Japanese Milk Bread

If you are a bread baker (and even if you’re not), you have to try this Japanese Milk Bread recipe! The light texture and amazing flavor of this bread will have you and your family asking for another loaf in no time!

Looking for another great bread recipe? This fabulous Brown Butter Banana Bread has a nutty flavor from the brown butter, combined with the creamy Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of chocolate chips, making this banana bread a real keeper!

 

Ingredients to Make Japanese Milk Bread

This light, soft bread is perfect for a sandwich or lightly toasted for breakfast with a little butter and your favorite jam.

What is tangzhong & why it matters

• Tangzhong is a cooked mixture of flour and milk (sometimes water) that helps the bread stay soft, fluffy, and fresh for days.
• Cooking the flour allows it to absorb more liquid, which improves texture and prevents the bread from drying out.
• When making the tangzhong, stir constantly with a whisk while cooking to prevent lumps.
• The tangzhong is cooked when it thickens to a pudding-like paste.
• Let it cool slightly before adding it to the dough; warm is fine, hot is not, as it can impact the yeast.

*See the Little Chef’s Secrets section for more information.

How to Make Japanese Milk Bread

Make the Tangzhong

In a saucepan, add the milk and flour. Whisk until combined.

Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until you have a paste.

If you drag the whisk in the center of the saucepan, the mixture will remain separated. Set aside to cool off.

Make the bread

Add the warm milk, active dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix and let it sit for 5-8 minutes. The mixture will foam up, which means the yeast is active.

Add the remaining granulated sugar and dry milk. Mix well. Add the cooled Tangzhong. Mix well to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Set aside.

Add the cooled, melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Whisk in the egg. Whisk until blended with the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour mixture. Mix until the flour is almost all combined.

Add the remaining flour. Mix well. When the dough is too thick to mix with a spoon or Danish dough whisk, knead it with your hands.

Keep mixing until you have a dough ball and no more dry flour is visible.

Rising and Baking the Dough

Place in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place. (I like to put mine in the microwave) for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Butter or oil a loaf pan, 9×5 inches.

Separate the dough into 4 pieces. For each piece of dough, flatten it into a rectangle, approximately 6 x 9 inches. Fold one third, short side, back on the rectangle, and the second side back to the middle. Like a book.

Turn the dough 90 degrees and flatten the dough into a rectangle, approximately 4×6. Roll the dough, starting with the small side, into a log. Place in the prepared loaf pan.

Repeat for every piece of dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash. Brush the dough with egg wash.

Bake the bread 28-33 minutes. The bread is baked when the top is golden, and the inside temperature is 190 degrees F.

Cool the bread in the pan for 3-5 minutes before removing, and allow the loaf to cool on a cooling rack.

Little Chef’s Secrets

A few tips when shaping the dough

For even loaves, divide the dough into equal portions using a kitchen scale if possible.
Rolling the dough tightly helps create the classic soft pull-apart crumb. Lightly flour (1 – 2 tablespoons) your surface, but avoid adding too much flour while shaping.

A few tips about the yeast

Warm milk should be lukewarm (about 100-105 degrees F); hot liquid can kill the yeast, and cold milk will delay yeast activation.

Rising times in this recipe are guidance. The time may vary based on kitchen temperature. In a warm kitchen, the dough will rise quicker than in a cold kitchen.  The dough should double in size, not just rise for a set amount of time.

Storing

You can store the bread in a bag at room temperature for 3-5 days.

For a cleaner cut, make sure the bread is cooled.

Troubleshooting

My bread is too dense: The dough was under-kneaded or under-proofed.

The bread is too dry: You added too much water or overbaked it.

My bread is flat, did not rise: The yeast did not activate, i.e., is inactive. This can be due to milk being too hot or old yeast. Also, the dough may have over-proofed.

For this bread, I used a Danish dough whisk, and once the mixture was too thick, I knead with my hands. I wouldn’t recommend a classic whisk. You can also use a stand-up mixer.

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

Tara Noland

Japanese Milk Bread

Japanese milk bread, also called Shokupan, is a soft white bread commonly sold in Asian bakeries, particularly Japanese ones. Although bread is not a traditional Japanese food, it was introduced widely after World War II, and the style became popular.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Proofing time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 10 Servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Calories: 207

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Tangzhong

• 1/2 cup milk 2%
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Bread

• 1/2 cup warm milk 2%, between 100-105 degrees F.
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar divided
• 2 tbsp dry milk powder
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 3 tbsp butter melted and cooled
• 1 egg

Eggwash (optional)

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water

Equipment

• Nonstick Loaf Pan Heavy-Duty Steel Bakeware, 9 x 5-Inch, Gray
• Dishwasher Safe Danish Dough Whisk
• Oven-Safe, Dishwasher-Safe 100% Stainless Steel Cooling and Baking Rack Set Heavy Duty Tight-Wire – 11.5 x 16.5-inch – Set of 2

Method

 

Make the Tangzhong

1. In a saucepan, add the milk and flour. Whisk until combined.
2. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until you have a paste. If you drag the whisk in the center of the saucepan, the mixture will remain separated.
3. Set aside to cool off.

Make the bread

1. Add the warm milk, active dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix and let it sit for 5-8 minutes. The mixture will foam up, which means the yeast is active.
2. Add the remaining granulated sugar and dry milk. Mix well.
3. Add the cooled Tangzhong. Mix well to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Set aside.
5. Add the cooled, melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix well.
6. Whisk in the egg. Whisk until blended with the yeast mixture.
7. Add half of the flour mixture. Mix until the flour is almost all combined.
8. Add the remaining flour. Mix well. When the dough is too thick to mix with a spoon or Danish dough whisk, knead it with your hands.
9. Keep mixing until you have a dough ball and no more dry flour is visible.
10. Place in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place. (I like to put mine in the microwave) for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
11. Butter or oil a loaf pan, 9×5 inches.
12. Separate the dough into 4 pieces.
13. For each piece of dough, flatten it into a rectangle, approximately 6 x 9 inches.
14. Fold one third, short side, back on the rectangle, and the second side back to the middle. Like a book.
15. Turn the dough 90 degrees and flatten the dough into a rectangle, approximately 4×6.
16. Roll the dough, starting with the small side, into a log.
17. Place in the prepared loaf pan.
18. Repeat for every piece of dough.
19. Cover the loaf pan loosely and place it in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
20. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

*NOTE* To make the egg wash, whisk the egg and add water.

1. Brush the dough with egg wash.
2. Bake the bread 28-33 minutes.
3. The bread is baked when the top is golden, and the inside temperature is 190 degrees F.
4. Cool the bread in the pan for 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer the bread onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 10gCalories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 288mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 206IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg

Notes

See the post for more information, photos and tips. 

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