Japanese milk bread is probably the lightest, fluffiest, most tender bread you'll come across. It's the perfect everyday loaf, from sandwiches to toast, and is one you need to try!
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I'll admit, when I have seen lines of similar-looking white bread any time I have been in Asia, I haven't felt inspired. I've always been more of a fan of artisan-style loaves, whether that's something like a sourdough rye bread or with 'bits' in it like my fig walnut bread.
However, when I heard about Japanese milk bread I knew I needed to give it a try. It might be about all you can find if you are in Japan, but when it's such a wonderfully soft and light loaf, it really doesn't matter.
This loaf is perfect for everyday use as well. It's a great base for sandwiches and toasts beautifully too. The method might seem a little unusual, but it's the combination of that less typical method and ingredients that makes this bread so wonderfully light and soft.
What is the tangzhong method?
One of the things that makes this loaf so soft is the fact you start by making a roux with flour and water. This warming starts to activate the gluten in the flour before you even mix it with the rest of the ingredients which helps create the soft texture. And while this loaf didn't get a chance, apparently it helps preserve the bread better too.
The method was apparently developed in Japan, but named in China and used in many breads around the region. If you are used to Western bread, it might seem strange, but it's not difficult and believe me, you want to give it a try.
The other aspect of the light, soft texture and flavor is using milk as an ingredient. Dairy in it's many forms can really add to the flavor and texture of a dish, as well as the nutrition, and using milk definitely helps this loaf become something special.
How to make Japanese milk bread
If you have made other breads, most of this will look familiar. Only the tangzhong and how the dough is folded is a bit unusual. The steps are:
- Put water and small amount of flour in a small pan. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Warm the flour paste gently until it thickens, stirring, then set aside to cool (this is the tangzhong).
- Measure out remaining ingredients (flour, yeast, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt and egg) and add cooled tangzhong. Mix all the ingredients together then knead, either in mixer or by hand.
- Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled.
- Knock back the dough, divide into three pieces and roll each piece into an oval.
- Fold one side of dough over to halfway across the remaining dough then fold the other side on top so you have three layers (see photos). Gently roll slightly, if needed, then roll up the piece of dough as you would a cinnamon roll.
- Repeat with the other pieces of dough then put all three rolls of dough in an oiled loaf pan.
- Cover and leave to rise again then brush with egg wash.
- Bake for approx 30 minutes until golden brown. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool.
It can be a little difficult to describe exactly how to fold the bread, but hopefully the pictures below make it clearer:
Additional tips
You don't have to fold the pieces of dough in this traditional way - some recipes form small rolls, for example - but it's kind of fun to do and gives a lovely appearance to the finished loaf. If you form rolls, try using a round pan instead.
As you are making it, you may find it much softer than other bread doughs. You may need to add slightly more flour as you are kneading so it is not too sticky, but it should stay soft. It is closer to a brioche in texture but without that slight sweetness. To me, this is a more versatile bread.
Make sure you oil your bread tin to help the bread come out without sticking. Use a knife to help ease it away from the side before turning onto a cooling rack.
Once you have baked the bread, try to avoid the temptation to slice it immediately. It's hard, I know, as it smells so good! However this is a pretty soft loaf and it will slice better when cooler.
You can either cut the loaf as a whole or break off one of the chunks and slice that, as I did here. Either way, once you slice you'll see the wonderfully light crumb.
We got through this loaf in one meal, we all enjoyed it that much (true, we had a couple extra helpers). We particularly liked it spread with pate or soft cheese. If you do have some leftover, it's a great bread for toasting.
Japanese milk bread might look a little unassuming, but this is one special loaf. While perfect for every day use, it's so light and fluffy, you'll have everyone back for more.
Try these other bread recipes:
- Lemon thyme focaccia.
- Caramelized onion sourdough bread
- Fig and walnut bread
- Plus get lots of lunch recipes in the archives.
Japanese milk bread
Ingredients
For the tangzhong
- 2 tablespoon bread flour (approx 25g)
- 6 tablespoon water
For rest of loaf
- 300 g bread flour approx 2 cups plus 2 tbsp
- 2 teaspoon fast acting yeast (technically a little under but can use 1 sachet, ¼oz/ 7g)
- 120 ml milk ½ cup (lukewarm or room temp, but not hot)
- 30 g unsalted butter 2tbsp, melted but not hot
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon sugar (caster sugar/fine), approx 42g
- 1 egg
To glaze
- 1 egg (lightly beaten - won't need all)
Instructions
For tangzhong - made slightly ahead
- Put water and flour for tangzhong in a small pan. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain - do this before turning on the heat.
- Warm the flour paste gently over a medium-low heat until it thickens, stirring constantly. You should see trails left by the spoon/whisk as you stir it. Set the pan aside to cool.
To make bread
- Measure out the remaining ingredients into a large bowl (flour, yeast, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt and egg). Add the cooled tangzhong - I gently beat the egg into the tangzhong first to both save the tangzhong being too thick and help egg to mix better but you don't need to, just make sure you mix it well. Mix all the ingredients together then knead, either in mixer or by hand on a floured surface. Add a little more flour if needed.
- Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a relatively warm place until doubled - around 1 hour.
- Once it has risen, knock back the dough, divide into three pieces. Set the other pieces to one side and roll one piece into an oval.
- Fold one side of dough over to halfway across the remaining dough then fold the other side on top so you have three layers (see photos above). Gently roll slightly, if needed, then roll up the piece of dough as you would a cinnamon roll.
- Repeat with the other pieces of dough then put all three rolls of dough in an oiled loaf pan - 9x5in (22x12cm) or slightly smaller.
