egg-wash role in having soft bread buns
As a follow-up question, I keep following the recipe to the letter and thank goodness I get pillowy and soft buns each and every time. The thing that bothered me a bit was the smell of the egg-wash when the buns are still hot.
I read here that you can use anything as a glaze, milk or even water, so I decided to brush the buns with milk (plus a pinch of saffron for extra bonus!), and sadly I ended up with buns that developed a crust and were not as soft as the previous batches.
I wonder if the egg-wash plays a role as important as making the buns soft and shiny, painting the buns with milk was the reason behind the crust? So only egg-wash makes the buns soft?
Best Answer
The egg wash is very important for the crust of your buns.
Different types of glazes and egg washes produce different results on bread's (or pastry's) crust, due to the combinations of proteins, fats, and sugars they contain. I would guess that one of two things is the problem with a milk glaze.
- In your case, the baking temperature is too high for a milk wash. The sugars in the milk caramelize and the crust dries out and becomes hard before the inside of the bun is cooked.
- You over baked your buns. An egg wash would darken in color sooner than a milk wash, so if you waited for the same depth of color as you had with the egg wash, you would have waited longer and the crust would have dried out more, becoming harder and crustier.
I think a combination of the two is most likely. A quick google will turn up a variety of articles about the different kinds of egg washes and glazes and their effect on bread, but I would start here and here.
If any further experiments also turn out results that are too crusty (or you decide to stick with a milk glaze), you should note that you can also brush the finished but still warm buns with a fat of some kind, like melted butter, which will soften the crust. This may salvage a crusty batch of buns.
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Quick Answer about "egg-wash role in having soft bread buns"
Egg wash often appears in pastry and bread recipes and can be used to create a shiny, brown crust or act as an edible glue. An egg wash is a simple mixture of egg and a little water, milk, or heavy cream. You can adjust the egg wash so your baked goods come out as crisp, soft, or shiny as you want them.What does egg yolk wash do to bread?
An egg wash is a mixture of egg and water that is used to brush on top of breads and pastries before baking to give them a shiny, golden-brown finish.What is the importance of egg wash?
An egg wash is often used to make pastries shiny and golden or brown in color, and it also is used to help toppings or coatings stick to the surface of the pastry, or to bind pastry parts together, such as empanadas or other en croute recipes.Should You Put egg wash on bread?
An egg wash imparts a pleasing color and shine to your baked goods, but it also acts as a natural adhesive. Seeds will stick to your bread, raw sugar to your pie crust, and breadcrumbs to your cutlet if you first brush the dough with an egg wash. You can also seal dumplings or stuffed pasta with a simple egg wash.What to brush on your bread? Eggwash? Milk Bath? Oil Brush?
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Answer 2
I don't think that egg-wash is your only option, as brushing with milk should also work. After brushing with milk, you can follow the below steps to ensure a sift crust:
Brush with butter after baking
Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap while it cools to retain moisture
Just a note, a Pullman loaf pan might come in handy when making bread with a soft crust:
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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