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The softest, fluffiest, most delicious bread you’ll ever have! Japanese milk bread is a game-changer and will have you in love at first bite. Even if you’re new to baking, you’ll be able to whip up a loaf worthy of a Japanese bakery.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tangzhong Technique: Tangzhong is a pre-cooked flour paste that gets incorporated into the dough. It might sound complicated, but trust me, it’s a breeze to make. This paste adds an insane amount of moisture and elasticity.
- Culture: This is a great recipe to connect with the Japanese culture and try something new.
- Soft and Fluffy: This is basically the fluffiest, pillowy cloud of pure joy disguised as a loaf of bread. Other fluffy bread recipes you can try include my bao buns, cloud bread, and Hawaiian sweet rolls.
Ingredients for Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido Milk Bread)
Japanese milk bread is like a delicious science experiment. Each ingredient contributes to that dreamy texture! The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Tangzhong: This flour-milk paste is like the secret to fluffy, delicious bread. Don’t worry, it’s easy – to make this starter, you just have to whisk up water, flour, and milk on the stove! Trust me, your bread will thank you with the softest crumb ever.
- Active Dry Yeast: Activate it in warm milk and sugar so your Japanese milk bread rises properly.
- Warm Milk: I recommend using whole milk here. The high-fat content will give you a more tender crumb.
- Sugar: Just a touch to sweeten things up! (It also helps activate the yeast.)
- Tangzhong (again): Yes, it deserves a double mention! Once cool, fold this gooey wonder into your dough. It’ll add that melt-in-your-mouth texture you’ll be bragging about to everyone.
- Egg: Binds everything together and also adds a bit of richness.
- Flour: The backbone of Japanese milk bread! I used all-purpose flour, which gives the bread structure without becoming too dense. Be sure to measure your flour exactly so it doesn’t become too dry.
- Salt: Brings out all the other yummy flavors and keeps your bread from tasting bland.
- Butter: Makes the crumb extra tender and adds a subtle buttery flavor. I used unsalted since we add salt separately.
- Egg Wash: One egg white mixed with water gives your bread a beautiful golden shine!
How to Make Japanese Milk Bread
I know it looks like a lot, but this Japanese milk bread recipe is surprisingly easy to make. Just mix up that Tangzhong and get ready to create the perfect dough! It’s a labor of love worth every second of prep time, and you’ll be a believer once you get a bite of that sweet, pillowy bread.
Making the Tangzhong
- Heat: Add the water, flour, and milk to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continually until the mixture thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preparing the Japanese Milk Bread Dough
- Activate Yeast: Add the yeast, milk, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow the mixture to set for about 5 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy. (It’s similar to a roux.)
- Combine: Add the Tangzhong, egg, flour, and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together completely.
- Mix in Butter: Once the dough has come together, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until it is completely incorporated. The dough should be smooth and somewhat free from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time. I ended up adding two tablespoons.
- First Proof: Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to proof until it is double in size, about one hour.
- Spray: While the dough is proofing, prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide: When the dough has doubled in size, dump it onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal pieces.
- Flatten: Flatten each section out into a rectangle, fold the sides in, lengthwise, toward the center to create a skinnier rectangle, and flatten them a bit further until they are about the width of your bread pan.
- Roll, Add to Pan: Roll each long rectangle into a log and fit them together in a line into the prepared bread pan, keeping the seams on the bottom of the pan.
Proof and Bake
- Second Proof: Cover the formed milk bread loaf and allow it to proof until it is peaking just above the bread pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: While the loaf is proofing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare Egg Wash: Once the loaf is ready to bake, make the egg wash by whisking the egg white and water together.
- Bake: Brush the egg wash over the loaf and bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and temp out to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cool: Remove the Japanese milk bread from the pan and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for Japanese Milk Bread Success
Whether you’re making homemade bread for the first time or you’re a seasoned baker, here are a few extra things to keep in mind so your Japanese milk bread turns out just right.
- Don’t Overmix: Japanese milk bread is so good because of its soft, light texture. If you overmix your dough, gluten will develop, and you’ll end up with a more dense and rubbery loaf of bread. Only mix until everything is combined.
- Use Room-Temperature Eggs and Dairy: Your milk will already be warm to activate the yeast, but I also recommend letting your butter and eggs come to room temperature before you use them. This way, everything will mix together more smoothly!
- Can I Use Bread Flour? Yes! It has a little bit more protein content than all-purpose flour, so your loaves will have a slightly different crumb, but it’s still light enough that you’ll end up with the right texture.
How Long Does Milk Bread Last?
Once the bread has completely cooled to room temperature, place it in a bag or airtight container and leave it on the countertop for up to 3 days. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Try These Other Bread Recipes Next!
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Japanese Milk Bread
The softest, fluffiest, most delicious bread you'll ever have! Japanese milk bread is a game-changer and will have you in love at first bite. Even if you're new to baking, you'll be able to whip up a loaf worthy of a Japanese bakery.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 packet active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ⅔ cup warm milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- Tangzhong
- 1 large egg
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Egg wash
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Make the tangzhong
- Add the water, flour, and milk to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir continually until it thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the yeast, milk, and sugar. Allow the mixture to set about 5 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy.
- To the mixing bowl, add the Tangzhong, egg, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together completely.
- Once the dough has come together, add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time until it is all completely incorporated. The dough should be smooth and come somewhat free from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time, I ended up adding 2 tablespoons.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to proof until it is double in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.
- When the dough has doubled in size, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces.
- Flatten each section out into a rectangle, fold the sides lengthwise toward the center to create a skinnier rectangle, and flatten them a bit further until they are about the width of your bread pan.
- Roll each long rectangle into a log and fit them together in a line into the prepared bread pan, keeping the seams on the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the formed loaf and allow it to proof until it is peaking just above the bread pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Whole the loaf is proofing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Once the loaf is ready to bake, make the egg wash by whisking the egg white and water together.
- Brush the egg wash over the loaf and bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and temp out to 190 degrees fahrenheit.
- Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 2349kcalCarbohydrates: 383gProtein: 61gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 313mgSodium: 2541mgPotassium: 921mgFiber: 12gSugar: 62gVitamin A: 2018IUCalcium: 382mgIron: 20mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Hiya, if I’m doing this the old fashion way by hand
How long would be appropriate for the kneading process, if any?
Thank you!
You have no idea how difficult it is to read these recipes with So Many Ads!! The ads almost crowd out the recipe!! I have even given up a recipe or two because there are so many ads!!
In your bread recipes can we use organic products like almond flour, ECT
You can definitely try! But almond flour is more dense and will change the crumb of the bread.