- Cover and leave to rise again until the loaf is just reaching the top of the pan. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Lightly beat the egg and brush the top of the loaf with egg wash.
- Bake the loaf for approx 30 minutes until golden brown. If it browns too fast, tent with foil for the last part of cooking. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Recipe draws on a few sources, with my own tweaks, particularly King Arthur Flour's milk bread rolls and Beautiful Life and Home's Japanese milk bread.
This post was created in partnership with the dairy farmers of New England. For further information, including school nutrition, and health and wellness topics, please visit New England Dairy & Food Council and Must Be the Milk.
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Mary Holden
Caroline: Thank you for this easy foolproof recipe. Everyone loves it. It rises very fast which is a great advantage for busy people. I use a stand mixer, turn it out in a glass pan, knead it in the pan just a bit, and put it on a seed starting plant/garden mat for extra heat. I can be start to finish in 3 hours.
It is very pretty as well and the instructions to make the 3 rolls in the loaf pan are very creative and helps it rise I'm sure. Also it is a light dough which I hope is less calorically dense and easier for an older person with arthritis to knead.
I recently went to visit friends taking this recipe and we ended up making it twice a day for 3 days! I find in my gas oven that it is done in 25 minutes, not 30 which might be good to know for those with gas ovens.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, and appreciate you mentioning re gas oven - indeed, baking times can certainly vary a couple minutes up or down with different ovens. Like the garden mat idea too!
Thuyen
Awesome!!! My milk bread turned out just like your picture. It is very soft and fluffy. For a non-experience of breading making like me, it is a huge success. I don’t have loaf tin but the square glass baking tray so I made 4 rolls and bake for 25 mins. I shared the bread with my coworkers and they really like it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well for you!
Roch
Hi there, I tried this recipe and it turned out really well! I wanted to try it another time adding purple sweet potato. What would be the recommended proportion and do I have to reduce any other ingredients? Thanks!!!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it worked well for you. As for adding sweet potato, its not something I have done so it's really hard to say quantities as it will definitely impact the texture of the dough etc - it's effectively a completely different bread, just using the same basic technique as the base. But I may try and work on it and come up with a recipe to share in due course.
MMD
My 12 year old son made this recipe and wanted to add some flavors. He steeped Chai Tea in the milk and added cinnamon and coriander to the flour. It turned out so well! Delicious!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it worked out well, it's definitely the kind of 'blank canvas' you can add the odd flavors too (though I'd generally suggest not too strong).
Kseniya
I don’t know what to say... I followed all the steps and bread turned out just the same like on your photos... I’m shocked. It’s the best recipe in my life! Thank you so much!!!!!!!
Caroline's Cooking
That makes me very happy to hear - glad it worked out so well!
Joyce Jones
Ilove the recipe, I've made it multiple times and it always turns out perfect.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear!
S
I came across this recipe yesterday and made it yesterday. The only change I did was to make one roll instead of 3. Next time I'll do 2 since the top kinda cracked open. Still suuuuper delicious and I highly recommend it. Super easy to do as well.
(I might also reduce the sugar a bit too since I forgot how sweet this bread can get.)
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed and found it easy!
Amelia D
Loved the recipe! I am new to bread making and found that the dough was still very sticky after mixing. Kneading was very difficult and took a long time. Should I have mixed the dough for longer before kneading? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed! Yes this is a relatively sticky dough, I'm not sure that mixing more would help, I'd suggest you maybe needed just a tiny bit more flour, especially on your hands, to make it a little easier but hard to tell for sure.
Molly
I rarely comment on recipes but this is so good I was compelled. Chicken Katsu Sandwiches are my new go-to meal when I want to impress or treat friends and I use this bread because it's amazing. My husband said it's like biting into a cloud and I always double the recipe even if I'm just making it for us. I'm seriously considering buying a traditional milk bread pan. The only change I've ever made is to use AP flour because I ran out of bread flour (still delicious) and I usually do half water and half milk for the tangzhong.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you like this bread as much as we do. And while I haven't done it with this, I do sometimes switch AP for bread flour and have found it to work just fine, so glad to hear it worked here too.
KM
What a lovely bread! I made it almost exactly as written — no eggs for me so I used a flax egg in the bread and milk on the bread — and it was a wonderfully light and fluffy bread.
Thanks for the recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear you enjoyed! It really is such a lovely fluffy bread, I agree.
Belinda
Tried this. Had only about 100g+ bread flour left so I added all purpose flour to top it up. I also used brown sugar that looks more like molasses (I forgot what type it is. Threw the bag already after filling it in a jar). The rest is as per your recipe. Still turned out great. Love the texture and taste. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear. Yes, all purpose definitely works very close to the same, it's just slightly different in gluten-forming proteins etc but I have had good success swapping it in a lot of bread recipes.
Emily
This came out so well! I'm a college student so cooking and baking is new for me, but this recipe was so clear and easy to follow, and the results were amazing! The bread is so good, I'm definitely going to make this again!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you found it easy to follow and that it came out well. It's definitely one of my favorite breads.
Emmet
I forgot to put in the butter and its first rise is up. Is it too late to put it in?
Caroline's Cooking
You might be able to work it into the dough later, but I'm really not sure if it will work out as well, I'm afraid. You'll still get a bread that's perfectly edible without the butter, it just won't likely be as soft and rich.
Emmet
I baked the 2 loaves without putting in the butter and they tasted great next time I won't forget. Thanks for the recipe
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it was still great, hopefully that little but better with butter next time too 🙂
Maan
Hello Caroline! I just want to ask if I can make this recipe in small round pieces and not in the form of a loaf? Would it be okay to use All-Purpose flour as substitute? And for the Tangzhong, can I use milk instead of water? (will it make it milkier?)
