Romanian Cozonac... using the tangzhong method.

Romanian Cozonac... using the tangzhong method. I know this is not the time to share a recipe for a sweet bread. Summer isn't for using your oven. But I've been playing with a favorite recipe of mine for some time now. It's interesting, but I find much relaxation when it comes to working with bread doughs. 

In all honesty, I haven't been cooking and baking very much... have kept our meals very uncomplicated with the usual salads, eggs, grilled veggies and sometimes sandwiches. However, I have, at times pulled up old favorites to make... only because necessity required it.... like having guests over:). But it was fun going back to my recipe index and pulling out a few favorites to make again... favorites like the Best Ever Bagels, King Arthur Flour Brownies, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Romanian Mititei, and a few others. 

But several weeks ago, we went to visit a friend and I decided to make some cozonac. Thought it would be nice to bring something sweet to share with a cup of coffee. We all enjoyed it, so I decided to share my new tweaking of the old classic Romanian dessert that's also found in my recipe index.   

Ever since I tried the tangzhong method I've applied it to many yeast doughs because I rather liked the end result. This time I used it again to make my Romanian cozonac. Loved  how soft and fluffy the cozonac came out. Pictures don't do justice, because I sliced it after I had frozen the loaves. But you can see a bit of the fluffy texture in the last photo up on top... 

Now, I need to say that while I've included amounts for the flavorings used in the cozonac, you can easily adjust the flavorings to taste. Don't be put off by not making the cozonac because you may not like the rum flavor... opt to use vanilla instead... or you can even add some almond flavoring. And as for the citrus flavorings, you can stick with just using lemon and omit the orange. My husband loves the orange flavor so I add it, but you can choose to omit or even combine the 2 citrus flavors, which is what I often do. The thing about cozonac, is that you want it to have plenty of flavor, otherwise it just becomes a sweet brioche bread... which isn't necessarily bad:).

In any case, for now, here is another variation to the Romanian cozonac.  I have to say that I am still working on another tweaking that I am excited to try... am hoping to make it again but maybe I'll wait the summer out:). Hope you enjoy...       

Note: The dough is on the sticky side... so don't feel too tempted to add extra flour. If need be, you can add about 1/4 cup extra flour... only if you feel it really needs it.... otherwise, just use oiled hands to work with the dough. 

You will need:

Nut Filling:

10 oz (or about 2 1/2 cups) finely ground walnuts

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

rum extract to taste(I use .5 oz extract) *

1 tsp orange or lemon extract

2 tsp orange or lemon peel

*don't like rum, use vanilla extract

Tangzhong:

1/3 cup bread flour (I use King Arthur Flour)

1 cup water

Sweet Dough:

1 cup milk

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2-3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

3 eggs, beaten

3 tsps orange or lemon peel

1 TBS rum extract, or to taste*

1 tsp lemon extract

285 grams + 550 grams bread flour, divided

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

all of the cooked tangzhong

4 TBS softened butter

*don't like rum, use vanilla extract

Extra:

beaten egg for brushing loaves

Directions:

Make Nut Filling: (I like to do this a day ahead, refrigerate and then bring back to room temperature the day of baking.)

1. Place milk and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Heat pan on medium-low heat and whisk mixture until sugar dissolves.. 

2. Add walnuts and keep stirring every so often... until mixture thickens somewhat (about 10-12 minutes).

3. Add cocoa and continue to cook further until filling thickens even more and becomes paste-like. Add flavorings and stir to combine.

4. Remove from heat and set filling aside to cool....it should thicken even further as it sits.

Make Tangzhong:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk flour and water well so you don't have any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook it.

2. The mixture becomes thicker and thicker.... similar to a creme patisserie (thin pudding-like ). You will notice some “lines” appear in the mixture every time you stir and the roux should fall slowly off a whisk ... the temperature should be at 150 deg F.   Remove from heat.

3. Transfer the tangzhong into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap. Let cool to room temperature.  

Make Sweet Dough:

1. In a saucepan, heat milk, butter and sugar. Remove from heat and let cool till just warm.

2. Add beaten eggs and blend to incorporate, then whisk in the flavorings... lemon/orange peel, rum/vanilla. 

3. In mixer bowl, add 285 grams flour, tangzhong, instant yeast and warm milk mixture. Using the paddle attachment mix the batter for 3 minutes on medium speed.

