It’s back to school for most, and planning for speedy and healthy lunches is imperative whether your kiddos are physically attending school or staying home. And if you’re like us here, easy lunches are the best lunches. Enter the mighty sandwich. Sandwiches slathered with crunchy peanut butter—you’re not eating smooth peanut butter, are you?—and homemade jelly, a mozzarella, tomato, and basil layer-cake-sandwich, or a classic tuna salad sandwich are always on rotation here.
But taking the humble sandwich to the next level requires the ideal bread. It helps the mundane transcend the standard measure. And while this site has pan bread recipes abound (I guess I do love good pan bread), this tangzhong sandwich bread is so delightful it’s quickly floated to the top choice for, as my kids call it, “square bread.”
That’s not to say my classic pain de mie or whole-grain pan loaf isn’t a treat, but this bread brings a certain softness to the crumb that’s hard to achieve without high hydration or added enrichments. And yet, in pre-cooking a portion of the total flour used in this recipe, you’ll do just that.
This pre-cooking technique, commonly called tangzhong, is classic for enriched bread such as Japanese-style shokupan (milk bread), and it’s a handy technique for bringing a level of softness to a loaf without excessive fat or oil addition. A healthier version, if you will.
What is Tangzhong (Pre-cooked Flour)?
The tangzhong technique (also known as water roux or simply pre-gelatinized flour) is cooking raw flour and a liquid to approximately 150°F (65°C). At this temperature, the starches in the flour will gelatinize, similar to how the exterior of a bagel gelatinizes when you boil the dough. This process turns the mixture into a sticky starch paste added to the dough during mixing and brings incredible softness to the final baked bread.
This upfront cooking is a small step at the beginning of this recipe, but one that results in more tender and fluffy bread without the need for other enrichments such as butter, oil, or eggs.
A quick roundup of the benefits of incorporating pre-cooked flour (or tangzhong) in your bread dough:
- Adds tenderness and an open interior without the use of eggs, butter, or sugar
- The dough can have lower hydration but still achieve a soft texture
- Prolongs the shelf life of the bread (and coupled with natural fermentation, which already preserves, this might be the best sandwich bread yet)
Check out my guide to making tangzhong for more information on this technique.
In the top left, the flour and milk are combined and whisked vigorously over medium-low heat. After a few minutes, the top-right shows the mixture starts to thicken. Continue to whisk, and don’t worry if you find small clumps here and there. The bottom-right shows the mixture sufficiently thickened and ready to remove from the flame. It will feel similar to a cooked porridge and be hard to whisk any further. Then, let the tangzhong mixture cool and add it as any other ingredient during mixing.
Flour Selection
Any medium-protein bread flour (around 11% protein) or all-purpose flour will work well in this recipe. I’ve made this with King Arthur Baking All-purpose with excellent results. And similarly, for the whole wheat portion, any whole wheat flour will work well.
Baking Schedule
This tangzhong pan bread is a direct bake, meaning it’s baked the same day you mix (except for the levain, which is created the night before).
Overnight proof option: while I don’t call for this dough to be retarded (cold proof overnight), this can be done if it’s better for your schedule. Simply place it in the fridge after it’s shaped and in the Pullman pan, then bake first thing in the morning.
Tangzhong Sandwich Bread Formula
For tips on how to calculate baker’s percentages or how to modify this formula, see my post on baker’s percentages (baker’s math).
| Total Dough Weight | 1,800 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 11.00% |
| Levain in final dough | 25.96% |
| Yield | 2 x 900g pan loaves |
I love using my 9x4x4″ USA Pan Pullman pan (without the lid) for sandwich bread. Not only does the nonstick liner mean the loaves always remove cleanly, its straight sides mean neat slices perfect for sandwiches or toast.
But if you’re looking for how to make this recipe work in a different pan, see my post on shaping a sandwich loaf.
Total Formula
Desired dough temperature: 77°F (25°C). See my post on the importance of dough temperature for more information on dough temperatures.
