Best Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread Recipe (Step By Step)

I introduced you the most effective recipe for Japanese Milk Bread, with a fluffy texture and barely candy. This bread is often known as Shokupan, Hokkaido milk bread, Chinese language milk bread, and Korean milk bread.

You should have knowledgeable baker outcome with my easy milk bread recipe. Though I’ve used all-purpose flour as a substitute of historically used bread flour, the result’s spectacular!

Japanese milk bread is known in Japan, China, and Korea; it’s an on a regular basis bread. Most Koreans use it for his or her breakfast and sandwiches. This milk bread makes scrumptious French toast, and when made as a bun, your burger’s taste will attain the subsequent stage.

WHAT IS JAPANESE MILK BREAD?

Japanese milk bread is a fluffy, barely candy bread loaf originating in Japan. It has flour, milk, eggs, and yeast. You should utilize it as on a regular basis bread to make sandwiches or French toast, have it with jam, or take pleasure in it alone.

They name it ‘Shokupan’ in Japan, which suggests ‘consuming bread.’ Japanese additionally name it Hokkaido milk bread when the baker makes use of the high-quality milk produced within the Hokkaido space in Japan.

There are two in style shapes for this milk bread. One form is the common spherical prime loaf which you’ll see on this weblog submit. The opposite form is a rectangle with a flat prime as a result of the bakers bake the bread utilizing a Pullman loaf pan with a lid for a good sandwich bread look.  

TANGZHONG BREAD ENHANCER

We’ll use a dough enhancer on this recipe, and it’s not an enormous deal; it hardly takes three to 4 minutes to make it with flour, milk, or water. TANGZHONG is a Chinese language phrase which means dough improver or dough enhancer. In Japan, it’s known as YUDANE. It’s a sort of roux.

Most bakers use dough enhancers to give the bread a greater rise, a fluffy and cotton-like texture, and forestall the bread from going stale quick.

There’s one other sort of bread enhancer used primarily by bakers, and you should purchase it from the market, and it has substances like vitamin C powder, lecithin, gelatin, and so on.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

Flour – Most recipes for Japanese milk bread name for Bread Flour, however my viewers is primarily homemakers and career-oriented ladies. Therefore, I went for what was simply out there to them: all-purpose flour. The outcome was mind-blowing; you may learn extra about this within the part under.

Yeast – I typically use lively or immediate yeast, however you may go along with what you may have in your kitchen. The yeast will launch carbon dioxide and show the dough whether it is good.

Milk – Complete milk is your best option for this recipe, however I do know some who used low-fat milk, and the bread got here out lovely. You can too go for liquid coconut milk, not powder type.

Dough enhancer – Don’t skip making the dough enhancer, it’s the secret behind the fluffy and light-weight texture of the milk bread, and it’ll assist preserve the bread recent for an extended time.

Butter – Go for unsalted butter; for a buttery taste, I like to recommend European butter like Lurpak, however common unsalted butter will do.

BREAD FLOUR vs ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

The distinction between bread flour and all-purpose flour is the quantity of protein. Bread flour has extra protein.

Let me let you know the distinction between the 2 when baking bread with out going into scientific particulars.

The dough made utilizing bread flour rises larger whereas baking; it has a chewer texture and a crispier crust. 

As I’ve accomplished on this recipe, the dough comes out softer while you use all-purpose flour as a substitute of bread flour. Having stated that, you should use the precise measurements of bread and all-purpose flour for this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE JAPANESE MILK BREAD (SHOKUPAN)

This shall be a simple and enjoyable venture when you have baked bread earlier than. But when that is your first time, no worries, will probably be straightforward for you too, I promise! Watch the video tutorial and observe the step-by-step pictures for steering. Let’s start.

MAKING TANGZHONG

Step 1

Off the warmth and in a saucepan, add the flour and half a cup of milk. Whisk till you see no lumps.

Step 2

Activate the warmth to medium and preserve stirring till you get a pudding-like consistency. Now you may have Tangzhong prepared.

Step 3

Flip off the warmth, pour one other half cup of milk into the combination, and whisk.

Add the sugar, yeast, and whisk properly, then add the egg and whisk till mixed. Be sure that the combination will not be sizzling however heat earlier than including the yeast.

MAKING THE DOUGH STEP BY STEP

Step 1

Add the flour and salt to a stand mixer bowl. Combine properly.

Step 2

pour the Tangzhong combination into the flour and knead for two minutes.

Step 3

Regularly add the melted butter and proceed kneading. Knead for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Stretch a small piece from the dough. While you stretch it skinny sufficient to see the sunshine or your fingers by means of it, and with out tearing, cease the kneading. That is known as the Windowpane take a look at.

Step 5

Spray some oil into a big bowl and place the dough in it. Cowl the dough for one and a half to 2 hours.

SHAPING AND FORMING THE DOUGH

Step 1

Make 4 equal balls. Roll out the dough to eight to 9 inches. You should utilize your hand as a substitute of a rolling pin.

Step 2

Fold the highest to the middle, then the underside excessive fold. Rotate the folded dough to 90°and roll it up. Pinch to seal the seam.

Step 3

Place the rolled dough into the loaf seam aspect down. Cowl the loaf pan and let the dough rise once more for 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 4

Make an egg wash by beating an egg with two tablespoons of water. Calmly brush the dough after which place the loaf pan within the oven.

