Question 1

Why is it called "Tangzhong" in English, and how does it differ from Yudane?

Accepted Answer

Taiwanese baker Yvonne Chen popularized the 65°C cooked flour-and-water paste in her 2007 book 65°C Bread Doctor, and English baking publications (King Arthur Baking, NYT Cooking, Serious Eats) adopted the romanized name Tangzhong directly, sometimes glossing it as "water roux" or "cooked flour paste". Tangzhong cooks flour and water (1:5) to 65°C, whereas the 1:1 boiling-water scalded dough method (烫种) is known in English as Yudane.

Question 2

What temperature and baking time do you usually use for small dinner rolls like these?

Accepted Answer

About 20 minutes at 180°C. Keep a close eye on them the first time you bake and adjust as you get to know how your oven runs. Every oven bakes a little differently, and conventional deck ovens also differ from convection fan ovens.

Question 3

I have seen recipes that brush with whole egg + milk + a pinch of salt. Do you know how that turns out?

Accepted Answer

I have brushed with whole egg mixed with milk before, but I have never tried adding salt to it.

Question 4

What can you brush on bread to keep the crust crisp?

Accepted Answer

Brush or mist with water, and bake at a slightly higher temperature. That said, by the next day it will lose its crispness and just feel slightly dry.

Question 5

When I brush with milk, the crust still bakes up hard. Please help!

Accepted Answer

Try making them with my Poolish loaf dough recipe. Divide into 45g to 50g dough balls and bake on the middle rack at 190°C for about 16 minutes. That formula bakes up super soft.

Question 6

These dinner rolls look so delicious! Could you share the dough recipe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they are super soft and tasty. I used my Poolish Hokkaido Milk Loaf dough formula. Just scale the weights based on how many 50g rolls you want to make.

Question 7

Hi! If I want to bake one Pullman loaf and one tray of dinner rolls at the same time, how much Poolish or sponge and main dough should I use?

Accepted Answer

I have separate posts for Poolish Milk Dinner Rolls and Poolish Hokkaido Milk Loaf on my page. You can simply add the ingredient weights from those two recipes together.

Question 8

What are the dimensions of your baking pan?

Accepted Answer

This one is 26x26x6 cm.

Question 9

I brushed my rolls with milk, but they would not brown for the longest time. I turned up the heat and baked longer, and the crust came out really hard. They were half-fist-sized rolls baked at 160-170°C top and bottom heat for 20 minutes with no browning, and there was no egg in the dough.

Accepted Answer

Try brushing softened butter over the hot rolls right when they come out of the oven. Adding egg to the dough also improves the crumb structure and browning. Also make sure not to over-proof during the second proof, as over-proofing will make the bread hard with a coarse crumb.

Question 10

I don't like the artificial look of egg wash. I always feel an unwashed crust has the most natural bake color. Also, is browned egg wash on the crust completely healthy?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for my everyday loaves over the years I usually don't brush anything on top either. Some bakers enjoy a glossy finish just like I did when I first started, so I put this test together as a reference for anyone who needs it.

Question 11

What about egg yolk mixed with milk?

Accepted Answer

It turns out slightly glossier and nicer than egg yolk diluted with water.

Question 12

My carrot breadsticks don't brown nicely. Is there any way to improve the color?

Accepted Answer

Crust browning is closely related to the sugar content in the dough. Did you reduce the sugar? Sometimes I cut back on sugar for a healthier bake, and the crust definitely browns less.

Question 13

Hello teacher! When I knead dough to the full windowpane stage in my stand mixer, the dough always sticks to the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl. Why does that happen? Thank you!

Accepted Answer

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl during mixing if it sticks early on. Once the dough develops a strong windowpane, it should have enough elasticity and strength to pull away cleanly from the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Question 14

Why do my dinner rolls have a stale, rancid oil smell the next day? It happens whether I store them in the fridge or the freezer.

Accepted Answer

Does that happen only with dinner rolls, or with all of your bread? If it happens across all your bakes, check whether your flour is still fresh. When I first started baking bread, I bought a huge 25kg sack of flour and used it up very slowly. By the end, the flour had gone stale and gave the bread an off flavor. Once I switched to fresher bags, I never had that issue again.

Question 15

How big is this mold, please?

