I like to eat handmade bread that is full of aroma and as soft and fluffy as clouds. But there is no machine at home, and it is so tiring to kneading by hand! So this issue will share a non-tiring and super easy no-knead sandwich bread.
Water Roux (Tang Zhong)
The Water Roux method can make the bread soft and slows down the staling process. Because the flour will characteristic changed at about 65 degrees Celsius, the gluten will become softer and more absorbent, and the higher the water content of the bread, the slower the staling process.
People generally do not use a thermometer at home, so it is easier to make the Water Roux by sense. It is important to keep stirring the whole process on low heat. After about 30 seconds, when you see the batter just starting to thicken, you can turn off the heat and let it cool. The whole process is very quick and easy.
Flour for No Knead Sandwich Bread
Regarding the choice of flour, I personally recommend using Japanese high-protein flour to make this bread. The higher the water absorption and protein content of the flour, the easier it is for dough gluten formation. So that you can get good gluten even without kneading.
Butter
Butter is somewhat of a barrier to gluten formation, although the amount of butter in this recipe is small. However, since this is a no-knead recipe, it is recommended to wait until the flour is well mixed to form the basic gluten before adding butter for better results. Think of it this way: the proteins of the flour are covered by the oil before they meet the water to create gluten. Also, butter can be salted or unsalted, or melted, but the important thing is not to put cold butter. Cold ingredients will reduce the activity of the yeast.
Autolyse Method (No Knead)
There are many different types of autolyse methods, but simply put, it’s about using the time to help you knead the dough. When the dough is resting, the proteins in the flour and the water automatically forming strong gluten. So the higher the protein content of the flour, the better the result. The amazing thing is that the dough can be easily pulled out of the windowpane after 20 minutes of resting. Then it can go for fermentation after it is folded and pressed about 15 times to reorganize the gluten.
Generally the butter and salt are added after the autolyse, so that the effect will be better. The reason for this is that, as mentioned above, butter prevents the formation of gluten, while salt strengthens the gluten. However, if the butter and salt are added after the autolyse, you will need to knead the dough hard to make it even.
Fermentation
After the autolyse process, we let the dough do its first fermentation, which is usually about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Then deflate risen dough, cut, and rolled out for bench rest. The bench rest is to relax the gluten so that the dough will not spring back too much when we shape it. Because the gluten will expand as the dough expands and becomes more ductile.
I used to do the final fermentation in the oven, which usually takes 50 minutes or until 90% of the mold. Close the lid and taking out from the oven. Then started to preheat the oven. It takes time to make bread, and bread with enough fermentation will have a better wheat fragrance.
Baking
The temperature and time of baking are also keys to the taste of bread. Too much time or too high a temperature will cause the bread to lose moisture, which will deteriorate the taste and accelerate the staling process of the bread. I like to bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. If you like tender crust, you can shorten it by about 3 to 5 minutes. Please adjust according to your favorite taste and the temperament of your oven.
Slicing and Storage
After the bread is unmolded, let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour to stabilize the internal tissue before slicing. Some people suggest that the next day will be perfect to cut, but I can hardly resist the temptation of bread fragrance. The sliced bread is recommended to be stored in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for about 3 days. The texture on the third day is not as soft, but still good overall. If you feel that the texture is a little stale or you keep it in the refrigerator, it is recommended that you can steam and eat it hot to restore the delicious and soft texture.
If you like the No-Knead Water Roux (Tang Zhong) Bread recipe we shared, please feel free to share it with your friends and relatives. You might also like the Vegan Bread Recipe. Wish you have a nice day~
No-Knead Sandwich Bread
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Water Roux (TangZhong)
- 15 g High Protein Flour
- 75 g Water/Milk
Dough
- 225 g High Protein Flour
- 60 g Egg Liquid Grade A Egg
- 50 g Milk/water
- 3 g Instant Yeast
- 20 g Sugar
- 3 g Salt
- 20 g Room Temperature Softened Butter/ Melted Butter
INSTRUCTIONS
- Adding the water roux ingredients to the pot and stirring evenly. Turn on the low heat and keep stirring. Turn off the heat when the batter begins to thick, and let it cool.
- Put the dough ingredients (except butter) into a large bowl and mix well.
- Then add the softened butter and fold the dough by hand until the butter is evenly absorbed.
- Close the lid or wet cloth to rest for 20 minutes.
- Fold and pull the dough about 15 times.
- Then close it and let it ferment for 1 hour or 2 times its size.
- Deflate the risen dough, and then divide it into 3 portions.
- Round it and cover with a wet cloth to rest for 15 minutes.
- Press and use the rolling pin to deflate the dough, then roll it up and put it into the bread mold.
- Cover with a wet cloth, or put it in the oven for final fermentation. Then close the lid after 50 minutes or risen until 90% of the mold. Take it out and preheat the oven to 190°c
- Put the mold back into the oven and bake it at 190°c for 30 minutes.
- It is better to slice after it was totally cool.
INSTRUCTIONS VIDEO
NUTRITION
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