Brown Wheat Bread - Cheesecake Factory Style using TangZhong Method (湯種法)

If you’ve been to Cheesecake Factory, you probably know about the Brown Wheat Bread that they serve before your order arrives.  They are addictive!  There were times I ate so much of this bread that I couldn’t even finish 1/3 of my entrée.  I’ve been searching high and low over the internet for the recipe, but with no luck.  As you know, I love baking bread at home especially with the TangZhang method (湯種法).  If you’re not familiar with the TangZhong method, please refer to my posts here, here and here. You’ll see why I love this method so much.  Lately, I’ve been experimenting this recipe to incorporate the TangZhang method for this brown wheat bread.  The result was Ah—mazing!

Product Picture from Amazon

I used this baking pan as shown from the picture above to make these baguettes.  They are perfect for this recipe.  The perforated pan keeps the bread baking evenly and the unique shape helps the loaves stay in their round shape.  For more details about this pan, please to go the “Equipment” tab above this post or simply click here.



Just like how they'd serve it in Cheesecake Factory, a small tab of butter or margarine is all you need for this amazing brown wheat bread.  Its flavor is rich and complex.  You’ll taste a hint of molasses and rye in the background along with the cocoa.  The texture is smooth and soft (thanks to the TangZhong method, the bread stays soft and tender for a few days) with a bit of crunch from the oaks on top.  Hm…now, I can enjoy this wonderful bread anytime at home without the wait and the noise from Cheesecake Factory! 









Brown Wheat Bread - Cheesecake Factory Style using TangZhong Method (湯種法):
Printable Recipe
Makes 3 (16 inch) loaves

Ingredients for TangZhong湯種:
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour

Ingredients for Brown Wheat Bread:
1 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons molasses
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 cup rye flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Ingredients for the top:
1 Egg
1/4 cup old fashion oaks

To Prepare the TangZhong湯種:
Place bread flour in a small bowl, pour boiling water over the bread flour and stir quickly with a fork to combine until no lumps.

When it’s slight cooled, wrap the mixture (it'll be a very wet dough) with plastic wrap, form dough in ball/round shape and leave in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight.


To Make The Bread:
1. Take out the TangZhong 湯種 from the fridge at least an hour before use (I usually leave it on countertop until it's room temperature).

2. In a bread machine, pour in ingredient in this order, warm milk, TangZhong 湯種, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, molasses, whole wheat flour, bread flour, rye flour, and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting according to its user menu.

3. When dough is ready, spray baking pan and your hands with a little cooking spray.  Take dough out from bread machine and punch it a few times to deflate it. Divide dough into 3 equal portions and shape them into balls. Leave them in a warm place to rest for 15-20 minutes.

4. Knead each dough ball a few times and roll each into a 16 inch long log. Place them onto the 17x9x-inch baguette loaf pan. Let dough proof the 2nd round for 45 minutes to an hour in a warm and moist place.

5. Preheat oven 425°F. Brush egg wash on top, sprinkle oaks on top and bake for 20-22 minutes

Tips: When proofing the dough, make sure it's in a warm place and covered with a towel or plastic wrap so it won't dry out. I usually place it in the oven (uncover and off the heat) with a bowl of hot water.

Note: The dough setting on my bread machine kneads the dough for 27 minutes and keeps the dough warm to proof for 1 hour.  If you don’t have a bread machine and knead your dough by hand, make sure you knead the dough for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on your strength and speed) and proof it for a hour until the dough double in size before you move on to step 3 from above.)

This recipe is shared with:

Foodie Friday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
On The Menu Monday

Philly Friendship Braided Bread

I believe every dish and every new recipe has a story behind it.  The story could be cooking with your loved ones' favorite ingredients, so that you can cheer him/her up after a long day of work.  Or it could be a story of eating healthy for yourself and/or for the family.  How about a story to celebrate friendship?  This Philly Friendship Braided Bread I created is especially made for Suzanne, someone I know and connected through food, to celebrate our friendship.


 

I know Suzanne through The Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest less than 6 months ago.  We’ve never met but I felt like she’s my long lost sister.  We shared recipes, ideas, and our life’s stories through the Philly community, and later on, through my blog.  Little did I know, a recipe competition site is so welcoming and supportive.  The Philly community is filled with love and caring, pretty much to my surprise and totally not what I had expected when I submitted my very first entry.