Accepted Answer

About 28x28

Question 16

Hello teacher, for Hokkaido milk toast, does a convection fan oven or a conventional top-and-bottom heat oven give a softer loaf?

Accepted Answer

I did not have a convection oven until last year. When I bake open-top loaves in my convection oven, the airflow tends to blow the tops lopsided, so I only use the convection setting for lidded Pullman loaves. I am not sure if that is just my technique.

Question 17

Have you tried cold overnight fermentation for loaf bread? Could you share a recipe where you mix the dough at night and bake it the next evening after work? Office workers don't have enough time on weeknights!

Accepted Answer

I used cold fermentation a long time ago 😊. Nowadays I prefer the sponge (Chongzhong) method. Compared to cold fermentation, the active time saved is very similar: cold-proofed dough still needs about 30 minutes to warm up before shaping, whereas with an overnight sponge, you mix the main dough and only need a 20 to 30 minute rest before shaping.

Question 18

What baking equipment do you use?

Accepted Answer

I used to bake in the large built-in Bosch oven that came with our house, and later I bought a countertop Breville oven, which I use for most bakes now.

Question 19

What is the difference between the single-proof method and the standard two-proof method?

Accepted Answer

A single-proof loaf typically has a finer, tighter crumb structure than a two-proof loaf.

Question 20

For some reason, whenever I bake a lidded Pullman loaf it never fills the corners, whereas baking without the lid gives nice high domes.

Accepted Answer

A lidded Pullman loaf needs slightly higher heat or a bit more baking time than an open-top mountain loaf. Could your oven temperature be running a touch low?

Question 21

Why haven't you updated in so long?

Accepted Answer

Thank you for thinking of me! Life has just been very busy lately.

Question 22

I just made this today using autolyse with Man Xiaoman's original formula. After dissolving the yeast in extra water, my dough felt quite wet. Why did you find the recipe dry? Could it be my flour brand, or does omitting milk powder change the hydration?

Accepted Answer

The base recipe is definitely a low-hydration, firm dough, and omitting milk powder would make it slightly wetter, plus dissolving yeast in extra water adds hydration. Either way, the baked loaf is truly delicious!

Question 23

Can I knead this by hand without a stand mixer?

Accepted Answer

Hand kneading is quite a workout. If you knead by hand, I recommend using an autolyse rest first to help gluten develop more easily. You can also search for hand-kneading tips shared by other bakers.

Question 24

For a beginner buying a Pullman loaf pan, is it better to get one with a lid or without a lid?

Accepted Answer

Buy a pan that comes with a lid. You can always leave the lid off when you want to bake an open-top mountain loaf.

Question 25

So glad I found your page! You are the exact bread teacher I have been looking for. I am a total beginner and look forward to learning from you!

Accepted Answer

Thank you so much for your kind words!

Question 26

你好 请问下新手到底买吐司盒，带盖的好还是不带盖子？

Accepted Answer

买带盖的，带盖的也可以不用盖烤山形的

Question 27

你好 如果推荐一个万能欧包面包胚的配方（常吃最好低热量的），请问哪个配方好

Accepted Answer

欧包我做的不多，还没有总结出万能配方☺️☺️☺️

Question 28

一次发酵就可以如此松软嘛，我要试试

Accepted Answer

对。这个配方含水量低，操作的时候会觉得有点干，但是成品很香，值得一试

Question 29

鸡蛋多加几个行不？我烤出的组织粗粗糙，不绵密......

Accepted Answer

一个吐司一个鸡蛋的比例差不多了

Question 30

为什么都要加盐？

Accepted Answer

盐有两个主要作用，一个是适当的控制酵母，二是帮助面粉产生面筋

Question 31

成功啦 感谢呀

Accepted Answer

太好了，开心

Question 32

王后吐司粉打了快一个小时还是不出薄膜

Accepted Answer

这个方子因为水量少，出膜会相对不容易一些。一个小时就整形试试吧，再打就提早发酵了。

Question 33

怎么避免吐司皮厚，或者焦皮

Accepted Answer

控制火候，不要烤过

Question 34

Why did my dough lose gluten strength the longer I kneaded this formula, until it wouldn't hold together at all?

Accepted Answer

Have you run into this issue before? I once tried a recipe with even more egg and heavy cream that still reached windowpane, though that dough felt very greasy so I never made it again. Be careful not to over-mix or let the dough overheat.

