How To Make & Use A Tangzhong Roux
By adding this pre-cooked roux to your dough, you can dramatically increase the bread's hydration without making the dough too sticky or difficult to handle. This standard roux recipe is what I use for any yeast recipe that calls for 3-4 cups of flour (AP or bread).
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (23 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) water or milk (depending on the liquid called for in your recipe)
Instructions
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Combine the flour and liquid (water or milk) in a small saucepan. Whisk them together until smooth and lump-free.
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Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a paste. This typically happens when the mixture reaches 149°F (65°C). You’ll know it’s ready when your whisk or spatula leaves lines in the paste. This step only takes a few minutes.
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Remove from heat and let the roux cool to room temperature. To cool faster, transfer it to a small bowl. Once cooled, you can add it to the rest of your bread dough ingredients.
Recipe Notes
- This can be scaled up, you just want to be sure you're using a 1:5 ratio of flour to water by weight.
- A standard tangzhong roux uses 5% - 10% of the total flour listed in the recipe.
- This standard recipe is used for any yeast recipe using 3-4 cups of flour. Just remember to subtract the amount of flour and liquid used in the slurry from your original recipe ingredients if the recipe you're using is not already adapted for this method.