Besides Suzanne, there are many other “brothers and sisters” I get to know through that site.  Hop over and check it out here.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Back to this particular recipe.  What inspired me to create this bread?  It started with a comment left by Suzanne on my Birthday Post. 

“Happy Birthday Amy!!! I tried your TangZhong style white bread and my family is now your best friend! It was amazing, easy to make and really fun. Best of all it was so delicious. I made my son's lunch sandwich with it and my daughter and her boyfriend ate a whole loaf (he snuck it home with him). I've made it twice with the same great results. I can't wait to try something like the angel cake soon. Thanks for this amazing blog.”

It was the best birthday gift I’ve received this year!  As a blogger and foodie, nothing makes me more happy than knowing my readers and my friends tried my recipes and loved them.  (especially with my blog name, hello…?) I know many of you might have tried my recipes, but might not had posted a comment to let me know.  (hey, it’s never too late.  I still accept belated birthday gifts! LOL)  So, thank you Suzanne, from the bottom of my heart. 

Then we went on exchanging emails and talked about what we can make with this basic bread recipe.  I shared with Suzanne some other fillings I’ve tried and loved.  Then, I was thinking to myself, I knew Suzanne through the Philadelphia recipe contest, why not create a recipe for her using Philly Cream Cheese?  So, here we go.  Philly Friendship Braided Bread.  It’s as beautiful as Suzanne herself, both inside and out. 



By the way, Suzanne sent a picture of her creation of a loaf bread using my TangZhong recipe.  Isn’t it amazing!? 



Thank you again Suzanne for your inspiration.  I know you love visual tutorial.  So, I included the step-by-step pictures instructions here, just for you!  ;)  I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!  These Philly Friendship Braided Breads are my family’s new favorites now. 

This pictures below shows step number 4 and 5 from the recipe below.  After you roll out the dough to a 5 by 5-inch square, cut off the 4 corners of the dough as shown.  Then cut the two sides of the dough a few times to make even sized strips(about 1/2-inch wide each).  Then, spread a tablespoon of cream cheese in the middle and top with a tablespoon of your favorite preserves.  I used orange marmalade here.  You can use, strawberry preserve, lemon curd, or blueberry preserves.



Then, fold the top and bottom parts of the dough to the center.



Take one strip of dough from one side and fold it over the fillings at an angle, alternating with the other side like crossing arms, until all pieces are done.  Make sure to overlap the strip in the middle so they stick together during second proof. 

 




Let the filled dough proof the 2nd time in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.  Brush egg wash on top and bake.  They turned out really soft, fluffy and delicious.  I love the oozing creamy filling inside.  They are best served warm or at room temperature.  My kids love the Blueberries and Strawberries preserves fillings the most.  I personally love the orange marmalade and lemon curd.  Of course, you can make different kinds of filling in the same batch too.  That’s the fun part.



I'm submitting this recipe to the Holiday Recipe Swap.  Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Red Star Yeast. 




Philly Friendship Braided Bread: Printable Recipe

Makes 8 individual braided buns

TangZhong 湯種 Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Bread Flour


Bread Dough Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Tablespoon Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cup Bread Flour
1 1/3 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
Filling Ingredients:
4 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup of your favorite preservers, marmalade or lemon curd

Egg Wash Ingredients:
1 Beaten Egg
1 Teaspoon water


To Make The TangZhong 湯種:
Place bread flour in a small bowl, pour boiling water over the bread flour and stir quickly with a fork to combine until no lumps.
Wrap mixture (it'll be a very wet dough) with plastic wrap, form dough in ball/round shape and leave in refrigerator overnight.


To Make The Bread:
1. Take out the TangZhong 湯種 from the fridge at least an hour before use (I usually leave it on countertop until it's room temperature).
2. In a bread machine, pour in ingredient in this order, warm milk, TangZhong 湯種, salt, sugar, butter, bread flour and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting according to its user menu.
3. When dough is ready, take it out from bread machine and punch it a few times to deflate it. Divide dough into 8 equal portions and shape them into balls. Leave them in a warm place to rest 15-20 minutes
4. On a slightly floured board, roll each portioned dough with a floured rolling pin to a 5 by 5-inch square.  Cut off the 4 corners of the dough, then slit the two sides of the dough a few times to make even size strips(about 1/2-inch wide) as shown on the pictures above.  Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese in the middle and top with a tablespoon of your favorite preserves. 
5. Fold the top and bottom parts of the dough to the center.  Take a strip of dough from one side and fold it over the fillings at an angle, alternating with the other side like crossing arms, until all pieces are done.
6. Let dough proof the 2nd round for 30 to 45 minutes in a warm and moist place.
7. Preheat oven 355°F. Brush egg wash on top and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on rack.