Question 35

What bread machine do you recommend for a beginner?

Accepted Answer

I have used both Black+Decker (bought at Target) and Hamilton Beach (bought at Walmart). There is not a huge difference between them, except the Hamilton Beach has a larger 2-pound capacity compared to 1.5 pounds for the Black+Decker.

Question 36

Hello, what oven thermometer do you use? Any recommendations?

Accepted Answer

I actually do not use a separate oven thermometer. I just go by the temperature shown on my oven display, which is why temperatures can vary quite a bit between different ovens ☺️.

Question 37

I have the same oven! If I only bake one loaf, is it still 180°C for 30 minutes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, baking one loaf or two loaves uses the same temperature and time. Still, keep an eye on it and fine-tune for how your individual oven runs.

Question 38

Does the heavy whipping cream keep this direct-method loaf soft even after two or three days?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the heavy whipping cream makes a big difference in keeping the crumb soft. Even so, I still slice and freeze my loaves out of habit, leaving out only what we will eat the next day. That way, when we thaw a slice three days or a week later, the texture tastes almost freshly baked.

Question 39

What if I finish kneading to the full windowpane stage late at night and need to go to sleep? Can I put the dough in the fridge until the next day?

Accepted Answer

Baker Keji recommends letting the dough ferment at room temperature for 30 minutes, flipping the dough over once, and then placing it covered in the refrigerator for cold bulk fermentation overnight.

Question 40

Should the heavy whipping cream be at room temperature or cold from the fridge? Also, can salt and yeast go in at the same time?

Accepted Answer

I use the heavy whipping cream cold straight from the refrigerator. I place the salt, sugar, and liquids in the bottom of the mixer bowl first, add the flour on top, and place the yeast on top of the flour. I wrote out that exact layering order in my other posts, though I didn't repeat it here ☺️.

Question 41

Can I substitute trehalose for the regular sugar in this recipe?

Accepted Answer

I haven't tested trehalose in this recipe 😊.

Question 42

这个里面的糖可以用海藻糖替代吗？

Accepted Answer

这个我没有试过呐😊

Question 43

请问这是用的什么面粉呀～

Accepted Answer

鲍勃红磨坊的

Question 44

请问你的吐司磨具是什么磨具呢？是低糖磨具吗？还是？

Accepted Answer

我的是三能450克金波纹

Question 45

请问，烤出的面包表面干是怎么回事？

Accepted Answer

可能是上火有一点点大

Question 46

请问这个温度是三能的金波纹吐司盒吗

Accepted Answer

对，是三能金波纹

Question 47

你觉得哪个牌子高筋粉好用

Accepted Answer

最近都在用鲍勃红磨坊，觉得很不错

Question 48

可以用波兰种做吗  感觉成膜更快  就是不知道比例

Accepted Answer

我有一篇波兰种北海道笔记，姐妹可以参考看看

Question 49

请问你是多的烤箱？我的52升也放最底层吗？

Accepted Answer

我的博世是71L的，有用过最下层也用过倒数第二层都可以。因为其实放到最下层也是离烤箱底部有一段距离的，这一点跟容量小的烤箱有区别。

Question 50

想做，但是没有淡奶油，什么可以代替

Accepted Answer

那就用牛奶按照牛奶吐司的方子做牛奶吐司。

Question 51

Do you recommend buying a stand mixer for a beginner?

Accepted Answer

I have a dedicated post on my page discussing stand mixers for beginners that you can check out!

Question 52

Why did my dough proof nicely, but then deflate and shrink as soon as I took it out while preheating the oven? Is it related to room temperature?

Accepted Answer

That sounds like the second proof went too far and over-stretched the gluten network. Both proofing temperature and time play a role.

Question 53

If I only want to bake one loaf, do I halve the 115g Tangzhong and the bread flour as well?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you are making one loaf, halve every ingredient including the Tangzhong, and shorten the microwave cooking time when making the smaller batch of Tangzhong.

Question 54

Now that it is summer, do I still need to put a cup of hot water in the oven for the second proof?

