Tzanghong observations
I have a bread that my family enjoys. The parkerhouse roll recipe from KAF made into one big loaf. Since its a straight dough it does have some issues with starting to dry out after a few days. Not that big of a deal since theres not much left by then. I wondered what the tzang method would do to it. It didnt produce a big shreddable loaf. Out of the oven it didnt look much different than normal. I was a bit disappointed. After cooling I cut into it. Crumb looked normal and it tasted the same. I know what your thinking total failure or I did something wrong. It wasnt a failure. The difference was subtle. The crumb thats normally crumbly when cut held up much better. It was tough but still tender. It has been a couple of days since I made the loaf. I keep it in a plastic bag in my pantry. I took it out this morning for breakfast and tested the cut end for dryness and was surprised to find it moist and springy. Taste is still very good. The method has helped the shelf life of the product. Since the crumb is more robust, it stands up better to making PB&J. That is the only alternative in my house if you dont like whats for dinner. I do need to adjust the hydration up some. After my next bake if its right I will post the modified recipe. I want to explore some cajun cooking recipes on roux making. I know if you cook the roux to varying levels of brownness it effects the thickening ability of it but imparts flavor. This has some far reaching possibilities both in flavor and texture.
combining the Tangzhong technique with a 1/2 hour autolyse on a light wheat loaf (50% bread flour & 50% whole wheat flour - the Tangzhong was made from the bread flour). The loaf is so light and moist it is almost too tender to slice. It did crumble in places. I will have to experiment more with this.
I use regular Tangzhong on all of my white and light wheat sandwich bread. My family complains about dry, "rough" bread if I don't use it.
That thought of using the tzang method to improve the crumb of whole wheat has crossed my mind. I once tried a 100% whole wheat and wasnt happy with the results. My family didnt like it either. That week I ate a whole loaf by myself. That is after I baked them the sandwich loaf they like. I will venture down the WW road in the future. I think it will be a good way to change peoples mind on WW who normally dont like the texture of it.
when I baked 100% whole wheat sandwich bread using Tangzhong (making the Tangzhong roux with the whole wheat flour).
I do see a big difference with light wheat sandwich bread, using the Tangzhong roux made with the white bread flour (the loaf was 50% bread flour and 50% whole wheat flour also adding 1/4 cup wheat germ).
My Tangzhong roux is usually 1/2 cup of water and 3 Tbsp bread flour (125g water, 25g bread flour) for a 1 1/2 lb loaf. I make the roux in a plastic cup in the microwave in 40 seconds. (Mix flour and water well. Microwave 25 seconds, stir, microwave 15 seconds, stir. Perfect ~150-F roux).
Hi Manna,
I am a Louisiana transplant living in southern California now. Regarding roux, you are correct that the darker the roux, the less the thickening power. I typically make roux the traditional way, but there's an oven method that Alton Brown championed on Good Eats where you don't have to watch and continually stir the roux. Google it if you are interested, it can save a lot of work and frustration as well.
I will. I always enjoy watching AB's shows.