The rows marked tangzhong below are the two ingredients cooked ahead of time, but they are still counted toward the formula’s overall percentages. In other words, the 8% whole wheat flour is still counted toward the total flour in the formula and is not an “extra” addition.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 74g | Tangzhong: Whole wheat flour (Giusto’s Whole Wheat Flour) | 8.0% |
| 296g | Tangzhong: Whole milk | 32.0% |
| 693g | Medium-protein bread flour or All-purpose flour (~11% protein, Central Milling Artisan Baker’s Craft or King Arthur Baking All-Purpose) | 75.0% |
| 157g | Whole wheat flour (Giusto’s Whole Wheat) | 17.0% |
| 65g | Olive oil | 7.0% |
| 37g | Honey | 4.0% |
| 453g | Water | 49.0% |
| 17g | Salt | 1.8% |
| 10g | Sourdough starter | 1.1% |
Tangzhong Sandwich Bread Method
1. Prepare Levain – Night before mixing, 9:00 p.m. (Day one)
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 101g | Medium protein bread flour or all-purpose flour | 100.0% |
| 101g | Water | 100.0% |
| 10g | Ripe sourdough starter | 10.0% |
Mix the following ingredients in a container and leave covered to ripen at about 78°F (25°C) for 12 hours overnight.
2. Prepare the tangzhong (pre-cook flour) – 8:00 a.m. (Day two)
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 74g | Whole wheat flour |
| 296g | Whole milk |
Be sure to do this ahead of time to give the pre-cooked flour time to cool before mixing.
Milk alternative: If you want to avoid using milk in this recipe, substitute out the dairy milk in the roux, below, for water (or something like oat milk).
To a medium saucepan, add the flour and milk listed above. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and becomes like a paste, about 5-8 minutes. In the beginning, whisk vigorously to break up any flour clumps, and be diligent about this near the end to avoid burning. The mixture won’t seem to do anything until it reaches a critical heat point, be patient; it will thicken.
Once it transforms into a viscous paste (something like oatmeal porridge), remove the pan from the heat and spread it out on a small plate to expedite cooling. Set the tangzhong aside until called for when mixing.
3. Mix – 9:00 a.m.
I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix this dough, but it’s possible to make this bread without a stand mixer by mixing everything together by hand in a mixing bowl. To do this, you’ll need to mix for around 10-15 minutes, depending on your technique (slap and fold will work really well!).
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| All | Tangzhong (see Tangzhong above) |
| 591g | Medium-protein bread flour |
| 157g | Whole wheat flour |
| 65g | Olive oil |
| 37g | Honey |
| 351g | Water |
| 17g | Salt |
| 213g | Levain (see Prepare Levain, above) |
Mixing water temperature note: I used cold water from the fridge to mix this dough, mostly because my pre-cooked flour was not fully cool by the time I needed to mix. Be sure to take the temperature of the pre-cooked flour and other ingredients into account to get close to the final dough temperature listed for this recipe.
Use my mixing water temperature calculator to quickly help you determine what to heat or cool your water to so it meets the desired dough temperature for this recipe.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the pre-cooked flour, flour, water, ripe levain, honey, olive oil, and salt. Mix on low speed for approximately 2 minutes until the ingredients come together, and no dry bits remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium (2 on a KitchenAid) and mix for 8-10 minutes until the dough starts to clump up around the dough hook. It won’t completely remove from the bottom of the bowl, and it will still be shaggy. See the image of my dough right after transferring to its bulk fermentation container.
Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
4. Bulk Fermentation – 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
At room temperature, around 72-74°F (22-23°C), bulk should take about 3 1/2 hours. Give this dough three sets of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation (first rise) at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts after 30 minutes from the start of bulk fermentation. For each set, wet your hands, grab one side and stretch it up and over the dough to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180° and perform another stretch and fold (this forms a long rectangle in the bowl). Then, rotate the bowl 90° and do another stretch and fold. Finally, turn the bowl 180° and do one last stretch and fold. You should have the dough neatly folded up in the bowl.
After the third set, let the dough rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
5. Divide and Pre-shape – 12:45 p.m.
Uncover your bulk fermentation container and gently scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a clean work surface. Using a bench knife, divide the dough directly in half and pre-shape each piece into a loose round. Let the rounds relax uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Shape – 1:15 p.m.
First, lightly oil your Pullman pans with olive oil or another neutral oil. While this isn’t strictly necessary when using a USA Pan Pullman pan, it’s a little insurance just in case.
I shaped this dough in my typical method for shaping a pan loaf. Check out my guide to shaping pan loaves for detailed instruction.
Once the dough is shaped into a long tube, transfer each to their pan, seam-side-down. At this point, you can sprinkle on any toppings you’d like, I added white sesame seeds to one loaf, and instant oats to the other.
7. Proof – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (2 hours room temperature)
Cover the pans with a large, reusable plastic bag and seal shut. Let the dough proof at room temperature, around 72-74°F (22-23°C), for 2 hours.
Overnight proof option: before the 2 hour counter proof, cover the pans with bags and place them in your home refrigerator to proof overnight. Bake them the next morning as indicated below. Expect a slightly more sour flavor.