4. Remove paddle and attach the dough hook.

5. Add 550 grams of bread flour and knead for an additional 7 minutes.... speed 2/3 on Kitchenaid mixer. After 7 minutes, with mixer running, begin adding small pieces of softened butter, waiting until each piece is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next. Continue adding the rest of the butter pieces, one at a time, until all 4 tablespoons of butter is fully incorporated into the dough... this should take another 5-7 more minutes of kneading. Total mixing/kneading from start to finish should be about 15-18 minutes.

6. Form dough into a ball... (dough is on the sticky/tacky side)... and cover with plastic wrap.

7. Place bowl in a warm place(I place mine in a slightly warm oven, free from draft) and let rise till doubled. This usually takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours, or so.

Prepare 2 (9x5) loaf pans by buttering/oiling pan and lining with buttered parchment paper. This will ensure the loaf will not stick in the final baking stage.

8. Lightly oil your counter space and using lightly oiled hands punch dough down and remove from bowl and place on countertop.

9. Divide dough in 4 equal pieces. 

10. Lightly oil a rolling pin and working with one piece at a time(cover the rest), begin rolling the dough into a rectangle(roughly 13x7 inches) and about 1/2-3/4 inch thick.

11. Spread 1/4 of the nut filling evenly over the surface and roll short side of the dough in jelly roll style.  Set aside.

  

12. Take second piece of dough and repeat process until you have 2 filled and rolled dough logs.

13. Twist the 2 logs together and compact the dough from both ends so the length is as close to the length of the baking pan as possible. Quickly lift up the twisted dough and place in a parchment lined baking pan.

14. Repeat the process with the next 2 pieces of dough and fill the second pan. 

Note: Sometimes I like to form the twisted dough in the form of an oval before placing in pan... see photo in collage.

15. Brush loaves with beaten egg and cover with oiled plastic wrap. 

16. Allow to rise for about 40 minutes or until nicely puffed(maybe an inch above the lip of pan... you don't want it to be over-proofed) in a warm environment... 

Preheat oven to 350 deg F... 

17. Place pans on bottom third rack in preheated oven. 

18. Bake for about 25 minutes, and lightly place a sheet of aluminum foil over top of cozonac.

19. Bake for another 20-25 minutes... for a total of 45-50 minutes. Remove foil if not completely browned all the way around the last 10 minutes or so. The foil is there to prevent the dough from burning... use your judgement as when and how long to keep it covered as all ovens are different.

20. Remove from oven and allow cozonac to cool in pan for about 15 minutes or so. Remove from pan and cool completely. 

I love to freeze the cozonac then defrost as needed... and rewarm slightly. Find the flavor is best after it sits awhile.

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Cinnamon Rolls and Orange-Macadamia Nut Sweet Rolls...using the tangzhong method.

Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls and Orange/Macadamia Nut Sweet Rolls... using the tangzhong method.  While I've made cinnamon rolls before, I have to say this set of sweet rolls has got to be one of my favorites. They're soft and fluffy, light and airy.... and oh-so-delicious! And the dough is a perfect canvas for a ton of filling variations. 

Ever since I made my first Japanese tangzhong bread, I knew then that I wanted to apply the tangzhong method to other breads. Cinnamon rolls have always been on my list of recipes to add  here on my site.... just because cinnamon rolls are always fun to make, and well, they're the perfect breakfast dessert for when you have guests... or even for those lazy Saturday mornings when you want something sweet to go with your cup of coffee.  

When I  took out my ingredients to bake,  I knew I wanted to make the classic cinnamon flavored rolls. Because I simply LOVE cinnamon, a cinnamon filling would definitely be made:). But at the same time, I also wanted to be a bit more adventurous, so I decided to try my hand at a not-so-classic filling, a combination I came up with on  the spur of the moment.  Because I had some orange peel in my freezer and some toasted macadamia nuts (that I had bought to make cookies:)), I decided to combine the two and make an orange-macadamia nut filling. That combination was a winner! It was hands down my husband's favorite of the two fillings. Though, in all fairness, the cinnamon rolls were just as delicious, except they turned out a tad bit too cinnamon-y:). For some reason, when I made the cinnamon filling, I thought the mixture could easily hold 1 and 1/2 tablespoons worth of cinnamon. I mean cinnamon rolls should have plenty of cinnamon, right? Umm, it was a bit much:)... well, I personally liked it, even though it almost tasted like the Red Hot candy. Almost. However, I've adjusted the amount in the recipe, so feel free to add cinnamon to taste. Needless to say, we still enjoyed the cinnamon variation. 