Step 5

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Take away the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes within the pan. Then cool on a wire rack.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST JAPANESE MILK BREAD

• Don’t add the yeast to the dough enhancer whereas it’s sizzling. Be sure that the enhancer is heat.
• Use the spoon and stage when measuring the all-purpose or bread flour.
• You’ll be able to knead the dough together with your fingers, however it is going to take longer (round 12 to 14 minutes) to move the Windowpane take a look at and develop gluten. It’s finest to make use of a stand mixer. Windowpane is while you stretch the dough, and it stretches skinny. You’ll be able to see the sunshine by means of it with out it tearing. The extra you knead the dough, the stretchier it will get. I confirmed this within the video tutorial.
• Be mild when dealing with the dough whereas shaping it. Keep away from tearing the dough.
• In case you are utilizing bread flour, you would possibly want a rolling pin to roll the dough, however with all-purpose flour, you may unfold and form the dough together with your hand, as proven within the video.  

MORE BREAD RECIPES TO TRY

💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW TO STORE MILK BREAD

When the bread is cool fully, place it in a Ziplock bag, take away as a lot air as potential, and go away it on the counter for as much as 2 days. You can too slice it and put it in a freezer bag for as much as three months.

📖 Recipe

Best Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread Recipe

This Japanese Milk Bread recipe is straightforward to make at residence. You’ll really feel like knowledgeable baker very quickly. Deal with your self to a beautiful, do-it-yourself loaf of bread.

Print

Price

Course: Bread,

Delicacies: Japanese

Key phrase: Japanese Milk Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Dough Resting Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Whole Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 16 Slices

Energy: 178kcal

Creator: Muna Kenny

Substances

For the Tangzhong (starter)

• ½ cup entire milk
• 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose or bread flour

For the Dough

• ½ cup entire milk at room temperature
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoon immediate yeast
• 1 massive egg at room temperature
• 2 ½ cups flour all-purpose or bread flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

To make the Tangzhong (Dough Enhancer)

• Off the warmth and in a small saucepan, add the flour and half a cup of milk. Whisk till you see no lumps.

• Activate the warmth to medium and preserve stirring or whisking till you get a pudding-like consistency.

• Flip off the warmth, pour one other half cup of milk into the flour and milk combination, and carry on whisking to forestall creating lumps.

• Be sure that the combination is heat and never sizzling. Add the sugar, yeast, and whisk properly, then add the egg and whisk till mixed.

To make the dough

• Connect the dough hook attachment to a stand mixer, add the flour and salt to the stand mixer’s bowl, combine them properly, after which pour the Tangzhong.

• Run the stand mixer and knead. When the dough is nearly shaped, pour within the melted butter.

• Knead for 10 minutes, then take a bit from the dough and stretch it between your fingers. Cease kneading if you happen to pull the dough sufficient to see your fingers below it with out tearing.

• Knead the dough gently for just a few seconds.

• Spray some oil into a big bowl and place the dough in it. Cowl the dough and preserve it in a heat place for one and a half to 2 hours.

• Press the dough to take away the additional air and knead gently for just a few seconds.

Shaping the dough

• Make 4 equal balls. I used the fourth ball to type small buns, however you should use a much bigger loaf pan to make use of all 4 balls.

• If you wish to bake the 4 balls in a single loaf pan, grease an 8 x 12-inch loaf pan. If you wish to preserve the fourth ball to type small buns, go for a 4.5 x 8.5-inch loaf pan.

• Roll out the dough to eight to 9 inches. As proven within the video, you should use a rolling pin or, higher, use your hand.

• Fold the highest to the middle, then the underside excessive fold.

• Rotate the folded dough to 90°and roll it up.

• Pinch to seal the seam. Place the rolled dough into the loaf seam aspect down. Do the identical with the remainder of the balls you shaped earlier.

• Cowl the loaf pan and let the dough rise once more for 30 to 40 minutes.

Baking the Japanese milk bread

• Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

• Make an egg wash by beating an egg with two tablespoons of water. Calmly brush the dough after which place the loaf pan within the oven.

• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes till it is golden brown. Take away the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes within the pan.

• Take away the bread from the pan and funky it on a wire rack.

• For extra taste, I typically brush the highest of the bread with butter after taking it out of the oven, however that’s an elective step.

Notes

1. As I discussed within the submit, I used all-purpose flour to make this milk bread, however if you wish to observe the unique recipe, use bread flour with out altering the measurements of the substances.
2. While you make the Tangzhong, make sure the combination is heat and never sizzling earlier than including the yeast, or the dough gained’t rise.
3. It’s best to make use of entire milk, however you may go for coconut milk.
4. If the dough continues to be moist, evenly mud the working floor with flour when rolling out the dough.
5. Do the Windowpane take a look at. I wrote extra about it below Ideas. Will probably be a information to fluffy milk bread.
6. Proofing the dough: If the kitchen is chilly, wrap the bowl with thick towels.
7. This recipe makes one massive loaf of milk bread, one medium dimension, and three buns.
8. If you wish to make buns out of the dough, it normally takes 12 to 14 minutes within the oven utilizing the identical temperature I’ve talked about within the recipe.
9. Use half the quantity of salt if you’re utilizing salted butter.

Vitamin

Serving: 1 Slice | Energy: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg