO I GOOGLED. and I found this water roux (TangZhong) method which was said to keep bread soft and fluffy for several days and the best thing is that it's natural. Just bread flour and water to make it.

"As a brief summary, the “tangzhong” method was created by a chinese woman, Yvonne Chen, who calls herself the bread doctor, who wrote a book which translates to “65 degrees Tangzhong.”  Her method is a natural method of creating a bread that is incredibly soft, bouncy and fluffy, which is often a signature style for asian breads."

"Tang Zhong" method

Ingredients

1/3 cup  bread flour
1 cup water

Directions
1. Mix flour and water together and whisk until it is completely dissolved and no lumps remain.

2. Pour mixture into a small pot and turn on medium heat. Begin stirring constantly as the mixture heats up. It will begin to thicken.  When the temperature of the mixture reaches 65 degrees Celsius, turn off the stove and take the mixture off the stove to let it cool. I used a thermometer but I’ve read from Christine’s website and several others that you can sort of eye it. If you are continually stirring, the mixture will start to have “lines ” and then it is done. I started to see lines around the same time the temperature reached 65C.

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3. Once the mixture is cooled, pour it into a bowl and cover the top using plastic wrap. Place the wrap directly onto the mixture to keep it from drying out and put it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. The paste does not keep well, so use within a few days.

I took this milk bread recipe from Kirbie's Cravings and decided to give it a shot!

Ingredients:

2½ cups bread flour
3tbsp+2tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (I felt that the bread wasn't 'salty' enough, so I suggest more salt)
1 large egg
½ cup milk
120g tangzhong
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

Directions
1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center. Add in all wet ingredients: milk, egg and tangzhong. Fit the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer and begin mixing on medium speed and knead until your dough comes together and then add in the butter and continue kneading.  Keep kneading until the dough is smooth, not too sticky on the surface and elastic. I kneaded the dough for about 18-20 minutes. Each mixer may vary.

I didn't have a dough hook so I kneaded by hand all the way! GREAT ARM WORKOUT HAHA. I took approximately 35 mins by hand.

When the dough is ready, you should be able to take a chunk of dough and stretch it to a very thin membrane before it breaks. When it does break, the break should be form a circle.

Taken from http://kirbiecravings.com/2010/12/milk-bread-take-2.html

2. Knead the dough into a ball shape. Take a large bowl and grease with oil.  Place dough into  greased bowl, cling wrap it and leave it in the oven (switched off!). I read that the oven is the best place to let your dough rise cos it's draught-free and warm enough. Let it proof until it’s doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Knead into balls.  Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes. (I skipped this resting part cos it was going to be dinner soon!)
4. Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape.  Take one end of the dough and fold to meet the middle of the oval. Take the other end and fold to meet on top.

5. Flip dough over with the folds facing down,and flatten dough with rolling pin.

6. Flip dough over so the folds face up. Now roll the dough up. Place each of the rolls into the bread pan and put a piece of plastic wrap over the rolls. Let them rise until double the size, approximately another 20 min.

The only grouch I have here was that the dough wasn't that smooth. Should have kneaded longer!!!

7. Beat an egg and brush egg mixture on top to create shiny eggwash finish.
8. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 minutes.

BUT IT TURNED OUT GREATTTT!

The whole loaf is almost gone now hehe. BURP. I might bake another loaf today! ^^

Too lazy to use a camera to take photos, so it was just a point-and-shoot thing with my Galaxy S2. lol. More focused on the bread heh.