ultra fluffy japanese milk bread
for days when WonderBread won’t cut it. whip up this soft and fluffy milk bread, proceed to stuff it in your face. this recipe makes one loaf or 10 dinner rolls
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- small saucepan
- stand mixer with dough hook
- 9 inch loaf pan or 10 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 20 g flour
- 2 tbsp water
- 4½ tbsp milk
Yeast
- 10 g instant yeast
- 2 tbsp water lukewarm
Dough
- 380 g flour all-purpose
- 60 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 130 g milk
- 1 egg
- 43 g butter
Instructions
prep the yeast if using 'active dry' (skip if using instant yeast)
- warm your water to 115℉. combine the yeast and lukewarm water. set aside for 10-15 mins to allow it bloom. it should become foamy. if using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
prep the tangzhong
- over low heat, add your tangzong ingredients to a saucepan. keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thick and sticks to your spoon.
making the dough
- add your dough ingredients NOT including the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer
- add your yeast mixture and tangzhong to the bowl of the stand mixer. if you are using instant yeast, add it and the water at this point.
- mix on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough comes together
- increase to medium speed. start adding the butter 1 tbsp at a time. continue mixing until the dough is smooth. if the dough is too sticky, add 1 tbsp of flour until it comes together.
- cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to proof in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours. the dough should double in size.
for dinner rolls
- cut the dough into 75g pieces. this should yield 10 dinner rolls. ensure that the surface of each dough ball is smooth and taught for the best results. arrange the dough balls into a greased 10 inch cast iron skillet.
- allow the rolls to proof again for 1 hour
- optional: brush the dough balls with egg wash (one beaten egg) for a glossy shine.
- bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes. allow to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. enjoy with your favourite toppings!
for one loaf
- split the dough into 3 pieces, approximately 250g each
- flatten each piece into a rectangle. fold the long sides in. roll up into a ball, sealing the bottom edge. rolls should be tight and smooth at the top.
- arrange into a 9 inch loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. allow to proof for 1 hour.
- optional: brush the dough balls with egg wash (one beaten egg) for a glossy shine.
- bake at 350℉ for 25-35 mins. rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. once the loaf is out of the pan, wait another 10 minutes before slicing. enjoy with your favourite butters and jams.