Baking worksheet
S2-C1: Tangzhong white bread
🔬 Next experiment: shorten cold retard to 9 hours (middle of the window). The 27 May 2026 bake at 10.5 h showed slight deflation after scoring — hypothesis that 9 h gives more springy dough and a clean score without gas loss.
Technical summary
- Course code
- S2-C1 — first soft-wheat lesson, separate from lean/artisan S1
- Lesson theory
- tangzhong, starch gelatinization around 65 °C, water retention, softness, sugar, milk, butter, and crust browning
- Process theory
- tangzhong binds part of the water in a starch gel; milk, sugar, and butter then shift fermentation, browning, softness, and staling behavior
- Tangzhong
- 33 g flour + 167 g water, cook to a thick paste around 65 °C, cool fully
- Mixing
- Kenwood KVC85.004SI: Min 1–2 min to hydrate, then speed 1 for about 4–5 min; add butter at the end for another 3–4 min on speed 1
- Bulk
- 1.5–2 h at 22.7–23.2 °C; no mandatory folds, observe dough state
- Cold proof
- 9–12 h in the refrigerator; the clean 23 Apr bake used 9 h
- Bake
- 210 → 190 °C, hand steam until minute 8, probe from minute 25
- Done
- 94–95 °C internal; 23 Apr reached 95.2 °C at 31 min 20 sec
- Sensory
- softness, moisture, milk note, sweetness, thin crust, next-day freshness, and aftertaste
Next bake: confirm the 30–32 minute window
Pick a starting style. The schedule and timers will update.
Enter the actual first-step time; the steps below will recalculate.
- Timer to next step: 30 min
Cook 33 g flour with 167 g water to a thick paste, cool, and refrigerate.
Step ingredients
- Strong white bread flour
- 33 g
- Water
- 167 g
- Target
- Smooth cooled tangzhong.
- Check
- Record the actual cooking and cooling time.
- Evidence
- Timer, kitchen temperature.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Mix tangzhong, flour, water, milk with yeast, and sugar; add salt after initial mixing and butter at the end.
Step ingredients
- Tangzhong
- all of it: 33 g flour + 167 g water
- Strong white bread flour
- 400 g
- Water
- 93 g
- Milk
- 53 g
- Fresh yeast
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Salt
- 9 g
- Butter
- 20 g, softened
- Target
- Smooth elastic dough; check a windowpane if possible; dough temperature after mixing 26–28 °C.
- Check
- Add butter only after the dough has started to smooth out; do not add extra flour.
- Evidence
- Mixer time, dough temperature.
- Timer to next step: 1 h 30 min Base: 22.95 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Bulk 1.5–2 h at 22.7–23.2 °C; no mandatory folds, observe dough state.
Step ingredients
- Mixed dough
- all of it
- New ingredients
- none
- Target
- About 1.5x rise with visible side bubbles.
- Check
- Use rise and side bubbles, not only the clock.
- Evidence
- Timer, kitchen temperature.
- Timer to next step: 5 min
Transfer dough with a scraper from the container onto a lightly floured bench. Fold edges toward the center from four sides, flip seam-side down, tighten the surface with palms. Do not force out gas. Full procedure: see «Shaping the Batard» in the lesson.
Step ingredients
- Dough after bulk
- all of it
- Bench flour
- ≈1 tbsp, not part of the formula
- Target
- Tight oval package with a smooth top.
- Check
- Surface smooth, not sticky to hands.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Cover dough with contact film or an inverted bowl. Do not use a towel. 10 minutes lets gluten relax. If the kitchen is warmer than 25 °C, shorten to 7 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Dough under cover
- all of it
- Target
- Dough relaxed, does not spring back under light press.
- Check
- If it still springs strongly — add 2-3 minutes.
- Evidence
- Timer.
- Timer to next step: 5 min
Flip seam-up, stretch into a rectangle ≈25×20 cm. Fold top → center, bottom → over. Rotate 90°, roll from the near edge pressing each turn with the heel of the palm. Seal the seam. Flip seam-down, roll under palms 2-3 times. Into banneton seam-UP or pan seam-DOWN. Cover with a dome.
Step ingredients
- Relaxed dough
- all of it
- Banneton/pan
- banneton — dust with flour; pan — no flour
- Target
- Symmetric batard, sealed seam, tight surface.
- Check
- Dough temperature up to 26 °C; if higher — 10 min in the fridge before shaping.
- Timer to next step: 9 h 55 min
Refrigerate 9–12 h until morning bake.
Step ingredients
- Shaped loaf
- in banneton/pan under cover
- Bench flour
- minimal, not part of the formula
- Target
- Repeat 9 h as the lower bound of the control point.
- Check
- Record actual fridge-in and fridge-out time. 🔬 Per 27 May 2026 journal: at 10.5 h the loaf deflated after scoring — try 9 hours next bake.
- Evidence
- Timer.
- Timer to next step: 32 min
Bake 210 → 190 °C with hand steam until minute 8; probe from minute 25.
Step ingredients
- Chilled shaped loaf
- all of it
- Steam
- water for steam; not part of the dough formula
- Target
- 94–95 °C internal, expected around 30–32 min.
- Check
- Stop by probe, not by the old 38–40 min estimate.
- Evidence
- Probe readings.
- Timer to next step: 1 h
Cool at least 1 h, slice, and record taste and aroma.
Step ingredients
- Finished loaf
- whole loaf after cooling
- New ingredients
- none
- Target
- Soft even crumb with no dense or wet areas.
- Check
- Do not slice while warm; early slicing makes the crumb look wetter than it is.
