Japanese milk bread is the best sliced bread. The loaves have a golden crust and a phenomenal soft, airy crumb. Each slice is rich in milk and buttery flavor, which makes it absolutely irresistible. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to make milk bread.
Milk bread was a staple of my youth. My brother and I delighted in toasting sliced milk bread and serving it with a drizzle of condensed milk. It was our pastime to eat milk toast and watch baseball together. Every time I buy milk bread, I recall these fond memories I had with my brother.
Childhood memories aside, I wanted to develop a milk bread recipe because it is the key to understanding how to make Asian-style baked goods. Many Asian pastries, such as pineapple buns and BBQ pork buns, use some form of milk bread as the dough. Hopefully, by mastering milk bread, I will be a step closer to making more Asian pastries at home!
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
Before diving into the details of the baking process, let me go over some background on milk bread. Often referred to as “Japanese milk bread” or “Hokkaidō milk bread” in English, this enriched bread is known for its feathery center and its lightly sweet, milky flavor. In Japanese, this type of bread is called shokupan (食パン), which is a regular loaf of bread that you slice and eat.
The exact origins of the bread is unknown. Some sources say that the bread was developed in Japan in the 20th century, while others say that it was the 19th century.
There are two common shapes for milk bread: the boxy, rectangular loaf kakushoku , (角食) or the domed, “mountain-shaped” loaf, yamagata shokupan (山型食パン, sometimes also written as 山形食パン).
Vanilla Safflower Turmeric Japanese Milk Bread
This recipe walks through how to make the domed loaf. Because it doesn’t require a Pullman loaf pan to make, this version is more accessible to the average baker.
Most milk bread recipes use bread flour because of the higher protein content, which gives the bread a chewy texture. However, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Unbleached Organic White All-Purpose Flour for this recipe because it is something we’re more likely to have in our pantries. Plus, all-purpose makes delicious milk bread.
During my (many) test batches of the recipe, I compared the results between doughs made with bread flour and all-purpose flour. Overall, both types of loaves were very similar. Loaves made with bread flour were slightly chewier and had prettier swirls along the sides of the bread. However, the loaves made with all-purpose flour were softer, which I prefer.
Strawberry Swirl Japanese Milk Bread
Tangzhong (湯種) is a Chinese technique of heating flour and water into a paste that is then added to the bread dough. The consistency of tangzhong is similar to a roux (see photo above). Once cooled, add the tangzhong with the other ingredients for the dough. The tangzhong helps give the milk bread its feathery texture.
Milk bread is a type of enriched bread, which means it relies on fats to give the loaf its soft texture. Use whole milk for the recipe. I also like to use butter to give the bread more aroma. However, you can also substitute the butter with neutral-flavored oil, like safflower or vegetable oil.
I use active dry yeast to give the bread its lift. To activate the yeast, heat up some milk before mixing in the yeast. I do so by microwaving the milk for 30 to 40 seconds. Then, I add 1 tablespoon of sugar into the heated milk and check the temperature. It should be somewhere between 110ºF to 120ºF. If the milk is much warmer, the heat can kill the activity in the yeast. Once you confirm that the milk is at the right temperature, stir in the yeast.
Milk Bread For Bread Machine With No Tangzhong
After about 5 to 8 minutes, the yeast should foam up, like you see in the photo above. If the milk still looks flat, it can mean that the yeast is out of date or the milk was too hot.
Because of the amount of liquids and fats in the dough, I highly recommend using a stand mixer. I usually mix the dough on low until there isn’t much loose flour on the edges of the mixing bowl (see photo above). Then, I increase the speed to medium-low and let the mixer work the dough for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, turn the dough over a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times. The dough should be smooth and soft. Then, shape the dough into a ball and place inside a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or a silicone lid, and let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place.
Matcha Shokupan (japanese Milk Bread)
Yes! If you like to break up the work, you can refrigerate the dough overnight. Place the ball of dough into the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The cold temperatures of the refrigerator will slow down the activity of the yeast (it doesn’t eat the sugars as quickly). As a result, the dough develops more flavor.
After the first rise, punch down the dough to release the air. Then, divide the dough into 4 pieces. The dough will be about 710-720 grams, so each piece should be about 177-180 grams. By the way, this is about as good a time as any to mention that I recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients and dough.
On a lightly floured surface, take one of the 4 pieces of dough and knead it several times to release excess air. Then, knead it into an oval shape (see photo above). Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. As you roll the dough, you’ll probably notice air bubbles forming around the edges. This is particularly true for dough made the same day. Try to pop those bubbles as you roll. This helps to prevent large air pockets from forming inside the bread.
Sourdough Japanese Milk Bread (tangzhong Method)
Now that you have a large flat oval, make an envelope fold. Take the bottom third of the rolled out dough and fold it upwards towards the center. Then, take the top third of the oval and fold it down. You should have somewhat of a rectangle at this point.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that a short side of the rectangle is facing you. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
Next, roll out the dough again into a larger rectangle that is about 9 inches by 4 1/2 inches. Starting from one end, roll the dough into a log. After the dough is rolled up, place it in a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Make sure to set the roll seam side down. The bread pan does not need to be greased. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.
Easy Milk Bread (no Eggs, No Tangzhong)
The trickiest part about making this bread is knowing when the second rise is done. I messed this part up about 5 times and baked the bread too early. Instead of doubling in size, you want the loaves to triple in size with the second rise. The two loaves in the center should rise just over an inch above the top lip of the bread pan. (By the way, it’s not unusual for the loaves on the edges to rise slightly higher.) When you gently brush the tops of the bread, it will feel like the loaves can be easily deflated.
It is important to be patient with the second rise because this helps the tops of the bread to bake evenly. If you stick the bread into the oven too early, you’ll notice that the fully baked bread will develop massive tears on the top, like you see in the photos above. The rips are a sign of underproofed bread. The bread is still edible, it’s just not as visually appealing.
Here’s some more bad news: the second rise can take forever. I worked on this recipe in the winter months, and it took at least 2.5 hours for the bread to rise to the desired level on my countertop. If you are working with dough that’s been refrigerated overnight, that timeline might be longer.
The Best Soft And Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread
Because the second rise can take a long time, you may notice small air bubbles forming on the top of the loaf (see photo above). It’s just the activity from the yeast eating away at the sugars. These bubbles may seem benign, but they expand and harden in the oven, creating small bumps on the top of your loaf. To prevent this from happening, I recommend using a toothpick to pop those bubbles before you bake the bread.
If you don’t have the time to wait 2.5 hours for the second rise (and I don’t blame you), you can do the second rise in a warm oven. I preheat my oven to the lowest heat setting possible, which is 170ºF. Right when the oven reaches that temperature, I immediately turn off the oven and turn the oven light on. Then, I transfer the bread pan into the oven, uncovered. In about 55 minutes to an hour, the bread will rise to
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