Caroline's Cooking
Yes to all! You can make this as small rolls - a cast iron skillet can be good to use to bake them in, just be sure to leave a little space between them when you first put in the skillet or other baking dish then they will expand slightly. And yes, all purpose should work, just be aware it has a slightly different level of gluten-forming protein and can absorb liquid differently. So you may need a little more/less liquid and a little more time to let it rise. And finally yes, milk in the tangzhong also works. Not too sure on flavor since it's a relatively small amount, but you may notice.
Anna
Hi, I wonder if it can be done with whole weat flour... can it?
Caroline's Cooking
So in theory, yes, but one of the main things about this bread is the super soft texture and that's not going to be the same with whole wheat flour. You could try whole wheat pastry flour which is less coarse and about the closest to white flour. Just be aware different flours absorb liquid differently and have different levels of gluten, so you may need a little more or less flour to have a similar texture and the rise may take a little longer, I think.
Lisa
Hi Caroline I have an 8 by 4 inch cake tin is this tin to small.
Caroline's Cooking
So I used slightly larger than that, but an 8x4in will probably work as long as it is relatively deep (at least 2 1/2in) - you might just have the top spill over a little when it bakes.
Elaine Yip
I tried this recipe twice, but somehow my bread comes out hard as a rock. During my 2nd attempt I tried to cut the baking time by 5 minutes. But it still comes out very hard! Any idea what could be the cause? Thank you!!
Caroline's Cooking
Sorry to hear that, that's not something I tend to hear as a challenge with this type of bread, but a few possibilities - one problem may be you need to knead it a little longer. Another option is that you have added too much four and so try to avoid adding when you are kneading as much as possible. Just add a little bit more to your hands and the work surface to help stop it stick but let it be sticky as much as you can as it will naturally get less so as you knead. The one other thing is it may not have risen enough before baking. Try to make sure it rises as much as the recipe says in terms of being well up the tin rather than just by time as room temperature and other factors can make quite a difference. Hope these help and good luck!
lilian
thank you so much for the recipe Caroline. This is the best recipe ! My hubby commented so far this is the best bread I've ever baked. Can't get enough of it.
Caroline's Cooking
That's praise indeed, so glad you enjoyed!
Constance
So excited by this bread that I forgot to give the 5 stars!
Constance
Omg, I was in bread heaven! This bread is delicious! It is incredibly fluffy and soft, it looks exactly like your pictures!! So easy to make and just the right size. We ate half a loaf when it came out from the oven! Used mixer to knead medium low for about 5to 6 minutes, the dough was still slightly sticky when handled, but put in oiled bowl anyway. Brushed with milk instead of egg wash before baking, the bread still browns to perfection. Thank you so much!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes milk works well as an alternative to egg for brushing.
Audrey Ng
Hi, can I use my bread machine for this recipe?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't got a bread maker myself to try, but I believe from other comments that other people may have tried it and it worked.
Haruka
I followed the recipe, and measured out my ingredients using a scale. The bread turned out incredible! Best yeast bread recipe I've used, and I've baked plenty. Thank you so much for sharing. It is definitely a keeper.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed and fantastic that it's the best!
Dana
I am fairly new at bread baking.....I am a “ breadbaker wannabe”.
This is my 1st time making this recipe. Took a long time in the first rising and since there was egg in the dough, after 2 hours, had to refrigerate it. Wasn’t sure of the dough rising in the refrigerator, but it slowly did. We haven’t yet sliced into the bread. I want to make it again, but not divide into 3 parts. Any advice for me on this?
Thank you for this recipe and what is the pronunciation for tangzhong?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it seemed to work in the end - the tie it takes to rise depends a lot on temperature, amongst other things. While you typically form it in three parts, they join together as they bake so you can still slice it as a regular loaf in slices, you don't need to split it into three. But if you'd rather have it as one piece, you can roll it in one piece a bit like a jelly roll and then put that in the pan for the second rise. On the pronunciation, it's relatively phonetic with the "zh" being like the French "j" as in "jus", if that helps.
Isaiah Treadwell
Hi! I made this bread last night and the inside of my bread looks kinda strange. It’s more crumbly then flaky and soft. How do I fix this?
Caroline's Cooking
It's a little hard to tell without a little more detail as there are always a number of variables making bread. But as a guess, it sounds like it may either be a little too dry (so possibly too much flour) or maybe did you cut it while still warm, as that can make it look a little strange when you cut it? Did you weight the ingredients or use the volumes, as the volumes are less accurate so you may need to adjust to get the right 'feel' to the dough. If possible, it's always best to weigh if possible. Try not to add too much flour when you are kneading as well - it can be tempting to add more flour to make it less sticky, but you really want to avoid adding too much, it does become smoother with kneading. Hope these help.
A
Hi,
Is it possible to use this recipe in the bread machine or do I need to adjust it?
Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
I don't have a bread machine so haven't been able to test myself, but I see from other comments, someone mentioned they did 1hr 55min rapid bake and it came out well.
Kenya
Hi can I substitute all purpose flour ??
Caroline's Cooking
I have yet to try but yes, it should work fine. You may not need quite as much liquid and the dough may be slightly less easy to work with or slower to rise. Just be careful not to be tempted to add a lot of extra flour as you knead - try to work with it a little first.
Ciara Quintero
will any kind of butter work?
Caroline's Cooking
I typically use unsalted - if you use a salted butter it may make a slight difference in the flavor of the bread, but you are not using all that much so it won't be too significant.
