This is such an easy recipe to make. I first heard about the Tangzhong method from my dear friend Steph Clubb – teacher and friend extraordinaire. What I like about using this method for burger buns and in particularly this recipe is the super soft crumb it yields and the roll has substance. Shop-bought rolls just don’t have the same satiety in my humble opinion, you squidge them and the squeeze to nothing.

There is no question a stand alone mixer does take a lot of the hard work out. I privately tutor food and nutrition GCSE students and it is a great method to increase their skills and get a great result. It has also been chosen by students on one of my Dofe Online Cookery courses – either International or Baking course, I can’t remember which.

I find the hardest part is shaping the dough for the first prove, but if it is too sticky, I pop it in the fridge for 10 mins to make it a bit more manageable – don’t be tempted to add oodles of flour! You will just end up with dense hard rolls – and you don’t want that!

The milk can be whole or skimmed, you could even use water – it is the process of gelatinisation that creates the soft texture. In the dough recipe weigh out the flour, yeast, sugar, milk powder and salt in the same bowl. If you are using unsalted butter you could increase the amount of salt to 1 ½ tsp. I use fast action yeast – Doves organic – if your yeast needs hydration before use, use some of the milk. If you make them do give do share either by email or a tag on social media.

Tangzhong

25g Strong white flour

120g Milk

Main dough

The tangzhough paste

200g milk

1 egg, beaten

365g bread flour

14g dried active yeast

20g granulated sugar

30g milk powder

45g salted butter, softened

1 egg, whisked for egg wash

Handful of sesame/poppy

2 x non stick baking trays, greaseproof paper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan heat the flour and milk, constantly stir until it forms a thick paste – do not colour.
2. Pop the paste into the stand mixer bowl.
3. Into the bowl pour the milk, stir into the paste, you want the heat to be tepid – if it is too hot the yeast may get killed.
4. Add into the bowl the egg, bread flour and all the other
5.  dry ingredients.
6. Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix for approx. 10 mins. After this time and whilst the mixer is still going gradually add in the butter. Stop mixing when the dough is smooth and elastic, it may take up to 20 mins in total.
7. On a floured surface shape the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place until it roughly doubles in size – mine takes generally 1 ¾ hours.
8. After proving, gently ease out the dough onto a floured surface, divide the dough into 10 pieces, roughly 86g each. Place your hand over a piece of dough to form a c
9. law, spin your hand round to create a ball, shape each piece of dough. Leave for about 10 mins and then repeat.
10. Place 5 balls on a baking tray – space them apart, they will double in size.
11. Cover and leave somewhere warm for another long prove – say about an 1 ½ hours in total.
12. Turn on oven at Fan 180 ^oC/200^oC/Gas Mark 6
13. 20 mins before the end of the proof, egg wash the batch of rolls- for a deep shine apply a second coat  Sprinkle on sesame seeds.
14. Bake for approx. 16 – 18 mins- they should be a lovely dark golden colour.
15. When ready, remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 10 mins before transferring to a cooling rack