8. Bake – 3:30 p.m. (pre-heat oven at 3:00 p.m.)
Check on your dough: it should have risen just below the top of the Pullman pan and be very light and airy to the touch (see above). If it’s not quite there, give it another 15 minutes and check again.
I steamed the oven for this bake as described on my post on baking with steam in a home oven.
Preheat your oven, with rack at the bottom third run and a pan with lava rocks on the bottom, to 400°F (205°C).
Once your oven is preheated, remove your proofed loaves from their bags and slide them into the oven. Carefully pour a cup of ice into the pan with lava rocks at the bottom of the oven and quickly close the oven door.
Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes with steam. After this time, vent the oven, remove the steaming pan(s), and close the oven door. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the top is well-colored and the internal temp is around 205°F (96°C). Remove the pans and gently knock out the loaves onto a wire rack. Return the loaves to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes without their pans to add extra color to the bottom and sides.
Let the loaves cool for 2 hours before slicing to ensure the interior is fully set. These will store incredibly well as described in my post on how to store bread.
This bread has a delightful flavor that has little sourness. The overnight, mild levain with all white flour helped to this end as did the direct bake (no overnight cold-proof). The sourness that does slyly peek through comes at you at the very end of each bite, a gentle, but welcome, pop of flavor.
What I love about this bread—besides the tender interior, flavors created through natural fermentation, and flavorful, wheaty abundance, of course—is the shatteringly thin crust that forms when a slice is toasted (see above). We have the Pullman pan to thank here, and while a mouth-melting slice of bread is delightful, the added crunch in each slice is downright satisfying. And I think this might be the secret success of this bread: it’s soft, without excessive oil, eggs, or butter, for kiddos to love it, but still shores up enough strength to carry any ingredient you throw at it.
As I finish typing up these final words, I still can’t get the idea of crunchy peanut butter out of my mind. Shall we confess it’s time, yet again, for another amped-up PB&J? Buon appetito!
Tangzhong Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Prep Time: 19 hours
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 19 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Sourdough, Sandwich Bread
- Cuisine: American
Description
This bread has a delightful flavor that has little sourness. The overnight, mild levain with all white flour helped to this end as did the direct bake (no overnight cold-proof). The sourness that does slyly peek through comes at you at the very end of each bite, a gentle, but welcome, pop of flavor.
What I love about this bread—besides the tender interior, flavors created through natural fermentation, and flavorful wheaty abundance, of course—is the shatteringly thin crust that forms when a slice is toasted (see above). We have the Pullman pan to thank here, and while a mouth-melting slice of bread is delightful, the added crunch in each slice is downright satisfying. And I think this might be the secret success of this bread: it’s soft, without excessive oil, eggs, or butter, for kiddos to love it, but still shores up enough strength to carry any ingredient you throw at it.
Ingredients
Levain
- 101g medium-protein bread flour
- 101g water
- 10g ripe sourdough starter
Tangzhong
- 74g whole wheat flour
- 296g whole milk
Main Dough
- all the tangzhong
- 591g medium-protein bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 157g whole wheat flour
- 65g extra virgin olive oil
- 37g honey
- 351g water
- 17g salt
- all the levain
Instructions
- Prepare levain (Day one, the night before mixing, 9:00 p.m.)
In a small container, mix together the levain ingredients and keep at 78°F (26°C) for 12 hours. - Prepare the Tangzhong (Day two, 8:00 a.m.)
Add the tangzhong ingredients to a medium-size saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and becomes like a paste, about 5-8 minutes. - Mix (9:00 a.m.)
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment add the Main Dough ingredients. Mix on low speed for approximately 2 minutes until the ingredients come together, and no dry bits remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium (2 on a KitchenAid) and mix for 8-10 minutes until the dough starts to clump up around the dough hook. It won’t completely remove from the bottom of the bowl, and it will still be shaggy. Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk Fermentation (9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.)
Give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation. - Divide and Preshape (12:45 p.m.)
Scrape out the dough, divide it in half, and preshape each half into a loose round. Let rest for 30 minutes, uncovered. - Shape (1:15 p.m.)
Lightly oil two 9x4x4-inch Pullman pans with olive oil or neutral oil. Shape each piece of dough into a tube shape and transfer it to the pan. Top with sesame seeds, rolled oats, etc. - Proof (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at room temperature)
Cover the pans with reusable plastic and seal shut. Let the dough proof for 2 hours at 72-74°F (22-23°C). - Bake (3:30 p.m.)
