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Soft and Fluffy Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls

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Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls utilize the Asian method of precooking a bit of flour and water to form a roux to soften dough for fluffy bread.

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These Tangzhong Rolls are one of the featured breads in the Artisan Bread Bakers FB group. If you aren’t familiar with the tangzhong method, you’ve got to try it!

Tangzhong is an Asian technique developed to make bread soft and fluffy.  Also referred to as a tangzhong water roux, this method utilizes a precooked mixture of flour and water to soften the dough. It is so simple, it’s profound!

I’ve made Hokkaido Milk Bread before using this technique, and my sons and I loved that bread. I was delighted to have the opportunity to try the method again, but this time with rolls.

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Top these Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls with your favorite seeds

Feel free to top these rolls with whatever seeds you have on hand or just leave them plain.

I sprinkled them with sesame seeds and camelina seeds. The camelina seeds provided a very unique oily flavor.

Camelina, also known as gold-of-pleasure, or false flax is said to include high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. I bought a big bag so I’m trying to find creative uses for them.  These rolls provided the perfect canvas.

Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls Pin

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Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls

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  • Author: Adapted from a recipe contributed by Dave W, a member of the Facebook group, Artisan Bread Bakers
  • Yield: 12 Rolls 1x
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Description

Checkerboard Tangzhong Rolls utilize the Asian method of precooking a bit of flour and water to form a roux to softens the dough to make fluffy bread.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Tangzhong:

  • 90 grams (6 T/1/3 cup) water
  • 18 grams (scant 2 T) bread flour

Final Dough:

  • 345 grams (2 7/8 cups) bread flour
  • 30 grams (~2 1/2 T) sugar
  • 7 grams (1 1/2 tsp) instant yeast
  • 15 grams (3 1/8 tsp) milk powder, optional
  • All of the tangzhong
  • 75 to 90 grams (~1/3 cup + 1 T) whole milk
  • 30 grams (~2 T) heavy whipping cream
  • one egg
  • 30 grams (2 T) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 5 grams (1 tsp) salt

Topping

  • Milk
  • Poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Instructions

To make the tangzhong:

  1. Whisk the water and flour together in a small saucepan until blended.
  2. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens reaches 149 degrees F, or if you don’t have a thermometer, until your spoon forms lines in the mixture. Do not walk away as this happens really fast.
  3. Immediately scrape the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the mixture and let it cool to room temperature.

To make the final dough:

  1. Add the dry ingredients except the salt to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the tangzhong with the milk, cream and egg.
  3. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low with the dough hook. Add the salt.
  4. Add the butter, a little bit at a time, continuing to mix on low. If the dough gets too slippery, switch to the paddle for a minute or two to incorporate the ingredients.
  5. Once the butter is incorporated, knead with the dough hook for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  6. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for one to two hours, until doubled. You can also let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. I let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight and it worked really well.
  7. Line a 9 inch by 9 inch cake pan with parchment and spray with spray oil.
  8. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape the pieces into rolls.
  9. Dip each roll into milk and then into the seeds of your choice. Or, sprinkle the seeds over the top of the milk dipped roll. Arrange the rolls in the pan in a pattern of your choice.
  10. Cover and let rise 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.
  11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  12. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, until golden. Lift the parchment out of the pan and place the rolls on a wire rack.
  13. Remove the parchment and let cool a bit before serving.

Notes

Store extras in a plastic bag.

  • Category: Asian-style soft rolls
  • Cuisine: Bread

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These tangzhong rolls last for several days.  We enjoyed them with soup and as a snack. You can spread them with butter or jam but they taste great plain due to the enrichments in the dough.

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Happy Baking!

Cathy

Comments

  2. The checkerboard effect is wonderful! Ha. Did you have an urge to cut discs out of carrots and zucchini to make it into an actual checkerboard? Think of the “King me!” possibilities….

    (I know. We’re not supposed to play with our food.)

    Reply

  4. You list an egg in the ingredients, but not in the dough preparation. I would add it to the liquids, but when should it be added?
    Thanx,
    Ron

    Reply

    • Oops! Sorry about that! I caught that in the original instructions when I was making the rolls, but I forgot to revise it on the post. Yes, add it in with the liquid ingredients. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

      Reply

  5. Cathy,

    After refrigerating the dough, did you let it come to room temperature? Or does the time estimate inclusive? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Brett, yes, after retarding the dough in the refrigerator overnight, I did let it warm up to room temperature before shaping the rolls.

      Happy Baking!
      Cathy

      Reply

      • “Does the time estimate inclusive.” Yikes! That was typed at about 5:45AM with half a cup of coffee in me. Thank you very much for the reply. I’ve made the loaves and am happy to find some help with the rolls. Looking forward to it.

        Reply

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