How to Recipes/ Side Dishes BY:Mireille PUBLISHED: 06/11/2020 UPDATED: 01/28/2024

Japanese Milk Bread

The fluffiest bread you ever tried!

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This bread is light, soft, and the fluffiest bread you ever made. You can use this bread for your sandwiches, toast, or everyday bread. It is really easy to make. So, are you ready to learn how to make Japanese milk bread? Let’s get started!

What You Need For This Recipe

To make this Hokkaido milk recipe you need a number of basic ingredients that you will likely have in your pantry. Have the following ingredients ready when you start:

Flour – you can make this bread recipe with all-purpose flour or bread flour
Instant yeast – I use dried instant yeast
Egg – large egg
Butter – use regular butter or plant-based butter
Milk – you can use regular milk or plant-based milk
Sugar -granulated sugar
Salt

Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Japanese Milk Bread

Making Tangzhong Dough

To make this recipe start with the Tangzhong, combine the water and flour in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.
Put the saucepan on low heat and whisk continuously until it thickens and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan.
This takes about 3 to 5 minutes. The roux starter should have a glue-like consistency. Let the Tangzhong cool to room temperature.
Take a big bowl and add the bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine ingredients. Wish the egg into a smaller bowl. Add ¾ of the egg to the Tangzhong in the saucepan and stir. Set the remaining ¼ egg aside for later.
Add the milk, melted butter, and roux starter to the flour mixture. Knead into a dough by hand, stand mixer or food processor.
Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour or proof the dough in your Instant Pot in 30 minutes.

Rolling The Bread

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into three equal pieces. Set the other pieces to one side and roll one piece into an oval.
Fold the dough like you would wrap a gift. So, one side of the dough is halfway across the remaining dough then fold the other side on top so you have three layers.
Roll up the piece of dough as you would a cinnamon roll. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper to get the bread out easier.
If you do not have parchment paper oil your loaf pan. Repeat with the other pieces of dough then put all three rolls of dough in the loaf pan of 9×5 inches (22x12cm) or slightly smaller.
Cover the loaf pan and leave to rise again until the loaf is just reaching the top of the pan. This takes about 40 minutes.

Baking The Bread

Preheat your oven to 350℉/175℃. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining whisked egg. Bake the milk bread for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
If the bread browns too fast, cover the pan with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Take the loaf pan out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Turn the bread onto a cooling rack to cool before slicing.
The bread will slice easier when cool instead of hot.

Milk Bread Recipe

At first glance, this bread may look like any other white bread but let me assure you it is not. This bread is so soft and tender on the inside and it will last longer at room temperature.

The main reason for this fluffy inside is the Tangzhong method. Japanese milk bread is also referred to as Hokkaido milk bread. Both use a roux starter to produce a wonderful no-fail tender bread every time.

What Is The Tangzhong Method?

The Tangzhong method is all about making a roux starter from flour and water. Warming the flour in water activates the gluten in the flour.

When you add it to the remaining ingredient it helps to get a soft texture. It also helps preserve the bread better once it is baked.

As you add the roux and combine it with milk will help create the soft texture and flavor of the bread. Milk helps to brown the crust of the bread e.g.

What is important when creating the roux is to dissolve the flour in the water before you warm the mixture. This may take a couple of minutes but will prevent lumps while warming.

You need to warm the saucepan with the roux starter very slowly. You will see lines on the bottom of the pan as the roux thickens and turns into a smooth glue-like consistency.

If you warm it too quickly you will still see lumps.

How To Store Milk Bread?

You can best store your freshly baked milk bread in a plastic bag. Let your bread cool completely before you put it in a bag.

Tightly wrap the bag around the bread and close it with a clip. This will keep the bread fresh longer.

Room temperature – If you wrap the bread as instructed above it will keep up to 3 to 4 days at room temperature
Freeze – You can also store the bread in the freezer for up to three months

It is not advised to store your bread in the refrigerator as it will go stale faster than when you store it at room temperature.

How Long Does Milk Bread Last?

By using Tangzhong methods your milk bread can last up to 4 days and remain soft and fluffy.

More Bread Recipes

You can use this bread for the following recipes:

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