Rolled my eyes at the tangzhong method for bread, tried it anyway

My neighbor swore by that milk bread roux trick for months and I kept thinking it was just extra work. Made a loaf last Tuesday and it stayed soft for 4 days, I could actually slice it for sandwiches without it crumbling. Anybody else have a baking hack they were dead wrong about?

2 comments

2 Comments

theabarnes21d ago

I had that exact same tangzhong moment last year, felt like a fool for resisting it so long. The thing that nobody talks about though is how it actually changes the way gluten develops. Like the roux basically pre-gelatinizes the starches so they hold water differently throughout the baking process. That's why your bread stays soft even after a few days, it's not just about the extra moisture it's about how the starches absorb and keep it. I tried it with a regular white bread recipe that usually goes stale on day two and it genuinely lasted almost a week on the counter. Kinda wild that something so simple makes that big of a difference. I still feel silly for rolling my eyes at it for years.

elizabeth_ramirez21d ago

My grandma left her sourdough starter on the counter for three weeks and it made the best pancakes I've ever had...