Lori
Can this be frozen? And can this recipe be doubled? Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen this myself but there's no real reason why it wouldn't work as long as it is well wrapped. And yes, you can certainly double it. If you divide and bake in two pans there's no need to adjust cook time, just double all the ingredients. It may need slightly longer to rise. If you are making a very large loaf then it will need longer to cook.
Abi
Delicious! I made this this evening and during the folding steps I added some cheese and garlic butter to make cheesy soft garlic bread and it is heavenly! Can't wait to make it again plain and possibly try other fillings! I thought adding ingredients to an enriched style dough might prevent rising but it still worked at treat!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed, and the filling sounds tasty too! Yes I can see some fillings working but probably not too much and nothing too heavy.
Sona
This is the best bread. I made it yesterday and my kids LOVE IT! I will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you for sharing this. =)
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you all enjoyed!
Pete
Love it!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear!
Berta Pauly
I have made this bread and love it!!
It is so soft.. thanks for giving out this recipe..💞
Caroline's Cooking
That's great to hear! And yes, I do love how soft it is.
Imelda
Thanks for sharing this beautiful fluffy bread. I made the exact amount of engredients as stated. The result is as perfect for a small serving. I love it.. Next time I plan to Add more sweeter taste. Let u know the result.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
G.L.Cantrell
Can it be frozen? It is so soft, and delicious toasted, or for sandwiches. I just love it.
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen it myself (we always get through it pretty fast!) but I don't see why not - I'd put it in a freezer bag, making sure you get the air out before sealing.
Carl
I just made it this morning and it is perfect . I will be making again and again!
Caroline's Cooking
That's great, glad to hear you enjoyed and will be making again!
Asuka
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I've made it a few times and follow the measurements exactly, but the dough always comes out super sticky and I end up adding a lot of flour while kneading. Should I use less milk or less tangzhong, or both? My loaf also comes out not nearly as fluffy as I'd like. Maybe it's because I'm using 2 tsp of active dry yeast (after proofing in milk) instead of instant yeast?
Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
It sounds like you are adding too much flour which is making it more dense. I wouldn't recommend less liquid, as that's basically going to give you the same just in a different way. I'd say as you are kneading, try to just dust the work surface, a little over the top of the dough and on your hands to start and knead a few times. If it sticks to you, don't worry, just keep working it a bit and only add a small amount more as you go. The stickiness will become less as you work the dough without you needing to add lots of flour. It is a soft dough, but as I say the stickiness largely goes down through kneading rather than needing lots of flour, if you can try to hold off adding too much. Hopefully this will also help with the fluffiness, but if by fluffiness you mean it hasn't risen enough, it may be that you need to leave it to rise slightly longer during the two rising periods. Hope it works out a little better!
Elda
I think it depends on the kind of flour too...
Caroline's Cooking
Yes different flours absorb liquid slightly differently. But this is typically a slightly stickier dough than some to start with, so while you may need to add some extra flour, whichever kind you use, you still need to resist adding too much.
Jenna P Toff
I found kneading longer helps with the stickyness. As you work it more it becomes less sticky, so might want to work it more before adding more flour.
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, thanks for expressing in a different way - that's part of what I meant by saying to try to resist adding flour as you knead 🙂
Madeleine Fuchs
Thank you for this wonderful bread recipe. We just had it with our Sunday dinner.
It is delicious. Also it it great to have a bread recipe that is just right
for a small family.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! And I know what you mean, I often find many bread recipes too big so I often adjust down to what we more realistically use.
Emily
Can I use all-purpose flour, or does it have to be bread flour?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, it should work fine with all purpose, you might just need to adjust the amount slightly as flours can react differently, so I'd hold back slightly in case you need less, or if it's wet you can add a little more. You may also need to leave it slightly longer to rise as AP is typically slightly lower in gluten-forming protein so may need a bit longer to rise.
Emily
So I bought bread flour but it says « yeast included » Do I still use the sachet or dry yeast as well since it is in a different step?
Caroline's Cooking
I've never heard of bread flour containing yeast already. I'd check on the flour packet to see whether it says you don't need to add additional yeast or not. You may not need to (or maybe some but much less), but being unfamiliar with it, it's very hard to say, I'm afraid.
Lynn
Can the dough be pre made and refrigerated overnight if I wish to bake early in the morning?
Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't done it with this particular bread but I think it should work - I'd suggest just giving it part (say up to half) of the second rise out at room temperature then do the rest in the fridge overnight.
Skelli
I found this recipe while looking for a soft bread recipe to try (I've only just started baking bread and I am SO excited to try this one!). I only have margarine and lightly salted butter, which one would be better to use or would either ruin the bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I think either would probably work, but I'd certainly go with the lightly salted butter out of the two. You might want to reduce the salt ever so slightly as a result, though if it's just lightly salted it is probably not so necessary. Enjoy!
Kaylee
Can I use super fine sugar instead of caster sugar? I’m in the US and don’t know where to get caster sugar.
Caroline's Cooking
In the US, the regular sugar is pretty fine so work, or super fine is great if you have it. You just want it to be relatively fine so that it dissolves easily.
Maike
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My kids and I made it today and it was amazing. It reminds me a bit of brioche.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes it is definitely similar to brioche in texture/flavor.
Bella R
I've been baking bread a lot recently, and I made milk bread for the first time with this recipe (I chose this one because it had less butter than other recipes). It was absolutely STUNNING! Just like pictures and videos show of this incredibly fluffly bread. I used an egg yolk for the top, and it was super shiny and golden. Today I am make pirogi stuffed with cabbage and hamburger buns with this recipe, with reduced sugar. Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! It is such a lovely soft bread.
