Tang Zhong Starter

[achookwoman]

VHJ,  that looks great.   Nice texture and look how it has risen.  Wow.

[meganjane]

I just love the texture of this bread. A very successful batch here:

[cookie1]

It looks lovely MJ. It's a nice firm bread not all soft and silly and too hard to slice. Having said that it is a soft bread. Just delicious.

[sue_h]

This bread was so yummy. I used 100g of rye as well, added my seeds (seasame, black seasame, pistachio's and pine nuts). I did the 15minute (3*5minutes). My kids said it was the best bread yet. Still need to get DH to agree, but he is warming to the idea. About to make my second batch for lunch. Thanks for the recipe MeganJane.

[meganjane]

Perhaps leave the seeds out Sue! I find guys HATE seeds...

[cookie1]

For some reason they then see the bread as healthy.

[sue_h]

What gets me is DH like multigrain. I haven't added bread improver so the bread has always been heavy. This is much closer to what he's used to. Made my next batch but moved it after it's second prove and it dropped. Not as nice as the first. Not sure what cause it to sink like that.

[achookwoman]

Sue, sounds like it was over proved.

[sue_h]

Thanks achookwoman. I'm still new to this bread making so I'm learning as I go along. I learn from my mistakes.

[achookwoman]

Sue h , don't we all.

[sue_h]

It must have been the over proving. This time it worked like a charm and I think I have now convinced DH that we don't need to buy bread anymore. Even thought the crust was a little browner than usual, it was really soft inside.

[cookie1]

Well done Sue h.

[San]

Hi...

I hv tried using your method to cook the starter, but the starter is still watery after 5 mins.... hv to increased the temperature to 70'c and cook for another 10 mins then it became less watery. I wonder is this normal?

I used the original recipe i.e 250g of high protein flour and my dough is very sticky even after 3 mins kneading in TM bowl... and the bread didnt came out soft and fluffy like what you guys have... Anyone can share more with me?

[quirkycooking]

I'm really surprised this method worked with spelt, Chelsea, as they say not to 'overknead' spelt - you're supposed to knead it less than wheat since the gluten in spelt is water soluble and easily broken down by heat and kneading, and if you overknead spelt it will flop. (Whereas wheat gluten doesn't break down in water, only relaxes in heat, and gets stronger and stretchier by kneading, hence the long kneading times to 'develop the gluten' in wheat bread.) So that's very interesting that it worked! I do find white spelt flour behaves differently than wholemeal spelt flour though - wonder if it would still work with that. Hmmm, all very interesting - guess I'll have to try this recipe now! Maybe I'll just knead it 10 mins with the spelt and see how that goes. I'm interested in trying the starter!  I've been having lots of fun with artisan breads - they're my favourite - but I might try this for a change. 

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

It is amazing Jo.  I wouldn't have tried it with spelt except that I saw Tebasile had great success with it.  I haven't tried it with wholemeal spelt, but it would be worthwhile substituting some wholemeal flour in. My friend has been a spelt bread maker for several years and she is really loving this recipe.  The only thing she doesn't like though is having to hang around the kitchen for 15 minutes while it kneads.