10/10/2026
🍞🧪 SOURDOUGH SCIENCE: TWO LOAVES, ONE LITTLE EXPERIMENT!
You know I love a good kitchen experiment! And this time, we’re getting a little scientific at Green Akers Farm! 👩🍳
Meet TANGZHONG (pronounced tahng-jong)!
Never heard of it? Neither had a lot of bakers until this centuries-old style of bread-making gained popularity in modern home kitchens!
Tangzhong is a technique associated with East Asian bread-making, particularly the incredibly soft breads popular in Japan, and later popularized under its Chinese name through Taiwanese baking.
So what’s the science behind it? 🔬
A small portion of flour is cooked with liquid before being added to the dough. This process gelatinizes the starches, allowing them to absorb and retain more moisture.
The potential benefits?
✨ Softer, fluffier bread
✨ Better moisture retention
✨ A more tender crumb
✨ Bread that stays fresh and soft longer
Naturally, I had to try it with my sourdough!
I made two loaves using my usual recipe, with one difference: one incorporated tangzhong, and the other didn’t.
📸 THE RESULTS ARE IN!
🍞 LEFT: Traditional sourdough
🍞 RIGHT: Sourdough with tangzhong
Look at the difference in size! The tangzhong loaf came out noticeably larger, and the crumb structures are a little different, too!
Now, does that mean tangzhong is automatically better? Not necessarily! That’s the beauty of baking. Different techniques can create different textures, and sometimes it all comes down to personal preference.
For me, it’s about continuing to learn, experiment, and bring the very best homemade sourdough to your tables. 💚
Because here at Green Akers Farm, there’s always a little science, a whole lot of love, and usually flour somewhere it doesn’t belong. 😂
Would you try a softer, fluffier version of sourdough, or are you a traditional sourdough lover?
