If you've been affected by the milk bread craze, you've likely heard about the star ingredients, tangzhong or yudane.
By heating up water with flour, the starch granules swell and soften, increasing water absorption. This means the resulting bread will retain moisture for longer. It's possible it helps mold prevention, because my bread lasts 14 days at room temp, covered in foil, although I've never tried making a loaf without tangzhong.