Preheat your oven, with a rack at the bottom third run and a pan with lava rocks on the bottom, to 400°F (205°C). Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes with steam. After this time, vent the oven, remove the steaming pan(s), and close the oven door. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the top is well-colored and the internal temp is around 205°F (96°C). Remove the pans and gently knock out the loaves onto a wire rack. Return the loaves to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes without their pans to add extra color to the bottom and sides. Let the loaves cool for 2 hours on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
This bread can also be proofed overnight to bake the next day. At the proof step (#7), instead of proofing on the counter, retard the dough to the fridge (covered). Any time the next day, remove the dough from the fridge and bake straight away.
A full-fat nut or oat milk or water can be used to make the tangzhong.
What’s Next?
For another tangzhong recipe, check out our ultra-soft and delectable sourdough cardamom rolls.
512 Comments
Maurizio, Is it possible to cold proof the dough for 6 hours and then bake or is that too soon.Thank you for your help!
It’s hard to say, you’ll have to check the dough before baking. My feeling is, it will be enough time if you let it sit out 15 to 30 minutes before sticking it in the fridge. You can always skip the cold proof, too, and proof it at room temp until very soft to the touch.
Hey @maurizioleo:disqus !
I needed to bake some sandwich bread for my busy week ahead so I decided to give this recipe a go, also because it uses the pre-cooked flour method. Well, it was just perfect! I did a 16 hours cold proof; the dough didn’t rise too much while in the fridge but I got an amazing spring in the steamed oven. The bread came out just right, super fluffy, slightly tangy and light. Delicious!
My starter is half whole wheat, half bread flour, but I used 100% bread flour as suggested. Would it make any difference to use my regular flour mix to build the levain?
Other than that, another excellent recipe, thanks for everything!
Mathieu.
Hey! Sorry for the delay. Amazing, glad to hear it worked out so well for you! I think this is one of the softest breads I’ve made as well, that tangzhong really helps! If you use some ww in the levain you might see a little additional sourness in the final loaf, but it depends on other factors as well. I would say give it a try and see how you like it! You can always just use part of your starter as well if it’s used at the right time.
Happy baking, Mathieu!
Hi. Can I make this with regular loaf pans, not Pullman? They have been sold out everywhere I look for a while.
Yes, absolutely!
Hi Maurizio – I have made this recipe a few times and it has always come out well. My 7 year old loves it. As does hubby. Quick question …is there a way to incorporate seeds into this? If so, would you mix in the seeds at the start in the KitchenAid or later when doing the folds? Also, how much seeds should I add in weight?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
Glad to hear that, Aarthi! Yes, I’d sad seeds at the very end of mixing in the KitchenAid. I would start with 15% seeds to total flour, depending on the seed.
This turned out wonderful. It is wonderfully soft, with a faint tang, great flavour. I messed up and did not mix it for long enough, but did not seem to effect the final product.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and recipes. Making my first starter and then learning to bake sourdough bread was one of the things that kept me sane last year. And your detailed timeline, videos and description are hugely helpful for newbies.
You’re so very welcome! Sorry for the delay and thanks for the comments. Happy baking!
First I like to thank you for so selflessly sharing all your experiences and I have learned so much from you. I have made this great sandwich loaf once and it’s definitely a hit with my family. However the first time I made it I reduced the final water added to 300g and the dough was really sticky and doing the stretch and fold did not strengthen it to your dough, but I forged on and baked it and the outcome was great. Today on my second try I reduced the water to 275g still very sticky but better so far, I just finished my second set of stretch and fold. I guess I wanted to know is this normal to have such a big difference in the hydration. I am using KA all purpose and whole wheat. Thank you so much
You’re very welcome, Anne! Happy to help 🙂 Hydration is always very relative to the flour you are using that day in the kitchen. I live in an arid climate so sometimes my recipes are little higher hydrated than most, but I do account for this when I publish here to the site. That said, your instincts are right, you likely still need to reduce the water a bit if it’s still mixing up very sticky for you. If the dough doesn’t look like mine in the photos, keep dropping that hydration till your comfortable and like the outcome!
Happy to hear that, Angela! Great work adjusting based on the ingredients you have on hand—our flour is most likely very different! That’s ok, though, and that’s part of the beauty of baking 🙂 I bet your flour is very flavorful, I’m jealous of that! Thanks so much for the comments and happy baking, Angela!
Could you advise me on how to reduce the levain with white whole wheat. I am a novice baker at best although I have had great results with all of your recipes. My husband was recently diagnosed with diabetes so we’re trying to eat whole what as much as possible. Thank you!