Anu
Can I bake without egg? If so, what would be the replacement?
Caroline's Cooking
You can omit the egg glaze from the top (as you'll see some others have and use eg milk) but I'm afraid I can't think of a good replacement for within the bread itself. The egg adds a level of richness that isn't easy to replace. You could miss it out, and you should still get a nice soft bread, but it will be a little different.
rhona foyn
Canned CHICK PEA WATER is used instead of egg in a lot of vegetarian recipes so perhaps you can use it in the bread.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for suggesting - yes chick pea water/aquafaba can be used as a replacement but generally for egg white, as it has a similar consistency especially when whisked up. It can help recreate that stickiness and lift, so can work in eg macarons (though I have heard it's tricky in those, but then they are tricky in general). What it doesn't have is the richness you get from egg yolk, which is part of what the egg here is for. So it may work to a point, but probably not in full.
nicole
I just made it and I was wondering if you can freeze the dough? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Do you mean uncooked? I haven't tried and not sure if it would still rise OK if you did. However if you bake it then you can wrap it in foil then in a freezer bag and freeze it like that.
Amateur Baker
I made it. it's so soft and fluffy. It tastes perfect. I didn't glaze it with eggs. Instead, I sprinkled it with corn starch. I made it into 8 round balls. Also, I baked it only for 17 minutes so that it's not too dark. Thank you for this recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes great as rolls as well.
Grace Paul
Loved it! Glad I found this recipe. I use this recipe for Mexican coffee buns and Indian aloo buns( potato stuffed buns). It comes out amazing every time.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! I like the idea of using it fr aloo buns as well.
Sally
Fabulously easy and a pleasure to make. Made first yesterday and almost finished it. Today have tried substituting the tangz.... with 6 dessert spoons of sourdough starter instead of throwing some away before feeding it. Will let you know tomorrow what happens.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed. Will be interested to hear how the sourdough worked out.
Christa
Hi
Is this 175C in fan forced oven? To be safe I put it to 170 c in fan forced oven. It turned out good but didn’t rise much in the oven.
Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
It's with a fan oven - without you'd probably want slightly higher. It's not a bread that rises as much in the oven as some, though it will definitely rise a bit - but glad it turned out well either way!
Emily
I know your recipe calls for caster sugar, could I substitute this for regular granulated sugar? Will it have any effect on the texture?
Caroline's Cooking
Regular granulated should be fine (especially if you are in the US where the 'regular' sugar is finer anyway). The main reason for caster is it will dissolve more easily. If you use a coarser sugar I'd suggest adding it to the milk and stirring a minute to help it dissolve before adding the other ingredients.
Dom
is it possible to over knead the dough?
Caroline's Cooking
I tend to knead by hand where it's less likely for that to happen but yes, I think you could over-knead this as you could with almost any dough. You want it to be soft and come together into a smooth ball. If it becomes very firm it's probably over-kneaded. IF so, it may rise slower so you'll want to give it a bit longer to rise, then try to work it as little as possible after.
Joann
I'm new to baking bread and only have made 2 loaves with a 50% success rate, so I'm both nervous and excited to try this one. Does it freeze well and if so, do you have a suggestion on how to freeze bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen this myself, but I don't really see any reason why you couldn't since bread generally freezes fine. Just make sure it cools completely first, then wrap it in plastic or foil, put in a freezer bag then freeze.
Lee
Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is the first time I have made Japanese Milk Bread and tried it. It’s the bee’s knees. This is all the way from Australia 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! (I'm actually in Australia myself at the moment, too :))
Ana
This bread looks so good! I’m very partial to milky and fluffy breads myself, so I’m biased!
I intend to prepare the dough to bake in the morning - so we can have a nice warm bread at breakfast - do you think is ok to let this dough rest overnight in the fridge for the first rise? I usually do this with more “dense” type loafs, so I’m not sure how well this fluffy type will “behave”.
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried it that way, but I think it probably should work fine - will be interested to hear how it goes!
McKenzie
I did an overnight refrigerator rise twice and both times worked great. Had fresh baked bread in the morning and is always a great way to start the day.
I let the dough sit out on the counter with a towel on top to warm up before baking. Followed the recipe from there and had beautiful loads both times.
I also used AP flour and it worked fine. Took a lot longer to knead vs using bread flour for me. I’m sure everyone’s flour will be different, this was my experience.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it worked out well with overnight rises!
Connie
Love this recipe from this first time baker! Made it 4 times already during this quarantine! But I have a question...my bread turns out beautifully like your pictures but it’s more yellow than white on the inside. Any ideas why that might be? I make my own bread flour adding in wheat gluten but otherwise follow it exactly. Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! It may be the flour, but it could also be your egg may have a darker yolk.
Cristinathebaker
Love the bread. I will never buy soft bread ever. Thank you!
I doubled the recipe and made a loaf (with cream cheese sauce from Cookist) and hamburger buns topped with sesame seeds.
And it freezes well!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed, and sounds good as burger buns too.
Mags
Hi! Can i use instant dry yeast? And milk should be lukewarm?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes instant dry yeast is another name for fast acting yeast and so just use the amounts as above. And yes, the milk is better to be lukewarm or room temperature to save the butter solidifying, and to be slightly better in helping the yeast activate, though the tangzhong will be slightly warm and help with that too. Thanks, I'll update recipe to reflect that.
Julia
This looks tasty! We are trying to reduce our sugar intake. Has anyone tried making it without sugar? In theory, would it affect the structure too much?
