If you enjoy working with ancient grains and want to try a different bread-baking method, you might enjoy this Einkorn Spelt Tangzhong Bread. It is fluffy and light on the inside due to the inclusion of a tangzhong roux.
Tangzhong Whole Wheat Bread was the challenge for the Bread Baking Babes this month. I made Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls a couple of weeks ago using regular bread flour and Hokkaido Milk Bread a couple of years ago using this same technique so this time, I decided to try it with ancient grains.
The roux makes enough for two loaves so I made an all Einkorn bread and a Spelt and Einkorn version. The loaf made with Einkorn (shown in the photo below) needs a bit more experimentation because it didn’t turn out light and fluffy.
I ran out of Einkorn all-purpose flour so I decided to add a different flour to the mix and save the Einkorn experiment for later.
For the second loaf, I used the remaining Einkorn roux, but this time, I added all-purpose Spelt and whole grain Einkorn flour to the final dough. The Einkorn Spelt version turned out really well in terms of texture and flavor.
If you are wondering why there are no photos of the intact loaf, it’s because it stuck to the loaf pan. This loaf is meant to be eaten, not showcased. Isn’t that what breaking bread is all about? It’s the perfect pull-apart bread to enjoy with soup or your favorite comfort food. Spread it with butter or your favorite jam.
Notes from Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories, our host kitchen this month:
Have you ever seen the bread in Asian markets? It is the fluffiest bread I’ve ever seen, and it is so tall. The crumb is amazingly soft, and the bread stays fresh for a long time. The white version of this bread is wonderful, so I wanted to try this whole wheat version.
It’s sometimes called Japanese milk bread, or Hokkaido milk toast (when toasted, buttered, and topped with condensed milk). The bread uses a Tangzhong, a concoction of cooked flour and water that is cooked to 65 degrees C or 149 degrees F. If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and your spoon forms lines in the pan. It will have a pudding like consistency. It happens fast!!
This recipe is based on the book 65 degrees C by Yvonne Chen, and adapted by Christine Ho. She has great photos of the shaping technique. Christine baked this bread in a Pullman pan with the lid, but when I tried that, the lid popped off. If you use a Pullman, use the smaller one, and leave the lid off.
You will never believe when you put this bread in the oven that it will grow so tall. It starts out below the top of the pan, and ends up several inches above the top. It’s kind of magical. This is the kind of bread that kids will love.
Einkorn Spelt Tangzhong Bread
Tangzhong mixture (makes enough for two loaves)
- 50 g/1/3 C all-purpose Einkorn flour
- 1 C water
Directions for the Tangzhong Mixture:
- Mix the flour and water together until there aren’t any lumps.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 149 degrees F or 65 degrees C. If you don’t have a thermometer, look for lines in the mixture made by your spoon as you stir. Remove from the heat immediately.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the tangzhong. Let it cool, and then refrigerate it for several hours.
- Bring it back to room temperature when you are ready to use it.
The tangzhong will last a couple of days. If it starts to turn gray, toss it.
Whole Wheat Tangzhong Bread
Makes one loaf, and is easily doubled
- 110 grams (~ 1/3 cup + 1T) milk
- 45 grams whisked eggs (about one large egg)
- 150 grams Tangzhong (or half of recipe above)
- 40 g (~ 1/8 cup + 1 T) sugar
- 5 g (3/4 tsp.) salt
- 200 g (~ 2 cups) all-purpose Spelt flour
- 150 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) whole grain Einkorn flour (I used home-milled)
- 6 g (3/4 T) instant yeast
- 40 g (3 T) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
Karen’s directions along with my notes in italics:
Mixing the Dough:
Add all of the ingredients except the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also mix by hand or bread machine. Mix the ingredients until they form a dough. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Knead until the dough becomes very elastic.
If you are using Einkorn or Spelt, it’s best to go light on the mixing and give it a longer rise in the bowl instead. I mixed it by hand by adding the dry ingredients to the bowl; then the wet ingredients and mixing using a Danish dough whisk and the fold-and-turn-method in the bowl until the mixture was thoroughly incorporated. Then I worked in the butter using my fingers.
Fold and Turn the Dough and Cold Ferment:
Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
I let the dough rise in the bowl for 1 – 2 hours, with a fold every 20 minutes for a total of 3 folds. Then I let it rest in the bowl for 30 minutes before placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight for a cold ferment.