While I made 2 fillings to share here in this post, you can be quite creative with so many other fillings. You have the option of omitting the nuts and adding coconut instead, or substitute other nuts,  or add dried fruits. You can also use various spreads, preserves, and even play around with different icings or frostings.... it's nice to go seasonal at times by making a meyer lemon, cherry, maple, pumpkin, apple cider frosting/icing etc. I'd even make a crushed mint icing for Christmas maybe with a chocolate filling of sorts or a cranberry filling. These are just some ideas,  but the basic sweet bread dough is wonderful to work with and is light and fluffy without being to heavy.

I also tested an overnight batch, to see how they would do..... and even baked the overnight batch in the toaster oven, making individual servings. They came out wonderful. A great recipe all around.

These sweet rolls will now be my go-to recipe.... well, I may still try other recipes, just because I'm always looking for something new:). But the recipe is perfect if you want to make only 12( or so) sweet rolls... and if you like, you can double recipe to feed a crowd. Actually, I like to double the recipe so that I can make 2 flavors. I'll wrap them individually and freeze them. Then I can just pull one out... or two... and warm them up again. They'll be just as fresh, if not better. Better, because the flavors intensify... at least that's what I noticed with all my baked goods. Hope you enjoy...     

Note: You can see the original sweet bread dough that uses the tangzhong method for more information and pictures on how to make the basic milk bread dough.

Tip: If you like more of the pull-apart sweet rolls, then place the cut and filled rolls closer to each other in pan. If you like the sweet rolls to be as separate single servings, then place rolls with a bit of a distance between each other.     

You will need:

Tangzhong roux:    for two(2) sets of sweet rolls

1/3 cup bread flour

1 cup water (could be replaced by milk, or 50/50 water and milk)

Dough:   for one(1) set of sweet rolls... so double if making 2 sets of sweet rolls. I like to make the dough separately for each set of sweet rolls.

2½ cups bread flour

4 TBS sugar  

1/2 tsp table salt (original uses 1 tsp)

1 egg, at room temp. 

1/2 cup milk, warm 

1/2(scant) cup tangzhong (use half of the tangzhong you make from above)

2 tsp instant yeast

4 TBS butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

flavorings/ extracts of choice can be added

Directions:

Make Tangzhong:

1. Mix flour in water well so you don't have any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook it.

2. The mixture becomes thicker and thicker.... similar to a creme patisserie (thin pudding-like ). You will notice some “lines” appear in the mixture every time you stir and the roux should fall slowly off a whisk ... the temperature should be at 150 deg F.   Remove from heat.

3. Transfer the tangzhong into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap. Let cool. The tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature.  If making only one loaf, the leftover tangzhong can be stored in fridge up to 3 days... as long as it doesn't turn grey. If so, you need to discard and cook another batch. Bring the chilled tangzhong to room temperature before adding to other ingredients.

Knead Sweet Dough:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a your mixer bowl. Mix to combine... a few seconds. 

2. Add all the wet ingredients, milk, egg and tangzhong (remember to use only 1/2 of the tangzhong if making only 1 set of rolls)... and any flavorings of choice, if you desire. I added 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract for the orange rolls. For the cinnamon rolls, I added 1 tsp vanilla. 

3. Knead until you get a dough shape and gluten has developed(about 5 minutes), then add in the butter while mixer is still kneading.... continue kneading for an additional 10-12 minutes. 

4. Remove dough from bowl, and form the dough into a ball shape. Place in a greased bowl and cover.

5. Let proof till doubled in size, about 40 minutes or so... though the time will vary depending on the weather and warmth in the house. I like to place mine in a cozy oven.

6. Repeat steps for the second set of sweet rolls as the first set is rising.

7. While rolls are rising make fillings...

Make Fillings: 

Orange- Macadamia Nut

Tip: You can easily add some shredded coconut to the filling as well... to make a tropical version.

1/2 cup roasted macadamia nut pieces

4 TBS sugar

4 TBS softened butter

2 TBS grated orange rind

Cinnamon- Nut 

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

4 TBS softened butter

4 TBS sugar

2-3 tsps ground cinnamon, or to taste*

* I ended up using 1.5 TBS cinnamon  for mine... I decreased the amount here, since it was a tad too much, even for me, a cinnamon lover:). But if you like cinnamon, by all means increase the amount.

1. In the bowl of a food processor, place all of the ingredients for the orange-macadamia nut filling and process till a paste forms. Remove and set aside.