Caroline's Cooking
I understand you would prefer to reduce sugar, and some breads work better than others for that. This one is a little tricky as the texture and flavor is definitely impacted by having sugar in there. You could reduce it, but I don't really think the bread would be quite the same with none at all. I do have a few other bread recipes which I think would work better to have no sugar in than this - my fig and walnut bread, for example, just uses a little honey : https://www.carolinescooking.com/fig-and-walnut-bread/
Katie
This bread is delicious! Perfect recipe. Would it work to double the recipe to make 2 loaves?
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed! Yes, you could make two, just double everything.
Becky
I make and sell bread every week for our local Farmer’s Market and I’ve been looking for a new one.... found it! So darn good! I tested it today and my husband and I definitely agreed that it’s one of our favorites! So tender, wonderful crumb and rose like a dream.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying this so much - I agree it has such a wonderful texture.
Alice
Can I use my breadman bread machine to make this bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't got a bread machine myself to be able to advise for sure - I'd say you would at least need to still make the tangzhong ahead of time to get the benefit of that, and then you may be able to let the machine do the mixing, proofing and cooking. It won't give the same shape, obviously, but may otherwise work. I'd suggest referring to the instruction manual to see if there is general advice on adapting regular bread recipes.
anthony day
Just did in my breadmaker 1Hour 55 mins on rapid bake Perfection
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for sharing, glad to hear it worked out well!
Shan
Hi! I only have active dry yeast... How should I adjust the liquids and sugar accordingly?
Caroline's Cooking
You can use the same amount of everything, just active dry yeast should be dissolved in liquid before adding to everything else, so dissolve it in the milk which is best to be lukewarm, let it sit for around 5-10 minutes to help it activate, so I'd suggest you do that first, then make the tangzhong, let it cool while you measure the flour etc then mix them all together.
Frank
Hi Caroline. Thanks much for this recipe! Only been baking bread for three months, so I'm very much still a newbie at it. Anyway I've read instant yeast is stronger than active dry, so if it calls for 1 tbsp of active dry, you'd use 2.4 tsp of instant. I haven't even tried active dry yet, much less pro Baker's favorite yeast, fresh yeast because no grocery stores I've tried carry it. Thanks again.
Caroline's Cooking
Appreciate the comment. Yes fresh yeast is definitely different (and I can never find it either - I remember my grandpa used to get it from the local homebrew shop!). In terms of active v instant, I haven't seen recommendations to use a slightly different amount, more if anything you may want to adjust the rise time such as in this article: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252. I imagine with the quantity here, it wouldn't make a huge difference but you could adjust the amount slightly if you prefer.
QCB
Love the bread!!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear!
Becky
This bread sounds delicious. I want to make it for a Japanese friend. I have sourdough starter that I need to use. Do you think I could use it in this recipe?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried it with sourdough and in theory, you probably could use a little but to be honest, this loaf is all about being soft, light and fluffy and so not sure a sourdough flavor is necessarily the best fit. I'd suggest maybe try using the sourdough for something else (I have recently shared both sourdough pizza dough and sourdough pancakes which are a great fit!)
Ellen
Recipe works like a charm! Can you substitute flour? Today I'm trying with all purpose because it's what I have. But curious about white whole wheat or 100% wheat flours? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad you enjoyed! So the main things when it comes to substituting flour is the different level of gluten-forming protein and how much they absorb liquid, as well as texture. Since you've made it as original, you have a sense for the texture you are looking for so can hopefully make a good guess if you need more or less of the flour you are substituting by the feel of the dough, as it can vary. All purpose and bread flours are relatively similar so it usually works fine to swap, the bread may just not rise quite as well with AP flour. White whole wheat has a similar texture but lower protein, so I'd generally suggest you just swap in a third and see how it goes rather than any more. Other whole grain flours are generally a coarser texture so the bread is likely to not be anything like as soft, and also typically lower protein - again I'd suggest maybe swapping just a bit to see how it goes.
Karen
I made this bread today and it was absolutely delicious. I have not made bread before, so I am very proud of myself and thankful to you for sharing your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed and well done on your first loaf!
mia
This bread is the best!
I made it with a BIG portion of flour "glue"
no eggs, and just a little butter.
It tasted like some buns my turkish neighbour gave me in 1989 (how did she make them...?)
Now I know.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! The egg does definitely add a nice richness, but yes you can make without.
MALLORI watson
This may sound crazy but a restaurant I love makes complimentary milk bread to serve to guests. They also make cinnamon rolls with the milk bread and it is divine. Like no cinnamon roll I’ve ever had. I was trying to replicate the recipe and in the process discovered Japanese milk bread which probably the same as the milk bread they serve. Any chance this recipe can have the dough made the same but you add the gooey layer and roll as you would cinnamon rolls. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Caroline's Cooking
Not crazy at all! I haven't tried using this dough to make cinnamon rolls, but in principle I can see it working - just instead of splitting the dough into three pieces and folding each, keep it as one and roll it flat and add the filling (I'd suggest the mix I use in my eggnog cinnamon rolls would be good, if you don't already have a preferred filling mix), roll up and cut in slices as you would other cinnamon rolls.
Sara
This was surprisingly very simple to make and tastes amazing. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook because I was feeling extra lazy. I only had active dry yeast, so I mixed that with 1/4 cup of warm water first, then used slightly less milk in the recipe. Turned out perfect! We started eating it when it was still warm and almost ate the entire loaf- it’s that good!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! And yes, a stand mixer is a great way to make the kneading that bit easier (I just quite like doing it by hand, I find it relaxing!)
Donna
Please could you tell me how long to mix in a machine and on what speec?