Shaping and Final Proof:
Divide the dough into 3 or four equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 10 inch long oval. Fold the oval into thirds, width wise, like an envelope. Turn the envelope so that the short side is facing you, and roll it into a 10 to 12 inch length. Roll that piece like a cinnamon roll, with the folded sides on the inside, and place the piece in an oiled bread pan, seam side down. Repeat with the other pieces, placing them next to each other.
My dough was still a little sticky even after the cold ferment in the refrigerator (24 hours) so I patted it into an oval instead of rolling it. I used a greased 9x 5-inch nonstick loaf pan; however, it stuck anyway so I will probably use parchment paper next time (or get a new loaf pan).
Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes, until about 4/5 the height of the bread pan. It took a bit longer for my loaf to rise in the pan.
Baking the Loaf:
Bake in a 175 degree C/ 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the loaf from the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories, one of the newest babes, is the host kitchen this month for the Bread Baking Babes and she chose this Whole Wheat Tangzhong Bread as the monthly bake. What a great bread for her debut! The details on how to participate in this month’s bake, can be found on Karen’s post.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
The Bread Baking Babes are:
- Bake My Day – Karen
- blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
- Bread Experience – Cathy
- Feeding my Enthusiasms – Pat/Elle
- All Roads Lead to the Kitchen – Heather
- Life’s a Feast – Jamie
- Ilva Beretta Blog – Ilva
- My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna
- My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
- Notitie Van Lien – Lien
- Thyme for Cooking – Katie (Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire)
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
- Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
Aparna says
I always say the proof of something is in the eating, and looking at the texture of your bread, I’d say it was very good.
I really appreciate how you incorporate other flours and make such wholesome bread.
Cathy says
The proof is in the eating… I like that! Thanks Aparna!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
I love the photo of the fluffy crumb (well all of the photos are pretty). How cool that you experimented with spelt and einkorn… something I’m definitely going to have to try. So happy you baked along!
Cathy says
Thanks for the challenge Karen! Loved this!
Elle says
The combo bread not only is gorgeous, but it looks perfect for serving with a good hearty soup or stew. Yum!
Cathy says
Thanks! Yes, it went really well with soup.
Elizabeth says
Aha! I like your attitude! If the bread sticks to the pan, make it seem as if that was the plan all along.
I love the look of the outer crust on your bread. It’s nice and dark. And the inside is beautifully fluffy. Clearly, I’m going to have to try making this again!
Cathy says
Ah Elizabeth! You guessed my secret. Yes, you do need to try these again.
Katie Zeller says
Made for eating…. with soup in this early cold weather I think
Cathy says
I agree Katie.
MyKitchenInHalfCups says
Haha, yes, all bread is baked to be eaten and that is more than reward enough.
I remember the first time I used spelt, I was so afraid it wouldn’t do well…and then I was blown away at how amazingly beautiful it rose. I need to try it with this recipe. You seem to have gotten a wonderfully fluffy loaf.
Cathy says
More than reward enough… so very true.
kimberly jacobs says
i love this page it makes me so hungry though i wish i could try that bread my mouth waters when i look at it
kimberly jacobs says
i need some of this to go with my moms home made chilly beans
Cathy says
yes, this would go well with chili.
Lien says
That looks lovely and fluffy, I can hardly see that it is part whole grain; so light and fluffy.
Cathy says
Thanks Lien! It was light and fluffy. So good.
Amy says
Hello! Could you recommend a way to replace the instant yeast with sourdough starter?
Thanks! I keep trying to make a whole grain einkorn sandwich loaf with tangzhong and an einkorn sourdough starter, and I’m getting a few results, but it either cracks down the middle or it does not get the height that I want it. Yours looks really good!
Cathy says
Hello Amy, I haven’t tried using a sourdough starter with the tangzhong method although I have heard that some people have. Keep in mind that you probably won’t get the nice rise with einkorn especially if you are using whole grain einkorn.
AMy says
Hi! I am fine using spelt and einkorn, but have you tried using 100% whole grain einkorn and spelt with this recipe? If you have or not, can you offer some opinions or suggestions? I would be very grateful! Thanks
Cathy says
Hi Amy,
If you want to use whole grain flour, I would sift out some of the bran to make it lighter.
I have made tangzhong rolls using whole grain einkorn. Refer to this post https://www.breadexperience.com/kefir-milk-einkorn-tangzhong-buns/ For that bread, I sifted a portion of the whole grain to make it lighter and I added kefir milk to help soften them.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
Felicia says
Do you have a suggestion about how to store the rest of the tangzhong we aren’t using for this loaf? Thanks!
Cathy says
The extra tangzhong will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days covered tightly with plastic wrap.