For the tangzhong
150 ml cold water
30 grams flour
For the dough
350 gr strong flour
125 ml milk
120 grams tangzhong
5 grams instant yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
30 grams butter, melted and cooled
Prepare the tangzhong first - whisk cold water and flour until there are no lumps and cook over low heat, constantly stirring, until the spoon leaves a trace. Set it aside to cool down at room temperature before using it. For the dough, dissolve the yeast in the milk. Combine together flour, sugar and salt then add in milk with the yeast, tangzhong and egg. Use your hand or stand mixer equipped with the dough hooks to mix all the ingredients into a soft dough, then add in the butter. Continue kneading for about 15 – 20 minutes (or let the mixer do the kneading), until the dough is ready. You can say if the dough is ready by tearing a small piece of it and stretching it to a very thin membrane before it tears. Cover the bowl and leave it to become double in size.
Knock the dough down on a lightly floured counter top, give it a quick knead just to deflate it, then form it as desired – a loaf or small buns. Transfer it to a buttered loaf pan or a pan lined with baking paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let it double in size again. Brush the loaf (or buns) with the rest of the tangzhong and bake, in a preheated oven, at 180˚C, for about 30 – 35 minutes until golden.
