Hi there, as mentioned earlier, not all proponents of the tangzhong method recommend incorporating additional water into the recipe, so you're not alone in this take on the process. I'm not exactly sure what your question is, but this process has more to do with pre-gelatinizing the starches, which allow more water to be absorbed and retained in the dough. Ultimately this will result in a little less gluten development and more tenderness, since the starches are absorbing liquid that could otherwise contribute to gluten development. I suspect the reason the dough feels less sticky is just that some of the original liquid is locked up in the pre-gelatinized starches.
February 24, 2024 at 11:46am
In reply to I've been using (my version)… by Marksjc (not verified)
Hi there, as mentioned earlier, not all proponents of the tangzhong method recommend incorporating additional water into the recipe, so you're not alone in this take on the process. I'm not exactly sure what your question is, but this process has more to do with pre-gelatinizing the starches, which allow more water to be absorbed and retained in the dough. Ultimately this will result in a little less gluten development and more tenderness, since the starches are absorbing liquid that could otherwise contribute to gluten development. I suspect the reason the dough feels less sticky is just that some of the original liquid is locked up in the pre-gelatinized starches.