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Sourdough Tangzhong bread rolls
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Sourdough Basic Soft Asian Bread Rolls (Tangzhong)

Sourdough version of the ultra soft, fluffy and lightly sweet bread rolls.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rest time1 hour
Keyword: sourdough, sourdough discard
Servings: 6 buns

Ingredients

Tangzong

  • 24 g all purpose flour
  • 120 g milk or water

Main dough

  • all tangzong
  • 30 g sugar +10g for a sweeter bread
  • 130 g active sourdough discard or starter
  • 1 egg
  • 225 g all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 30 g unsalted butter room temperature
  • sesame seeds to top

Egg wash

  • 25 g egg about half an egg
  • 1.5 tsp water

Instructions

  • Make the Tangzhong: combine flour and milk in a pan and heat it on medium heat, constantly mixing until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
  • Mix sourdough discard and egg into the Tanzhong. Combine flour, sugar and salt and add to the wet mixture. A sticky dough should form. Keep kneading until the dough cleans from the side bowl. Add butter and squeeze it into the dough. The dough will come apart but will come back together-- continue to knead until a smooth elastic ball forms. ~10 minutes by hand. Lightly oil the dough, cover and let rise ~3-4 hrs or until the dough looks soft and puffy.
  • Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 6 even pieces and roll into tight balls. Place it on a lined baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1.5-2.5 hours.
    note: At this point you can also cover and transfer the dough to the fridge to bake the next day. Just make sure to let the dough come back to room temperature ~2 hours before baking.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Make the egg wash by beating egg and water together. Brush the top of the buns with the egg wash, sprinkle with with sesame seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
  • Let cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Enjoy warm or room temperature. Store in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 5 days at room temperature, longer in the fridge.