- Evidence
- Tasting note.
Enter the actual first-step time; the steps below will recalculate.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Cook 33 g flour with 167 g water on the stove, stirring constantly, to a thick paste around 65 °C. Immediately spread in a wide dish in a thin layer (1–1.5 cm) and cover with cling film in contact.
Step ingredients
- Strong white bread flour
- 33 g
- Water
- 167 g
- Target
- Smooth thick paste, around 65 °C.
- Check
- Remove from heat as soon as the mass thickens and holds a spatula trail. Cling film in contact — otherwise a skin forms.
- Evidence
- Thermometer, timer, paste photo.
- Timer to next step: 1 h
Leave tangzhong under cling film at room temperature until mix time. In ~1.5–2 h it cools to room temperature (~22–24 °C) — no freezer or fridge needed if the kitchen is below 25 °C.
Step ingredients
- Tangzhong under film
- all 200 g
- Target
- Tangzhong at room temperature (22–25 °C), no dry skin.
- Check
- Touch or probe before mixing. If the kitchen is hotter than 26 °C — last 30 min in the fridge.
- Evidence
- Probe, timer.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Mix tangzhong, flour, water, milk with yeast, and sugar; add salt after initial mixing and butter at the end.
Step ingredients
- Tangzhong
- all cold: 33 g flour + 167 g water
- Strong white bread flour
- 400 g
- Water
- 93 g
- Milk
- 53 g
- Fresh yeast
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Salt
- 9 g
- Butter
- 20 g, softened
- Target
- Smooth elastic dough; check a windowpane if possible; dough temperature after mixing 26–28 °C.
- Check
- Add butter only after the dough has started to smooth out; do not add extra flour.
- Evidence
- Mixer time, dough temperature.
- Timer to next step: 1 h Base: 22.95 °C. Baseline is 23 °C. Dough readiness still decides the bake.
Bulk 1.5–2 h at 22.7–23.2 °C; no mandatory folds, observe dough state.
Step ingredients
- Mixed dough
- all of it
- New ingredients
- none
- Target
- About 1.5x rise with visible side bubbles.
- Check
- Use rise and side bubbles, not only the clock.
- Evidence
- Timer, kitchen temperature.
- Timer to next step: 5 min
Transfer dough with a scraper from the container onto a lightly floured bench. Fold edges toward the center from four sides, flip seam-side down, tighten the surface with palms. Do not force out gas. Full procedure: see «Shaping the Batard» in the lesson.
Step ingredients
- Dough after bulk
- all of it
- Bench flour
- ≈1 tbsp, not part of the formula
- Target
- Tight oval package with a smooth top.
- Check
- Surface smooth, not sticky to hands.
- Evidence
- Dough temperature.
- Timer to next step: 10 min
Cover dough with contact film or an inverted bowl. Do not use a towel. 10 minutes lets gluten relax. If the kitchen is warmer than 25 °C, shorten to 7 minutes.
Step ingredients
- Dough under cover
- all of it
- Target
- Dough relaxed, does not spring back under light press.
- Check
- If it still springs strongly — add 2-3 minutes.
- Evidence
- Timer.
- Timer to next step: 5 min
Flip seam-up, stretch into a rectangle ≈25×20 cm. Fold top → center, bottom → over. Rotate 90°, roll from the near edge pressing each turn with the heel of the palm. Seal the seam. Flip seam-down, roll under palms 2-3 times. Into banneton seam-UP or pan seam-DOWN. Cover with a dome.
Step ingredients
- Relaxed dough
- all of it
- Banneton/pan
- banneton — dust with flour; pan — no flour
- Target
- Symmetric batard, sealed seam, tight surface.
- Check
- Dough temperature up to 26 °C; if higher — 10 min in the fridge before shaping.
- Timer to next step: 9 h
Refrigerate ≈9 h 40 min (until pre-bake).
Step ingredients
- Shaped loaf
- in the banneton
- New ingredients
- none
- Target
- In the morning, springy loaf with slow finger-poke recovery.
- Check
- Record actual fridge-in and fridge-out time. 🔬 Per 27 May 2026 journal: at 10.5 h the loaf deflated after scoring — try 9 hours next bake.
- Evidence
- Timer, morning photo.
- Timer to next step: 15 min
Take the loaf out of the fridge, remove the cover — let surface dry from condensation (10 min). 5 min before loading, score (long longitudinal or 3–4 angled at 30°), prepare steam. Do not take out earlier: enriched dough loses shape and goes past peak in 30–60 min at room temp.
Step ingredients
- Loaf from fridge
- remove cover
- Lame for scoring
- sharp
- Target
- Surface dry, scored, oven preheated to 210 °C.
- Check
- If kitchen is warmer than 25 °C — shorten to 5–7 min (butter melts fast).
- Timer to next step: 32 min
Stones already preheated. Bake 210 → 190 °C with hand steam until minute 8; probe from minute 25.
Step ingredients
- Chilled shaped loaf
- all of it
- Steam
- water for steam; not part of the dough formula
- Target
- 94–95 °C internal, expected around 30–32 min.
- Check
- Stop by probe, not by the old 38–40 min estimate.
- Evidence
- Probe readings.
- Timer to next step: 1 h
Cool at least 1 h, slice, and record taste and aroma.
Step ingredients
- Finished loaf
- whole loaf after cooling
- New ingredients
- none
- Target
- Soft even crumb with no dense or wet areas.
- Check
- Do not slice while warm; early slicing makes the crumb look wetter than it is.
- Evidence
- Tasting note.
Journal export
After the bake, copy this text and send it to me so I can update the journal and conclusions.