2. Do the same for the cinnamon-nut filling. Set aside. Alternately,if you only want to do one flavor then just double amounts for filling of choice.    

3. Butter/oil a  baking  pan and line with parchment paper.Lightly butter the parchment paper as well. Set aside. I used a 9 inch pie plate...though it was way too small, and I had to use a another smaller pan for the extra pieces that didn't fit. I would probably use a 13 x 9 pan or  even an 11 x 17 pan next time... if the rolls are too tight in the pan, the rolls can spill out as they rise in the oven. 

4.When dough has risen to double in size, plop it out unto a lightly oiled counter top. Shape dough in a rough rectangle then using a rolling pin or your hands, roll/stretch it to a 17x13 rectangle. Spread filling all over the surface, then roll jelly style. I rolled beginning with the 13 inch side.

5. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut 1 1/2 inch circles and place in a  buttered/oiled parchment lined pan. You should get about 12 pieces or so.

6. Allow the rolls to proof for an additional  20-30 minutes or until puffed and almost doubled.

7. Preheat oven to 350 deg F

8. Bake rolls in a pre-heated (350 deg F) oven for 25-30 minutes... you may need to cover the rolls lightly with foil, if you feel the rolls are browning too fast. I found myself covering it the last 10 minutes for the orange macadamia-nut, though for the cinnamon roll didn't...

In the meantime make icing: Icing is good for 2 sets of sweet rolls. I used the icing for both the orange and cinnamon rolls. But if you like a cream cheese frosting on your cinnamon rolls, you can halve the icing and use this cream cheese frosting, though you may not need all of it... or simply use your own favorite icing.

4 TBS orange juice

1 tsp grated orange rind

a couple of drops almond extract

2 1/4-2 1/2 cups icing sugar

Whisk ingredients, adjusting icing sugar to make icing thickness to preference. Set aside.

9. Remove rolls from the oven when golden brown and allow to cool somewhat. Drizzle with icing.... I like to add half of the icing when rolls are warm and then drizzle the rest when rolls have cooled. This way the icing doesn't melt completely and you can see some drizzles.

Note: you can freeze rolls and reheat later to get it to be just as light and fluffy.

NOTE: I ended up having a few extra pieces of the cut and filled rolls that didn't fit in my pans, so I covered them in individual small pans and refrigerated them overnight. The following day, I brought the rolls to room temperature and allowed them to rise until about double in size... Baked them in the toaster oven for about 15-20 minutes?... or until nicely golden. In case you want to bake the rolls fresh, you can definitely make the rolls to step 5 above and bake the following morning.

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Japanese Milk Bread... using the tangzhong method.

Japanese Milk Bread... using the tangzhong method.  Happy Easter! I haven't baked bread in such a long time, and I've  been missing it a lot. For me, baking bread has got to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable tasks in the kitchen. I just love baking bread. But for the past few months I've slowly moved away from using too much flour in my baking. Thankfully, I don't have a gluten intolerance, so I can still use flour from time to time....

But recently my husband has been asking for pizza:)... and while I was making the pizza, I realized how much I enjoyed working with doughs. I had forgotten how good it felt to hold the soft dough in my hands, to stretch it, to see it rise and eventually taste the result. So I got in the bread making mood, and didn't stop with the pizza. I ventured to try out a recipe I had been wanting to make for years. A super-fluffy and soft milk bread that uses a water roux called tangzhong. 

The Japanese have been using a water roux to make super-soft and fluffy bread for years.  But the Chinese and Taiwanese(and other Asian countries) have borrowed this method to make all sorts of soft breads and rolls. Bread that stay fresh for longer without the use of chemical preservatives....  found in many Asian bakeries. 

In the 1990's, author Yvonne Chen popularized this water roux method in her book called 65 deg Bread Doctor . From there, many home cooks began using the formula to make all sorts of breads... be it sweet or savory, and in various shapes and sizes. The water roux method was truly a success... it gave breads an undeniably soft, fluffy and tender texture. 

I was really eager to try my hand at baking a Japanese milk bread. There are plenty of recipes online, but the one I adapted came from Christine's site. She also has a few other recipes(with beautiful photos) that use the tangzhong method. But the result gave me the softest and fluffiest bread I've ever made or eaten! Similar to the American version of Wonder Bread, but oh, so much better. Soft, velvety and so tender... I loved this bread. Simply amazing. Sometimes pictures don't do justice. Hope you enjoy...   