Tips: When proofing the dough, make sure it's in a warm place and covered with wet towel or plastic wrap so it won't dry out. I usually place it in the oven with a bowl of hot water.

Note: The dough setting on my bread machine kneads the dough for 27 minutes and keeps the dough warm to proof for 1 hour.  If you don’t have a bread machine and knead your dough by hand, make sure you knead the dough for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on your strength and speed) and proof it for a hour until the dough double in size before you move on to step 3 from above.)



This recipe is linked to:
Tuesday Night Supper
It’s a Blog Party
Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays
A Southern Fairytale
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Rolls that Rock
Themed Bakers Sunday

Prosciutto di Parma with Smoke Gouda Crescent--TangZhong Method (湯種法) **With Video Instructions**

  


You bet!  My dear readers, here comes another bread recipes with TangZhong Method (湯種法).  As I mentioned before, this TangZhong Method is one of the best method I’ve discovered for bread making.  TangZhong method really keeps the bread soft and fluffy for days!  That is if they last that long around your house.  They usually gone pretty quickly in my home. 





As some of you requested, I included a video showing some steps when I made these crescents.  I suggest you to read the recipe once before watching the video.  I know, I know, the recipe might seems complicated, but it’s really quite simple and easy.  That’s why I include a video on the instructions.  Once you watched the video, you’ll say, “ah-ha, that’s easy!”  :)    I hope you’ll enjoy watching the video and be inspired to try this recipe out.  You and your family will be really happy that you did. 





The picture above is how the crescent looks inside, isn’t it lovely?  Hm…with the swirl of prosciutto and melted cheese, every single bite is a winner.  It’s perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.  These are the best pick-me-up in the afternoon.  Alright, enough said, let’s roll the film, shall we?  “In 3-2-1, actions!”  Oh wait, before we start, I want to thank my hubby for being the director and producer of this video.  Special lighting effect from Amy’s kitchen, hair and make up…okay, okay I’m just teasing, let’s watch the video!  Oh…one last thing before we roll (I promise), the first part of the video shows how to shape and fill the dough.  The second part shows how to apply egg wash before putting them into the oven.  Enjoy!







Note: If your computer and internet connection are fast enough, you may want to watch the video with HD quality.  Simply change the setting from 360p to 720p from the lower right hand corner of the video screen.











Prosciutto di Parma with Smoke Gouda Crescent--TangZhong Method(湯種法):
 
Makes 8 crescents
 
TangZhong Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Bread Flour
 
Bread Dough Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Bread Flour
1 1/3 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
 
Filling Ingredients:

8 pieces of paper thin Prosciutto di Parma
1 cup smoke gouda cheese, grated
 
Egg Wash Ingredients:

1 Beaten Egg
1 Tablespoon water
8 springs of fresh oregano leaves (optional)
 
Making TangZhong 湯種:

1) Place bread flour in a small bowl, pour boiling water over the bread flour and stir quickly with a fork to combine until no lumps.

2) Wrap mixture (it'll be a very wet dough) with plastic wrap, form dough in ball/round shape and refrigerate overnight.

 
Making the bread:

1) Take out the TangZhong 湯種 from the fridge at least an hour before use (I usually leave it on countertop until it's room temperature).

2) In bread machine, pour in ingredient in this order, warm milk, TangZhong 湯種, salt, sugar, butter, bread flour and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting according to its user menu.

3) Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and grease wrap with cooking spray. When dough is ready, take it out from bread machine and gently punch it a few times to deflate it. Divide dough into 8 equal portions, shape each into balls and place them on the prepared plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of greased wrap and leave them in a warm place to rest 15-20 minutes.

(Please refer step 4, 5 and 6 to the video from this post)

4) Slightly flour both hands, gently pull all sides of the dough and fold dough to the back to form a ball shape, revealing a smooth surface.