I’d say try first going with the recipe as it is, just swap out your flour. If you’re doing for 100% whole wheat, though, I’d probably drop the levain down to about 15% and see how the dough progresses. Be sure to keep the dough a little cooler, tool, around 75F at the end of mixing 🙂
Can this be made with all white whole wheat flour with good results? Thanks!
I think that flour would work well here! But the loaf wasn’t designed with that much whole wheat, if you go that route, you might want to reduce the amount of levain in the dough.
Sorry to hear that, Denis! Did you give the dough plenty of time in the mixer? It really helps to get a super strong mix in the mixer before adding in all the ingredients. How did the bread turn out? In my experience, even if you don’t have a super developed dough, these pan loaves will still turn out wonderful.
Agh! I don’t have any olive oil! I have vegetable oil, coconut oil, and butter. Can I substitute with any of these? Would the swap be an even 1:1?
Veg oil, one for one!
That’s what my instinct told me and that’s what I went with. I’ve seen in previous comments that butter can be used, but not one for one. Would ever consider using coconut oil?
I don’t see why coconut oil wouldn’t work!
Hi Maurizio. I have read about this technique in various sites and books and I am curious to try in my next loaf. I am now experimenting with Spelt Flours (both white and whole) which do not tend to absorb water as well as other flours and hence the loafs tend to dry a bit faster than regular Wheat bread. Have you tried the Tang Zhong technique in loafs with spelt flour?
Hey, Maribel. No, I haven’t tried tangzhon with spelt, but it should work just the same! You’re right about spelt not handling as much water, that’s my experience as well. But the flavor… I love it!
This is a delicious bread, and when I stopped eating wheat flour I was very curious to see if it could work with spelt. After a few very wet and messy tries, I succeeded. Today I made it with all white spelt and oat milk for a non-dairy version. The amount of water must definitely be reduced, but how much can be different for everyone depending on the flour, weather, humidity, etc.) I reduced moisture content starting with the starter: from a 50-50 water-spelt to 40-60. For the tangzhong I reduced milk by 11% and increased flour by 5%. And finally the water, I reduce by about 25%. It sounds drastic but it works beautifully. Also, it’s very important not to handle the dough too much. Spelt is very fragile. I use a dough whisk to combine all the ingredients and let it rest while it’s still very shaggy. I add a coil fold or 2 at the end and it comes together really well. And…thank you Maurizio for your fantastic recipes and excellent advice!
So awesome to hear all of this!
Hi. Just need some clarification on the bread pan size. Your recipe uses a 9in x4 in pan. That is for a 900g loaf? Reason I ask is because I am looking to buy a pan but the descriptions for a 9×4 in seem to refer to a 450g loaf. Whereas most of the 900g loaf have pan dimension of 12x4in..
Yes, for this recipe I use a 9x4x4″ Pullman pan (this makes two loaves in two pans of that size).
Hi Maurizio, I did 3-4 attempts on this recipe the past few days, no matter what I did such as changing percentage of all purpose flour and bread flour, or increasing mix time, my final results were all pretty dense(with visible air bubbles) but rather on the short side. What can I do to increase the loaf final volume and reduce gumminess? It is very frustrating to struggle on this.
It sounds like perhaps your dough was slightly underproofed. Make sure to build your levain from a starter that’s strong and mature (meaning it’s risen to it’s peak height before you take some to use). From there, bulk fermentation is very important! Make sure your bulk fermentation goes sufficiently far, you want the dough to look smooth, it should have risen considerably, and have bubbles here and there — it should look alive. If you tug on the dough a bit it should offer resistance to your tugging, it’ll feel stronger. Give the dough the time it needs in bulk fermentation! If you have to give it another 30m or hour to see these signs, do so. It’s important for this step to go sufficiently far for the dough to have enough fermentation activity before its proof.
Hello Maurizio, I’ve been doing this recipe for months in a normal home convection oven, and I just got my rofco, will the temps change? O do I use the same baking method
205c for 20 min with steam, and another 20min 195c w/o steam..
Times and temps will definitely need to change in there depending on the setup! But generally, it should be close.
Hi, love your recipes! Just checking if I only want to make 1 loaf I can simply divide everything in half? there isn’t any tricky sourdough measurement that I need to take into consideration? thanks!
Hi!! I’ve halved it before and it works 🙂
Nope, just halve everything!