Note: I ended up baking two loaves at one time... one I left unfilled, the other I filled with a sweet walnut and cocoa rum flavored paste. I'm wanting to implement this technique for making the Romanian cozonac. This was just a trial in that direction. But possibilities are endless...

Tip: Feel free to shape the dough in various ways...  

You will need a VERY sharp knife to cut slices without compacting the bread. Or freeze, cut  and defrost. You can also just pull the rolls apart.    

Extra Note: I made this recipe using two (2) methods.... using the stand mixer (kneaded for 15 minutes), and the food processor (dough processed for about 2 minutes). Both yielded the same result. The food processor was a bit trickier in that some of the dough(being quite sticky) has the tendency to get underneath the blade, making the processor struggle a bit. You'll just have to stop and check on it... you'll also need a powerful processor.

You will need: inspired by Christine's Recipes

Tangzhong roux:    for two(2) loaves

1/3 cup bread flour

1 cup water (could be replaced by milk, or 50/50 water and milk)

Dough:   for one(1) loaf

2½ cups bread flour

4 TBS sugar  

1/2 tsp table salt (original uses 1 tsp)

1 egg, at room temp. 

1/2 cup milk, warm 

1/2(scant) cup tangzhong (use half of the tangzhong you make from above)

2 tsp instant yeast

4 TBS butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

flavorings/ extracts of choice can be added(vanilla, lemon/orange peel, rum almond etc.)

Filling: of choice... can be sweet or savory... you might end up getting"tunnels" with some of these fillings, braiding the dough might be another option.  These are just some suggestions...

sugar/cinnamon...and ground nuts

sugar, ground nuts, cocoa

raisins, dried fruit

turkish lokum

nuts

maybe spreads: nut butter, nutella, biscoff, preserves?

cheese, ham, bacon

Additional:

1 egg, beaten for brushing unbaked loaves

butter for brushing baked loaves, optional

Directions:

Make Tangzhong:

1. Mix flour in water well so you don't have any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook it.

2. The mixture becomes thicker and thicker.... similar to a creme patisserie (thin pudding-like ). You will notice some “lines” appear in the mixture every time you stir and the roux should fall slowly off a whisk ... the temperature should be at 150 deg F.   Remove from heat.

3. Transfer the tangzhong into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap. Let cool. The tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature.  If making only one loaf, the leftover tangzhong can be stored in fridge up to 3 days... as long as it doesn't turn grey. If so, you need to discard and cook another batch. Bring the chilled tangzhong to room temperature before adding to other ingredients.

Knead Bread Dough:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a your mixer bowl. Mix to combine... a few seconds. 

2. Add all the wet ingredients, milk, egg and tangzhong (remember to use only 1/2 of the tangzhong if making only 1 loaf)... and any flavorings of choice, if you desire. 

3. Knead until you get a dough shape and gluten has developed(about 5 minutes), then add in the butter while mixer is still kneading.... continue kneading for an additional 10-12 minutes. 

4. Remove dough from bowl, and form the dough into a ball shape. Place in a greased bowl and cover.

5. Let proof till doubled in size, about 40 minutes... though the time will vary depending on the weather and warmth in the house. I like to place mine in a cozy oven.

6. Deflate dough and divide into four equal portions. Form into ball shapes. Cover with plastic wrap, let rest for 15 minutes.

7. Form rolls....

For non-filled: Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Fold 1/3 from top edge to the middle and press. Then fold 1/3 from bottom to the middle and press. Roll flat and with seal upward, roll into a cylinder. Place the roll with seal facing down in greased and parchment lined loaf pan... Repeat with rest of the dough. 

For filled: Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Spread/sprinkle filling of choice evenly over the rolled out dough and fold jelly-style, pinching  the seam to seal. Place the roll with seal facing down in greased and parchment lined loaf pan... Repeat with rest of the dough.

8. Leave rolled dough to proof, about 30-40 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. The filled dough tends to rise slower, about 40-50 minutes or so.

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F

9. Brush  risen dough with whisked egg on surface. Bake in a pre-heated (350 deg F) oven for 35 to 40 minutes. ... you may need to cover the bread lightly with foil, especially if bread is coloring too fast. I found myself covering it after 10 minutes... and then removing the foil later on to get the bread fully brown.

10. Remove from the oven. and remove bread from the pan. I like to brush the top of the loaves with some butter to soften the crust, but it is optional. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Slice to serve or place in an airtight plastic bag or container once it's thoroughly cooled.... you can freeze and reheat later to get it to be just as fluffy.

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