japanese style sweet bun dough

Yet another bread recipe using tangzhong! Hahaha. I hope this is the last batch. 😛

This time, I made the sweet bun recipe from Corner Cafe, with some slight changes. I increased the amount of tangzhong in the recipe to try to make a softer bun.

Japanese Style Sweet Bun Dough

• 375 grams bread flour
• 100 grams plain flour
• 35 grams milk powder
• 75 grams sugar (I used 100 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (I used 1 tsp)
• 7 grams instant dried yeast
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (I used an egg which weighed 60 grams with shell)
• 150 grams tangzhong *
• 150 ml water (I used 100 ml)
• 40 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 egg for egg wash (I used 1/2 egg, 1 tbsp milk and a bit of salt for egg wash)

* Whisk 31 grams of bread flour with 155 ml of water in a saucepan until smooth. Cook over a low flame until 65 C or a light paste is formed and line patterns can be seen visibly when whisking.  Cover surface of tangzhong with a cling wrap to prevent a film from forming and cool until lukewarm before using. Unused and cooled tangzhong can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Discard unused tangzhong if it turns grey. Note that this recipe is an approximation and actual yield of tangzhong may vary. It is better to make more and keep than to make too little.

1. Mix all the ingredients except water and butter in a large bowl. Gradually add water until a soft dough is formed. Knead for 10 minutes.
2. Add butter and knead until dough is elastic and passes the window-pane test. The dough will still be slightly sticky due to the addition of tangzhong.
3. Proof for an hour, or until dough doubles in size.
4. Divide dough into portions, shape and fill as per your desire.
5. Brush on egg wash.
6. Bake at 190 C for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Another batch was made into blackcurrants and cranberries braided bread. It was fun braiding these and watching them rise in the oven. I must have stood there staring at them for half their baking time.

This recipe yields a soft dough that is easy to shape. I noticed the proofing time was longer than normal. Almost 1.5 times longer. This could be due to the increased tangzhong. The buns stay soft for up to 3 days. If by then you still have some left, let me know about the texture. The buns I make are usually distributed by the next day and eaten within 2 days. Ha.