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve made this at least a couple of times before, but can’t find my notes. It was always yummy and with a great plush texture that endured longer than other formulas yield. I’m trying to cut loose from clock watching and instead watching the dough. But yesterday’s batch took the cake! In my 70 deg home, with warm water and warm pre-cooked flour (FDT was 80 deg F), bulk went from 11:30am to 8:15pm. I always get a bit nervous when I go past 6 hours. (To that end, it would help to know what visual signs to look for at the end of bulk for each formula. Usually you include that info. I didn’t find it here though.) Then in the fridge overnight. In the morning, the loaves were not risen enough, so bagged loaves sat in a sunny spot for about 3 hours. I’ve only cut two slices – it is so delicious, I’m eating this bread plain. Thank you for this deliciousness!!
Sounds like you made all the right adjustments and didn’t need that clock after all! Nice work. I’ll be sure to add in more description on when to end bulk!
Hey Maurizio!
I want to make this for a friend who is lactose intolerant. Do you think either coconut milk or just plain water for the pre-cooked would work instead of traditional milk?
Yes, either will work! Check out my mention of this in my guide to tangzhong and yudane. Happy baking, Elle!
I made this today and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you!
So glad to hear that, Bonnie! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Maurizio! Thank you for this wonderful site. I’ve learned a lot! Your waffles are my daughter favourites.
About this recipe, I was wondering if using the lid of the pan could substitute the steam. I’ve problems to manage steaming with my old oven.
Thanks!
Yes, when using a lid you don’t need to steam the oven. Just be careful with this dough, if you use the weight I have listed it will be too much and press too hard against the lid. I would drop the dough weight (I’d have to test to find out exactly what)! Another option: give the dough an egg wash on top then you won’t need to steam 🙂
Prefect! I’m very gratefully for the tips. I actually have a big pan, so I think the loaf will have enough space to grow. But now you get me curious about the egg wash. How the egg wash helps the loaf to hold its steam? It seals the dough?
In a way, yes. The protein (and the liquid in general) in the egg helps create a kind of barrier that allows it to expand more fully without cracking or hardening off too quickly. It also gives the bread a nice color.
Wondering if I could simply half this recipe to make 1 loaf… there are just two of us… also it will be my first time making it so if I mess up, it’s only 1 loaf
Yes, you can certainly do that!
Thank you for this recipe and your site! It was your wonderful breakdown of percentages that helped me finally make a successful boule of sourdough! I’ve tried this recipe a few times and my loafs are delicious with great crumb and crust however they tend to split at the top. Am I maybe not letting proof enough? I typically proof for 2 hrs or so on counter in loaf pans, then overnight in the fridge. Thank you for any additional insight!
Glad to hear that, Danielle! Usually splitting is from either under proofed dough or insufficient steam in the oven. It can also be from scoring that’s not quite deep enough, but since we’re not scoring this loaf, I’d say they likely needed longer in proof 🙂
I made this loaf and I’m very pleased with the results. My observations are the same as Toby’s. After proofing for two hours, my loaves had not risen nearly as much as yours in the photos you posted. After 5 hours, I felt I was almost there and didn’t dare push the dough any further at the risk of over-proofing. (I’m still a newbie and trying to figure this all out.) My loaves had larger bubbles at the top which I think is a sign of over-proofing. It did have some oven spring but not an amazing amount. Maybe next time I’ll have to bake when the dough is slightly under the top of the pan and hope for better oven spring. My room temperature was in the range that you suggested for proofing but I did put it in the oven with the light on to try and push it a bit faster. You also suggest increasing the amount of starter in the levain. I’ll perhaps try that next time. Never the less, I’m pretty happy with this loaf and I enjoy your site and the well thought out posts.
Awesome, Helga! You’ve been busy baking from my site—love it! Yes, perhaps it was a tad over proofed, but that’s ok and and is a relatively easy fix next time. Also, I always prefer going over than under: better flavor and texture. Thanks for reporting back and happy baking on the next one!
Thanks for another great recipe. I just used 213g of levain made with my very happy healthy starter and peanut oil not olive but it came out as a wonderful sandwich loaf. You could eat this untoasted cold the next day. It was nice and soft. I did it without the retard and I used Giustos malted artisan bread flour which makes for a soft stretch and fold. It had a little tear in it so maybe a bit more proof.
You’re welcome, Christine! Glad to hear it turned out really well 🙂
Would it work to leave the cooked tanzhong covered on the counter overnite around 65-70 deg? Then into the mix?
I usually use simple “Bake” mode in our oven. Is it OK to use the convection mode? what adjustments would be required?
I usually like to make the tangzhong, let it cool, then store in the fridge (since milk is used) overnight. Convection will work, but I find it sometimes dries out the crust prematurely on the loaf and usually do not use it unless I’m baking things like pastry.