Accepted Answer

If the room temperature is already high, skip the hot water or the dough will easily over-proof. Yesterday it was in the mid-20s (°C) here, so I put a cup of hot water in at the start to create some humidity and took it out after 30 minutes, which worked well. A few days ago when it was really hot, I forgot to remove the hot water in time and the dough over-proofed. If you proof on the counter, just keep the pans covered with plastic wrap so the surface does not dry out.

Question 55

Do the Sanneng gold corrugated Pullman pan and the black corrugated pan bake at the same temperature?

Accepted Answer

When I use the black pan, I shorten the baking time by about 5 minutes.

Question 56

In winter at a 20°C room temperature, my first proof barely rises after 1 hour and isn't doubled yet. Should I keep proofing or go ahead and shape it?

Accepted Answer

Let it proof for another 30 minutes and check again. In winter my first proof usually takes around 90 minutes. Try to put the bowl in a warmer spot.

Question 57

If I make two 450g loaves, do I double the Tangzhong to 20g x 2 flour and 100g x 2 water?

Accepted Answer

This recipe as written is already scaled for two 450g Pullman loaves, so 20g flour and 100g water makes the 115g of Tangzhong needed for both loaves.

Question 58

How much Tangzhong do I need for just one loaf?

Accepted Answer

Actually, 115g of Tangzhong (made from 20g flour and 100g water) can even be used in a single loaf or split across two loaves, as long as you adjust the liquid in the main dough accordingly. That flexibility in scaling main-dough hydration is how Tangzhong differs from old dough (pâte fermentée) or sponge (Chongzhong).

Question 59

Is 85g of egg weighed with the shells on for two eggs?

Accepted Answer

It is 85g of beaten egg liquid weighed without the shells.

Question 60

Can I use coconut powder dissolved in water instead of coconut milk?

Accepted Answer

I haven't tried that, though the coconut aroma might not be quite as rich 😊.

💡 Baker's Q&A & Troubleshooting Knowledge Base

Q:Why is it called "Tangzhong" in English, and how does it differ from Yudane?

Q:What temperature and baking time do you usually use for small dinner rolls like these?

Q:I have seen recipes that brush with whole egg + milk + a pinch of salt. Do you know how that turns out?

Q:What can you brush on bread to keep the crust crisp?

Q:When I brush with milk, the crust still bakes up hard. Please help!

Q:These dinner rolls look so delicious! Could you share the dough recipe?

Q:Hi! If I want to bake one Pullman loaf and one tray of dinner rolls at the same time, how much Poolish or sponge and main dough should I use?

Q:What are the dimensions of your baking pan?

Q:I brushed my rolls with milk, but they would not brown for the longest time. I turned up the heat and baked longer, and the crust came out really hard. They were half-fist-sized rolls baked at 160-170°C top and bottom heat for 20 minutes with no browning, and there was no egg in the dough.

Q:I don't like the artificial look of egg wash. I always feel an unwashed crust has the most natural bake color. Also, is browned egg wash on the crust completely healthy?

Q:What about egg yolk mixed with milk?

Q:My carrot breadsticks don't brown nicely. Is there any way to improve the color?

Q:Hello teacher! When I knead dough to the full windowpane stage in my stand mixer, the dough always sticks to the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl. Why does that happen? Thank you!

Q:Why do my dinner rolls have a stale, rancid oil smell the next day? It happens whether I store them in the fridge or the freezer.

Q:How big is this mold, please?

Q:Hello teacher, for Hokkaido milk toast, does a convection fan oven or a conventional top-and-bottom heat oven give a softer loaf?

Q:Have you tried cold overnight fermentation for loaf bread? Could you share a recipe where you mix the dough at night and bake it the next evening after work? Office workers don't have enough time on weeknights!

Q:What baking equipment do you use?

Q:What is the difference between the single-proof method and the standard two-proof method?

Q:For some reason, whenever I bake a lidded Pullman loaf it never fills the corners, whereas baking without the lid gives nice high domes.

Q:Why haven't you updated in so long?

Q:I just made this today using autolyse with Man Xiaoman's original formula. After dissolving the yeast in extra water, my dough felt quite wet. Why did you find the recipe dry? Could it be my flour brand, or does omitting milk powder change the hydration?

Q:Can I knead this by hand without a stand mixer?

Q:For a beginner buying a Pullman loaf pan, is it better to get one with a lid or without a lid?