Caroline's Cooking
You're best to use a medium-low speed to knead on a mixer, with a dough hook, and probably just 1 - 2 minutes, though it may depend on the machine.
Mary Borges
I have tried numerous recipes with varying degrees of satisfaction.Assuming I’d never get the hang of making yeast bread I was about to give up when I found your recipe.I am SO happy I did,it’s exactly what I had been looking for..I would encourage every bread lover to try it.The only modification I made was to reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.
Thank you so much for sharing and making lockdown in Scotland tolerable.
Stay safe everyone.
Caroline's Cooking
That makes me very happy to hear! I understand, it's a tough time right now in so many places and glad baking this helped make things that little bit better!
Mary Egbert
I just made this and had my doubts it would rise, but it made me look like a baking super star! Thank you for sharing. I will def be making this again!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad it both worked well for you and that you enjoyed!
Maria Samonte
Hello!
Can you pls. help me? can I use APF instead of bread flour? I do not have any bread flour stock here because of covid-19.
What are the adjustments in flour or water?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, as I mention to someone else, I believe this should work with AP flour, it may just not rise quite as well. All flours (even of the same type) can be different but I'd start with around the same weight as the bread flour, and then adjust flour/water slightly depending how the dough feels. It is a relatively soft dough, but shouldn't be too sticky.
Jacq Henderson
Lovely bread! Been making the classic white loaf, and had been wanting to try this - Glad I did! Husband and daughter loved it. Thank you for this recipe. Only question I have is can I use milk instead of egg wash?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes, I'd think milk should be good, too, maybe just not quite as glossy.
KRISTINE
I’m planning on making this bread however every grocery store is out of bread flour. Would it come out fine with just regular all purpose flour?
Caroline's Cooking
I've been having challenges getting bread flour as well. Bread flour has a higher level of gluten than all purpose, so the structure of the dough tends to hold a little better, but I think it should still work with AP, you may just need a little more flour and the texture may not be quite as fluffy.
bella
I'm new at making bread so far it's been good.Excited to try this bread...My only problem is my husband is on a low sodium diet Can I reduce the amount of sodium in this bread
thank You From Ontario Canada
Caroline's Cooking
Salt in bread serves a couple purposes, partly for flavor but also it helps with the texture of the bread. So you can reduce it a little, but be aware it will probably impact both of these.
Jeevan Sukumaran
Tried this recipe. Flowed your recipe down to the letter. And it turned out perfectly. Had to leave it in just a wee bit longer. About 45 mins. But it was fantastic. And so easy to make. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed!
Anh
Hi, I dont have fast acting yeast, would I be able to replace ut with instant yeast ? And how much would you recommend? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Fast acting yeast and instant yeast are the same thing, so just use exactly the same amount (and in fact if you had active dry yeast, the other kind of dry yeast, it would also be the same amount it just needs to be dissolved in water first while that doesn't really matter with fast-acting/instant). Hope you enjoy!
Frankie
I just made this bread and it is wonderful! I have never used yeast before and was a little anxious but this recipe was so easy to follow. I doubled the recipe and will be making it again tomorrow. Maybe I will try and sprinkle a little cinnamon before I “roll!” Get it?
Since this was such a success, I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
God Bless
Caroline's Cooking
That's great to hear that it was such a success, and yes please try some of the other recipes - there are plenty to choose from 🙂
Angie
Is it possible to replace the bread flour with whole wheat flour to make it more healthy ?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried and as I think I replied to someone else, the challenge with regular whole wheat flour is it tends to be more coarse so I don't think the end loaf would have that lovely soft texture. However I have found whole wheat pastry flour a pretty good alternative in other recipes and can see it working here to still keep a good texture - you just may need a bit more/less flour as different flours react a bit differently.
Rob
Hi Caroline. My first run is rising in the oven with the light on now I’ll be using a pain de mie pan. Any cautions?
Caroline's Cooking
Only that I'd suggest probably not using the lid, if it has one, so you get the nice rounded shape etc, but otherwise I hope it worked out!
Loretta
This sounds yummy! Can wheat flour be used instead of white?
Caroline's Cooking
This is very much a soft textured loaf, and I think regular whole wheat flour would be too dense a texture. However if you can find whole wheat pastry flour, it is much more fine and I think it should work fine - you may just need to adjust the exact amount as different flours react a little differently.
Zara
Hi Caroline, thanks so much for sharing a brilliant recipe with step by steps.
I made this loaf last night for the first time and wasn't sure how it would turn out as first I've never made bread in my life and second I wasn't too confident as it looked a lot of work ie kneading. But I must admit I am pleasantly surprise with the outcome. I brushed milk on the bread before baking and not an egg and then brushed a bit of butter on the top after taking it out.
The bread is soft, fluffy and crumbly...and we loved it.... This is now going to be my 'go-to' recipe and one I'd like to master...
I did, however, want to ask the bread looked a tiny bit dense at the bottom - not sure why? Could it be that it needed a few more minutes more in the oven? I also wanted to ask should the bread be left to cool down completely before slicing it?
Thanks again.... ❤️
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! In general yes, it is best to let bread cool down completely before slicing - this is mainly because when it's still warm, the knife can pull a bit and cause dough-like clumps. I admit, I am very bad at waiting that long and normally slice it when it's still slightly warm so sometimes get slight clumps but not too much. On being dense in the bottom, it could be that the bread needed slightly more space or time to rise on the second rise. So when you put the dough into the baking tin, try to make sure you don't press it down so there's a little space. If it was dense-looking more into the middle (which may be more towards the bottom but more or less the middle of the loaf) then yes I imagine it may have needed slightly longer to bake.