Thx for the reply. I went ahead when the tangzhong was about 84 deg off stove ( room temp typically <70 deg) for FDT ~ 78. Worked out beautifully. Thx for your work.
And the pain de mie is friggin awesome.
So glad to hear that!!
Hey Maurizio, love your work! I did this sandwich loaf recipe two times now and I’d say I’ve been semi successful. Both times, the loaves taste great, of course. But, both times I’ve had issues with either the final proof or bulk fermentation. How high in the Pullman pans are your loaves at the beginning of the final proof? I’m pretty sure in the first attempt, my issue was under developed levain, but this second attempt I was pretty confident that the levain was ready (it over doubled in size, was bubbly on top, and seemed to be on the verge of collapsing). The dough developed nicely during the bulk, or so I thought. I hit the FDT (actually hit 80) and used the oven with the light on to keep a 75 – 78 fahrenheit (Indiana is pretty chilly these days!). When I started the final proof, the loaf ends were just shy of touching the edges and I took proofing out to almost 6 hours in the oven. At that point, they only rose maybe to just shy of 75% of the pan height. Just curious how large your loaves are when starting final proof (i.e. what volume increase to expect from bulk fermentation) and what could be causing sluggish rising for me.
Thanks! I appreciate all your work!
Thanks, Toby! That’s interesting, it sounds like you’ve done exactly what I would have to keep the dough on track. I’d say the dough rises perhaps 30-40% in the pan, and I have a photo of it right when baking: the dough rises right to the rim of my USA Pan. What issue did you experience with the final loaf? Was it dense with explosive rise in the oven (usually under proofed)? Or was it very porous and little to no rise in the oven (usually over proofed)?
If you think it was under proofed, you could try increasing the levain percentage in your dough (2-5%) to try and keep it on track, especially if temperatures are cool where you are (they are here, too!). But, your steps for hitting the FDT and keeping it warm were right on there.
I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes next time!
Thank you for the response, Maurizio! The loaves did rise in the oven, but only to the top of the pan (same Pullman pan and size as yours). So, whereas mine reached the top only after baking, and after the extended proof, yours reached near the top even before baking. How much higher do yours rise when baking? They weren’t super dense, but don’t seem as airy as I think they should be. I’m going to go with under proof for this last batch. I will increase the levain percentage and see if that helps this weekend. I am determined to make this work because I’ve been wanting a great homemade sandwich bread for the family to enjoy. Thank you!
Check out the picture in the post of the dough before baking, then you can compare that to the intro photo at top. There is still a decent rise, even though I usually push the dough pretty far in proof. There’s certainly a sweet spot to find there, where the dough still has some “life” to it to spring up and tall in the oven, but it’s not pushed so far that it has sluggish rise (or even collapses).
Keep at it! This bread is my absolute favorite weekly sandwich bread. Let me know how it’s going!
I have previously made a maple oat sandwich loaf that calls for the incorporation of a soaker (1c rolled oats soaked in 1/2c water) after the autolyze, and a larger quantity of maple syrup (or honey) – 80g. Amounts listed are for one loaf. Anyways, I really want to try the Tangzhong method but like the incorporate of the soaker and the level of sweet from my previous maple oat loaves. If I wanted to up the honey or maple syrup to more like 80g and use the oat soaker, but otherwise stick to your recipe and method, are there tweaks you’d suggest to any ingredients/quantities? Thank you!
That sounds awesome, Jenny! I love oats in dough. I think that’d work fine. I’d say you might want to decrease the hydration to compensate for the additional liquid in the soaker and the syrup. Also, keep an eye on the dough during bulk fermentation to make sure it doesn’t over proof on you there, I’m not sure how the maple will affect fermentation—it depends on just how much goes into the dough.
Maurizio, after overnight retard do i bake right out of the refrigerator? or should I proof on the counter for a couple of hours like one of your followers did? Thanks in advance for your response.
Yes, straight from the fridge if it looks like your dough is well proofed. It really depends on how the dough looks and feels and whether it has sufficient fermentation. Because I usually push bulk pretty far, I’d say I bake straight from the fridge 99% of the time.
Thanks Maurizio! My loaves are in the oven – and they have risen gorgeously… still room for improvement: I realised when cleaning up that I left the salt out…also I topped one of loaves with seeds. Now after about 25 mins in the seeds already look almost burned- I guess it makes sense to soak them before? You suggested that in your seeded sourdough recipe. They also attached really well to the top once soaked.
