Vegan Master Sweet Dough

Tangzhong *optional

1. Take 1/4 cup of the flour (30g) and put it in a small saucepan along with 1/4 cup water (60g). Set on medium-low heat and whisk until a smooth paste forms with no lumps (or very few).
2. Pour in 1/4 cup of the soy milk (60g) and continue whisking until a thick slurry forms (like a roux).
3. Remove from heat and let cool until comfortable to touch before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Sweet Dough

1. If using active dry yeast, dissolve the yeast and sugar in soy milk and let stand for 10 minutes before proceeding with recipe. (If using instant yeast, you can skip this step.)
2. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl. (Remember, if you chose to make the tangzhong, you will be adding only 3/4 cup soy milk (180g) and 2¾ cups flour (360g) here. Also make sure to add the tangzhong you just made too.)
3. Using the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients together. Once the ingredients have been roughly incorporated into a shaggy mess, let the mixer knead it for 12 minutes. (See Knead By Hand section for instructions if you don’t have a stand mixer.)
4. The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky. You are now ready to use this vegan master sweet dough in any enriched bread recipe. (If not using immediately, please see the Make Ahead & Storage Tips section for how to store your dough.) Below is an example of a simple sandwich loaf you can make with this dough.

One-Rise Sandwich Loaf

1. Divide the dough into three or four pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
2. Place the balls in a loaf pan (see Note 3). Cover and let rise until nearly doubled in size (should be around 1 inch away from the top of the loaf pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 °F.
3. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes on the middle rack. If you have a food thermometer, the inside of the bread should reach 190 °F.
4. Let the bread sit for 10 minutes inside the pan, then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Cool fully before slicing.