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The best Japanese-inspired milk bread that is cotton soft, fluffy and sweet. This easy milk bread recipe uses a roux starter to make the dough and stay fresh for days!
Table of Contents
Milk Bread Recipe
Milk bread is a cotton soft, sweet and fluffy Japanese-style bread made famous by bakeries in Japan.
It’s called Shokupan in Japanese language. I believe it originated from Hokkaido in Japan as Shokupan is also called Hokkaido milk bread.
The bread uses a simple Asian bread baking technique called “tangzhong” or 汤种. It’s a roux starter.
First part of the dough is cooked first, producing cottony soft, fluffy and tender bread.
This is the best, softest bread ever!
Once you have tried the bread, you will never go back to regular white bread. These soft and cottony milk bread recipe is perfect for dinner tonight, holidays or any day!
This milk bread applies a roux technique to make the dough.
First part of the dough is cooked first.
This roux starter technique yeilds soft, puffy and absolutely amazing bread that stay soft for days.
Milk Bread Ingredients
This fail-proof, homemade and easy recipe calls for simple ingredients:
Bread flour
Heavy cream
Honey
Dry milk powder
Yeast
Unsalted butter
Sugar and salt
It’s important that you have an active dry yeast that is alive so please check the expiration date of the yeast before baking.
What Pan to Use for Milk Bread?
You can bake this bread using a regular 9X5″ loaf pan.
You can also use a baking tray for split-up dinner rolls or buns.
I made them into these cute clover-shaped buns using a big muffin pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Bake Milk Bread Ahead?
Yes, you can.
This bread can be baked 5 days ahead. Tightly wrap the rolls with aluminum foil and place in a plastic bag before storing in the refrigerator.
The best Japanese-inspiredmilk breadthat is cotton soft, fluffy and sweet. This easymilk bread recipeuses a roux starter to make the dough and stay fresh for days!
4.74 from 19 votes
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By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 6Rolls
Prep 20 minutesmins
Additional Time 2 hourshrs
Cook 30 minutesmins
Total 2 hourshrs50 minutesmins
Ingredients
5 1/3cupsbread flour(divided, plus more for surface)
1cupheavy cream
1/3cuphoney
3tablespoonsnonfat dry milk powder
2tablespoonsactive dry yeast(from about 3 envelopes)
2tablespoonskosher salt
3largeeggs
1/2stick unsalted butter(cut into pieces, room temperature (4 tablespoons))
nonstick vegetable oil spray
flaky sea salt
Instructions
Cook 1/3 cup flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add cream, honey and cook, whisking until honey dissolves.
Transfer mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add milk powder, yeast, kosher salt, 2 eggs, and 5 cups flour. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.
Add butter, a piece at a time, fully incorporating into dough before adding the next piece, until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 4 minutes.
Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Lightly coat a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Divide each piece into 3 smaller pieces. Place 3 pieces of dough side-by-side in each muffin cup. Let rise again in a warm place until doubled in size and puffing over top of muffin pan), about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat the remaining egg with 1 tsp. water. Brush top of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until bread is deep golden brown, about 25–35 minutes. Let milk bread cool slightly in pan before turning out.
Notes
Recipe Source: Bon Appetite. This recipe makes 6 rolls or one 9x5" loaf.
Course: Baking Recipes
Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: honey, Milk Bread, milk powder
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Milk Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 329Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 102mg34%
Sodium 2413mg105%
Carbohydrates 103g34%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 18g36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
The reason for its soft texture is the tangzhong roux method - a baking technique originated in China that involves cooking a mixture of flour and milk to create a thick paste that is added to the rest of the bread ingredients, as you would a starter.
If your milk bread is dense, mostly likely, the dough is under-kneaded. The dough needs to develop enough gluten to expand and become soft and fluffy. A sure way to ensure that the dough is kneaded enough is using the window pane test.
The Difference Between Milk Bread and Other Breads
What is milk bread's main difference from traditional bread? The only liquid used in milk bread is milk. In most yeast bread recipes, the liquid is usually water. There are also no eggs in most yeast breads.
The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.
While shokupan and brioche are soft and buttery, they are different. Brioche is a much richer bread than Japanese milk bread. It uses a lot more butter than shokupan dough, giving brioche a sweeter and more buttery taste.
Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier.
Over-kneaded dough can become very hard to work with and produce a more flat and chewy bread. It's vital to stop mixing at the first signs of over-kneading, as a fully over-kneaded dough cannot be fixed.
If you want to make stale bread soft again, wrap the bread in foil. If the crust of the bread is very hard, sprinkle a little water on the outside before you close the foil. Place the bread in a 300°F oven for 5-15 minutes or until the bread feels soft. If you added water, heat the bread until it no longer feels soggy.
· 3y. Milk bread is white bread. It uses the same ingredients as a white sandwich bread, but it includes milk in the dough. Sometimes known as Japanese milk bread or Hokkaido milk bread, it uses a technique known as tangzhong, a roux of sorts made with flour, milk, and water.
Milk bread was developed in Japan in the 20th century, using tangzhong, a warm flour-and-water paste traditionally used in China to make buns with a soft, springy texture and tiny air bubbles. Surprisingly, milk bread with an incomparable crumb and buttery taste is a snap to make at home, using supermarket ingredients.
Taste wise the milk bread was slightly sweeter than a regular loaf made with water would be. Buttermilk and yogurt loaves had a slightly more intense flavour with hints of acidity but also sweetness. The sour cream bread had the richest taste and mouthfeel.
Another option is to use a reusable wrap like this bread-sized Bee's Wrap. This is one of my favorite ways to wrap up longer loaves (like demi-baguettes), and the wrap works extremely well at keeping loaves soft but not too soft. Simply place your bread in the wrap and cover it tightly.
It is because of Tangzhong. What is Tangzhong? It is a roux made with flour and water, which helps keep the bread extra moist and soft. Adding in Tangzhong, it is guaranteed that your Milk Bread will come out perfect every time.
Reddi-Sponge is a reducing agent made with dairy whey and L-cysteine and I bet that 6% level really gave you a soft and extensible dough. The best suited product for your application is an additive co*cktail made with SSL (sodium stearoyl lactalate) and distilled mono-diglyceride.
The kawaii loaves are made from a mixture of domestic wheat flour, cream, honey and plenty of fresh milk, which makes this bread so moist and fluffy. There are four types of shokupan loaves to choose from: plain, chocolate, azuki (red bean) and cheese, plus additional seasonal flavours.
Firstly, why are bakery items so soft and fluffy? Unfortunately (and this may ruin your bakery experience) there are many cases where this fluffy texture is achieved by pumping in numerous chemicals like calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide into the mixture. This is what keeps it as is for so long.
These simple style loaves tend to be soft, fluffy and are served cut into thick slices, and are a staple feature on the shelves of convenience stores, bakeries and supermarkets up and down the country.
Tranfer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and cool down at room temperature. You can use it when cool down or, better, refrigerate it overnight: use it at room temperature!
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