Awesome, Rebecca! Ah, sorry to hear about the salt. That’s a common thing to happen, even in a bakery 🙂 Yes, soaking the seeds can help. I usually prefer to use seeds that can take a little toasting, like white sesame, and handle it just fine. But soaking will help. I hope the bread was delicious!
Great recipe. I have made it a few times. Today I screwed up and forgot to divide the dough. I realized after overnight cold proofing. I have the same USA PAN Pullman Pan. I had to extend baking time and monitor internal temp as per your instruction. Bread turned out great. – “a big bread”
Sandwiches were great.
Thanks for all you work.
Whew! Glad to hear it still turned out great, Tad. I recently bought the large 13″ USA Pan and I have to say, I love baking a single massive loaf like that! I dropped in 1300g and it could have even taken more. Happy baking 🙂
Hi Maurizio, I only have one small USA pullman pan, but I also have that 13″ one so if I drop all of the dough from your formula into it, what would you suggest for baking time? Looks fantastic.
I was wondering this too! I also have a large 13" pan. Maurizio, you wrote that the pan could have taken more than 1300 g. How much more would you suggest? And for how much longer would you suggest baking it? Thank you!
Hi Maurizio – I was wondering this too! I also have a large 13" pan. Maurizio, you wrote that the pan could have taken more than 1300 g. How much more would you suggest? And for how much longer would you suggest baking it? Thank you! (p.s. I put the same comment below, but as it looks like it is in reply to someone else's comment, I don't know if you will get notified about it.)
Thanks for the recipe, this has become my go to recipe for sandwich loafs. I make it a couple of times a month and always comes out great. I do use the steam setting on a standard convection oven (Samsung) and don’t bother with the water bowl steam process. I am guessing I get far less steam but the loaf still come out great.
Awesome to hear that, Richard. Ahh, I have looked at steam ovens in the past, I’d love one. Perhaps in the future. Thanks for the feedback and happy baking!
Hello Maurizio,
I’m excited to see how this bread will turn out for me. But I run into a problem: even when I used the correct weights of water, flour and ripe starter in the levain and let it rest 12 hrs when I went to add it to the final mix I had only 194g instead of the 213g asked for in the recipe??
Thanks.
That’s ok, Laura! It’s common for that to happen since I don’t build a buffer for the levain (it’s a long story why I don’t 🙂). Just try to scrape all the bits out of the jar and it’ll be just fine!
You are right, that’s what I did and the loaves were gorgeous ☺️! It was so hard to wait one and a half hours to try a slice! They make excellent toast and sandwiches. Thanks for posting this recipe.
same!
I’ve made this recipe four times – the first two were perfect! The second two times, the bread didn’t rise after shaping and was really gummy. My only guess is that I used an overnight proof on the failures. Maybe the dough needs to come to temperature before baking?
Hey, Shelby! When did you put it in for the overnight proof, after shaping? It should be ok as long as the dough cooled off sufficiently fast and didn’t over proof. Is it possible your dough was under proofed and needed more time in bulk fermentation?
Thank you for the recipe. I’ve made it twice and my kids love the taste. I am having problems with proofing though. It doesn’t rise enough. It ends up being dense and heavy. I made sure my starter was active. Any ideas why that is?
Hey, Danny! Be sure your dough temperature at the end of mixing is close to what I list as the final dough temperature in the recipe. If your dough is on the cooler side, it will take much longer to rise!
I used a modified version of your recipe, slightly less enriched. From prior sandwich loaves, the tzangzong makes a significant difference in the texture of the loaf. Way chewier than I expected and so light. I made my first sandwich loaf about a month ago, knowing the addition of the tzangzong is something I wanted start using. Thank you for the help! I would love you advice to help understand how to improve the color of the top crust.
Here’s the details: The loaf started right at 78° (80% total hydration, 60% without counting the tzangzong, and 12% levain) and stayed at room temp for about 6 hours. I shaped it and fridged it for 14 hours. Placed back on the counter for three hours until it was back to room temp, it increased in size about 75% from the night before. Had two coats of egg wash and milk, baked at 375° covered with steam for 20 minutes, uncovered for 35 minutes. The bread sprang up great, the crumb is chewy and sweet, with a little tang! I’m really happy. But the top crust is spotted like a leopard. How do I get that beautiful golden brown top crust?
Glad to hear that, Nathan! If you’re using an egg wash, you do not need to steam. I’d mix up egg with a splash of whole milk (or heavy cream), brush on a thin layer of that right before baking. That should be all you need to get a nice golden crust. If you bake around 400-425°F that would be ideal!