5) Flour rolling pin and board. Roll and shape each portioned dough into a 3 by 8-inch triangle. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on dough, leaving a 1-cm border all around. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of the cheese, again, stay within the edges. Roll the filled dough, starting from the wider end to form a log. Slightly shape the rolled dough into a crescent. Repeat until all dough are filled. Place all filled and shaped dough on a parchment paper(or silicone) lined baking sheet, seam side down. Let dough proof for 2nd round, 45 mins to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

6) Preheat oven 355F. Brush egg wash on dough and top with a spring of oregano leaves (optional), bake 15 to 18 mins. Transfer to a wiring rack to cool.
 
Tips: When proofing the dough, make sure it's in a warm place and covered with wet towel or plastic wrap so it won't dry out. I usually place dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water.

A Loaf of White Bread with TangZhong Method (白方包--湯種法)

There are many recipes and methods of making bread.  Ever since I discovered how amazing this TangZhong Method (湯種法) is, I never switched back to the old recipes.  TangZhong method was originated from Japan, to make soft and fluffy bread.  The most amazing part is, the bread made with this method stays soft and fluffy even after a few days.  Simply reheat the slice of bread/bun in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, you’ll have a warm, soft and fluffy bun on hand, just like it’s fresh out of the oven.

 

Basically, the TangZhong method is to mix 1 part of bread flour with 5 parts of water (by weight) at 65°C (149 °F) to form a paste/wet dough.  At 65°C, the gluten in the bread flour and water mixture would absorb the moisture and become leavened.  Thus, when the TangZhong is added into other ingredients of a bread dough, it will be heightened and produce fluffier bread.





With the basic TangZhong bread recipe, you can wrap the dough with any ingredients you preferred, the sky is the limit.  Whether sweet or savory, or simply just white toast, they’ll all be wonderful.  With the TangZhong bread recipe, I’ve made Hong Kong Bakery style hot dog buns, ham and cheese rolls, crab and sweet corn buns, coconut custards loaf, sesame paste buns, BBQ Pork Buns, etc.  The simple white loaf is the one I always go back to make more. 




It’s soft and fluffy, melt in your mouth goodness.  It has a hint of sweetness and buttery flavor.  Look at the air bubbles in between the bread, it’s lovely.  You can slather it with butter, your favorite preserves, wrap your kind of meat or veggies in between 2 slices….or just like me, eat it plain!  :)  Yes, you really don’t need anything with this bread, it’s that good!  Go give it a try and you’ll fall in love with this recipe, just like I did.





White Bread (Loaf) with TangZhong Method (白方包--湯種法):
Printable Recipe
 
Makes a 9x5-inch Loaf


TangZhong 湯種 Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Bread Flour


Bread Dough Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Tablespoon Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cup Bread Flour*
1 1/3 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast


Egg Wash Ingredients (optional):
1 Beaten Egg
1 Teaspoon water


To Make The TangZhong 湯種:
Place bread flour in a small bowl, pour boiling water over the bread flour and stir quickly with a fork to combine until no lumps.
Wrap mixture (it'll be a very wet dough) with plastic wrap, form dough in ball/round shape and leave in refrigerator overnight.


To Make The Bread:

1. Take out the TangZhong 湯種 from the fridge at least an hour before use (I usually leave it on countertop until it's room temperature).

2. In a bread machine, pour in ingredient in this order, warm milk, TangZhong 湯種, salt, sugar, butter, bread flour and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting according to its user menu.

3. When dough is ready, take it out from bread machine and punch it a few times to deflate it. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and shape them into balls. Leave them in a warm place to rest 15-20 mins.

4. Knead each dough ball a few times and shape each into an oval shape. Place them diagonally into a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Let dough proof the 2nd round for 45 mins in a warm and moist place.

5. Preheat oven 355°F. Brush egg wash on top (optional) and bake for 23-25 mins

Tips: When proofing the dough, make sure it's in a warm place and covered with wet towel or plastic wrap so it won't dry out. I usually place it in the oven with a bowl of hot water.

Note: The dough setting on my bread machine kneads the dough for 27 minutes and keeps the dough warm to proof for 1 hour.  If you don’t have a bread machine and knead your dough by hand, make sure you knead the dough for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on your strength and speed) and proof it for a hour until the dough double in size before you move on to step 3 from above.)

*If the weather in your area is rather humid, fell free to add up to 1/4 cup of bread flour so the dough will be easier to handle.  I usually look at the dough in the bread machine to determine if additional flour is needed.