Lisa
Thank you for this recipe. Can i replace bread flour with all purpose flour? Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
Yes you can, the bread flour just gives a softer texture. Enjoy!
Vanessa
This is my new favorite white bread receipe! Wow! Absolutely delicious!! I didnt have fast acting yeast so I just use the standard one with 1/4 cup of water for it to rise and 1/4 cup almond milk. I will make another one tomorrow so I can hopefully last the week! But it's so tasty, I doubt it!
Thanks for a delicious go-to bread!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! I agree it's such a wonderful bread.
Mel Bernard
How long do I knead the bread with my mixer? Just enough for ingredients to be incorporated or the typical 5-7 minutes?
Caroline's Cooking
The typical 5-7 minutes, so you get the gluten stretching etc. Hope you enjoy!
Angel Robertson
I loved the recipe and I made 10 rolls from it. Filled 5 with chocolate and the other 5 with turkey bacon and cheese. Turned out great. You could also make a curry but make sure it’s more paste like not runny. 😃
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear, and the fillings sound tasty!
M
You filled when rolling up the buns? How many buns does this recipe make ?
Caroline's Cooking
I didn't fill them as buns, though you certainly could if you like. Just be aware some filling will mean the dough won't rise as well and may become dense in places. You can make the buns as big or small as you would like but I'd say 6 to 9 would be good, depending on how big you'd like them.
Laura
Is the nutrition values based on per 100g or per serving? And if it’s per serving, how many grams per serving please? I’m looking for a bread that’s low salt to give my children so need to work out of it is! Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So the nutrition values are calculated per serving, so it's assuming you get 16 servings, in this case. I haven't weighed the finished loaf, but adding up the ingredients, it comes out around 650g total, so about 40g per serving, but this is only approximate and doesn't really allow for much evaporation, which could well happen.
Denise Henry
I made this bread yesterday for my daughter's birthday dinner. I have been baking bread off and on for years. My brother is a master baker(39 years of experience). I can't even come close to him. That being said neither he nor I have ever made milk bread. After trying your easy to follow directions the bread turned out wonderful. Everyone highly praised it. I know this recipe will go into my top 5 favorites. Thank you for taking the time to share it with all of us.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed this (and found it easy to follow). It really is a special bread, I agree!
Brianp
Great recipe, easy as to make, cooked in a wood fired oven, sensational!
Caroline's Cooking
Sounds wonderful in a wood fired oven, glad to hear you enjoyed!
Chen
Have you used the dough to make buns with fillings? Will the buns turn out soft and fluff?
Caroline's Cooking
No I haven't tried it. With any filling, you run the risk of it soaking in to the dough and weighing it down, so you just need to take care it doesn't make the dough underneath go soggy and maybe not cook. So if you try it, don't over-fill or have a filling that's too liquid. Would be interested to hear how it goes!
Angel Robertson
I loved the recipe and I made 10 rolls from it. Filled 5 with chocolate and the other 5 with turkey bacon and cheese. Turned out great. You could also make a curry but make sure it’s more paste like not runny. 😃
Caroline's Cooking
Great! They sound tasty!
Per
This was great! Very easy to make. Can I add more sugar if I want it to be sweeter? or will that affect the structure of the bread? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed! I haven't tried adding more, but in theory a little more shouldn't make too much of a difference, especially since it is already a soft loaf. I have seen recipes with a little more sugar in there as well. However if you add too much it may impact the structure - to help avoid too many issues, you may need a bit more flour to balance it out and just watch it as it rises so it doesn't over-prove.
Elizabeth
I’m going to make this tomorrow. What is over proofing? How can you tell when it’s perfectly proofed? I do t want to mess this up!
Caroline's Cooking
Sorry for the delay in replying, internet problems! Basically you don't want it to have huge bubbles of air - if it roughly doubles that's fine, but if it's say 3 times as big as it was originally it's probably too much. Good luck, hope all works out!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I've heard you describing this bread for a while now and I'm so excited to see it! It looks soft and pillowy. I can't wait to give this one a try, Caroline!
Caroline's Cooking
Thank you, it really is so incredibly light and soft. Worth trying for sure!
Rene
What type of milk do you recommend. Is dairy free an option?
Caroline's Cooking
Typically I would make this with whole milk (cow's milk). I haven't made this with dairy free milk and can't say for sure how it would work since it may react differently with the other ingredients - eg you may need a little more or less since the flour may not absorb it in the same way.
Christine
This is perfect bread. I'm a pastry chef not a baker so I was pleasantly surprised and so happy that I could pull THIS off in lieu of my regular wheat bread here at home for my husband.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed - I agree it's such a lovely bread!
Karlene
Instead of putting all three in a pan, could I make mini loaves?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, you could - you can also make small round rolls eg baked in a skillet. Just be aware smaller loaves/rolls will generally cook quicker so keep an eye on them as they bake.
Sharon
This Japanese milk bread looks so light and fluffy. This bread would be perfect for Sunday dinner.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, it really is so light, and I can see it having so many uses.
Krissy Allori
Oh my gosh! This looks amazing. I can't wait to try it.
Caroline's Cooking
Thank you, hope you enjoy as much as we did!
Shashi at SavorySpin
Wow - that's such a delightfully fluffy loaf - I used to think I preferred artisan loaves too, but after looking at this - it's hard for me to choose!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks - I think both kinds definitely have their place, but we instantly loved this light, fluffy loaf.
Taylor
Hello, I was wondering if this could be made with almond milk or oat milk instead of whole milk?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried myself but think it should certainly work fine, it just may not be quite as soft but I doubt it would be that different.