Buns and challah will stay fresh twice as long. Just use the Japanese method

Although it sounds exotic, the tangzhong method is actually a very simple procedure. It involves combining a small amount of flour with water or milk and boiling it until a thick, slightly gel-like paste is created. Only after cooling it is added to the yeast dough. Thanks to this, the starch in the flour swells already during the heating stage and later retains much more moisture in the dough.
Thanks to this Japanese trick, all yeast doughs remain soft and fresh much longer than usual. This solution is particularly appreciated by Japanese bakeries, which are famous for their exceptionally fluffy baked goods. Nothing stops you from introducing them into your home baking.

Classic yeast dough dries quickly because some of the water evaporates during baking, and the rest evaporates in the following hours. Tangzhong acts as a natural magnet for moisture, allowing it to be trapped in the structure of the dough.

Thanks to this, the challah is still as soft after two days as freshly baked, and the buns with cheese or pudding remain delicate without being heated. Importantly, the Japanese method does not change the taste of baked goods. It only adds a unique fluffiness that is difficult to achieve using traditional techniques.

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To use the tangzhong method, set aside some of the flour and liquid from the traditional recipe in a 1:5 ratio (one part of flour to five parts of water or milk). Mix everything in a pot and heat over low heat until the mixture thickens.

After cooling, simply add the rest of the ingredients to the dough. This addition works great not only in challah and buns, but also in breakfast rolls, yeast cakes and even wheat toast. If your cakes have been dry or lose their freshness quickly, this method will completely change the effect.