Tangzhong Calculator
Enter your recipe's total flour weight to get the exact tangzhong flour and water amounts for softer, longer-lasting bread.
Recipe Flour Weight
Water ratio locked at 5:1 (water to tangzhong flour) — the proven standard for full starch gelatinization.
Your Tangzhong
Enter flour weight and click Calculate
Tangzhong Flour
Cook with water to make the roux
Tangzhong Water
Combined with flour to cook roux
Main Dough Flour
Remaining flour for the dough
How to Cook Your Tangzhong
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1
Whisk —g of flour with —g of cold water in a small saucepan until fully combined and no lumps remain.
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2
Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom and sides.
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3
Cook until the mixture reaches 65°C (149°F) and thickens into a smooth, glossy paste. A spatula dragged through it should leave a clear trail.
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4
Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin forming.
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5
Cool to room temperature (or refrigerate up to 3 days) before incorporating into your main dough with the remaining —g of flour.
Summary
Enter your recipe's total flour weight to get the exact tangzhong flour and water amounts for softer, longer-lasting bread.
How it works
- Enter the total flour weight from your bread recipe in grams.
- Choose a tangzhong percentage (5% of total flour is the classic default; 6–8% gives extra softness).
- The calculator computes the tangzhong flour (that percentage of total flour) and the water needed (5x the tangzhong flour weight).
- It also shows the adjusted main dough flour — total flour minus the tangzhong flour portion.
- Cook the tangzhong flour and water over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a paste around 65°C (149°F).
- Let the paste cool before adding it to your main dough ingredients.
Use cases
- Baking Asian-style milk bread (shokupan, Hokkaido bread) with a pillowy crumb.
- Extending the freshness of homemade sandwich loaves.
- Scaling a tangzhong recipe up or down from any flour quantity.
- Converting a standard white bread recipe to use the tangzhong method.
- Making soft dinner rolls, burger buns, or sweet enriched doughs.
- Teaching yourself the tangzhong ratio so you can apply it to any recipe.