Tangzhong Bread (Dairy-Free)

Tangzhong Bread (Dairy-Free). Fluffy, airy, and so soft. A delicious and popular bread found at many Asian bakeries using the Tangzhong starter dough method. Great as a snack or for sandwiches.

Whenever my mother and I would go to the Chinese bakery, we would always purchase this bread. There is something so delicious about it thanks to it is amazing airy pull-apart texture. When you pull this bread apart, you will see strands of the bread just pull away from one another showcasing how soft and airy it is.

This tangzhong pull apart bread is often eaten as a snack and you can even use it in a soft sandwich.  It is not a bread that holds up like sourdough and you can easily press and squash it because there is a lot of air inside the dough when it is baked. It also taste a bit sweet.

Simple to make!

This tangzhong bread recipe is fairly simple to make as long as you follow the instructions. The trick to getting this bread very fluffy and airy is to give the dough time to rest and double in size using only room temperature ingredients. Careful to not let it rest overnight or the bread will taste sour due to over fermentation of the yeast.

It is also much easier to make with a stand mixer. I would highly recommend it or you'll be kneading for 15-30 minutes.

What is the Tangzhong method?

The Tangzhong method is when you mix flour and water together overheat to create a smooth slurry which is then mixed into the rest of the ingredients. This method results in an incredibly soft and airy bread.

What does Tangzhong mean?

It’s the simple act of cooking the flour with liquid overheat to create a slurry. This is the tangzhong bread method.

What is Tangzhong paste?

It’s a paste made of bread flour and a liquid, either water or milk, then stirred overheat.

Why is Chinese bread so soft?

Chinese bread is so soft due to this Tangzhong method and allowing the dough to rise with the help of warmth and yeast.  It is also usually higher in fat and sugar, giving it its airy soft fluffy texture.

Can I use all-purpose flour for this recipe?

You may for these tangzhong bread rolls but just make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature and the oat milk is warm. This is important or your dough will not rise.

Can I use normal butter for this recipe?

Yes, just make sure it is room temperature and softened.

Which vegan butter did you use?

I used EarthBalance for this recipe which is made of 75% pressed vegetable oil.

Can I use normal milk for this recipe?

Yes, just make sure it’s lukewarm by microwaving it for 60 seconds. This warmth activates the yeast, which is especially important.

What if my tangzhong bread dough too sticky?

Don't panic. Just knead the dough over a few tablespoons of bread flour until it doesn't become too sticky. Add more bread flour if needed. Naturally this bread dough is supposed to be more on the sticky side. As long as you are able to work with the dough without it sticking all over your hands, keep at it!

Recipe is adapted

This tangzhong egg bread is adapted from How Tasty to make it dairy-free. Please check out her youtube channel for the full recipe!

Other recipes you may like!

CHINESE CURRY BEEF BUNS
KOREAN EGG BREAD
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI OAT BREAD
BANANA CHOCOLATE BREAD

For this recipe

You will need the following ingredients for my dairy-free tangzhong bread loaf recipe:

Tang Zhong:

• 35 g Bread Flour
• 175 g Water

Bread ingredients:

• 340 g Bread Flour
• 3 g Salt
• 30 g Sugar
• 5 g Active Dry Yeast
• 1 small Egg, room temperature
• 140 g Oat Milk, lukewarm
• 155 g Tang Zhong
• 40 grams Unsalted Vegan Butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
• Extra bread flour for the working surface

Egg wash:

• 1 Egg
• 2 tablespoon oat milk

Required: Bread pan 5 x 10 inch lined with parchment paper or well greased, kitchen scale, stand mixer

How to make Tangzhong Bread

In a non-stick pan, mix 35 grams of bread flour with 175 grams of water. Mix well.  Place over medium heat and keep stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth thick slurry paste.

It should be smooth enough to slide out of the pan into a bowl.  If it is too thick then it will not incorporate into your dough well. This is your Tangzhong. Remove it off heat and transfer to a dish. Allow this to cool down to room temperature while covered.

Warm your oat milk in the microwave for 60 seconds until lukewarm. *Make sure your butter and egg are also room temperature. Any coldness will stop the yeast from being activated as it requires warmth.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl add bread flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast and mix well. Then add egg, lukewarm oat milk, butter along with the 155 grams of Tangzhong. Mix until everything is incorporated.

Mix well until it becomes a small sticky ball of dough. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead for 15-30 minutes until it’s smooth and not as tacky.  The dough should have an elastic stretchy feel.

It will still be a bit sticky which is normal. You may use some bread flour here but not too much, about 2-3 tablespoon maximum. Note: I found using a stand mixer to be helpful for this whole process. If using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed for 15 minutes and then remove from bowl to knead again on a flour surface for a couple minutes.

Place dough back into mixing bowl and cover. Allow this to rest in a warm area for 1.5 hours until it doubles in size. I rested my bowl in a sink filled with warm water. The warmth helps the dough to rise faster or you may need to let it rest for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.

Once it has doubled, divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll into balls. You may use bread flour here (4 tablespoon at most) but not too much as the dough needs to remain sticky.

Then with a rolling pin roll into a long rectangle. Then using your hands, roll the rectangular dough into a roll. Pat the sides to make it a bit smaller to fit into your lined or greased bread pan. Repeat this for the remaining two balls of dough.

Cover and allow this to rest in a warm area until it has doubled in size, about 45-60 mins. The dough should have risen to be a bit taller than the height of your bread pan.

Then in a small bowl. Mix together one egg with 2 tablespoon oat milk. Brush dough with egg milk wash before baking.

Bake for 25-27 minutes at 350 degrees F until the top is golden brown on second lowest rack.

Remove from bread pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy warm or cold.

Give it a try!

Well I hope you give my Dairy-free Tangzhong Bread recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this easy tangzhong bread recipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

Made this recipe and loved it?

If you could leave a star rating for my tangzhong bread without milk powder, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

Take care,
Christie

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