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:
- Pain de campagne (French country bread)
- Anadama bread (a New England bread with molasses and cornmeal)
- Caramelized onion sourdough bread
- Fig and walnut bread
- Plus get more bread recipes in the archives.
Japanese milk bread
Ingredients
For the tangzhong
- 2 tablespoon bread flour (2tbsp is approx 20g)
- 90 ml water
For rest of loaf
- 300 g bread flour (300g is approx 2 cups plus 2 tbsp)
- 7 g fast acting yeast (technically a little under but can use 1 sachet, ¼oz/ 7g)
- 120 ml milk (lukewarm or room temp, but not hot)
- 28 g unsalted butter melted but not hot
- 5 ml salt
- 42 g sugar (caster sugar/fine)
- 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.
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Alia Farley says
I took a lot of time into following this recipe and it really paid off! So good I'm making it two night in a row! I'm going to try rolling butter into my dough this time!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear it worked out well for you and you enjoyed so much!
Alia Farley says
I am new to bread making, do I have to dissolve the yeast before adding it to the mix? Or can I add it in as a dry ingredient ?
Caroline's Cooking says
Not a problem - I know it can be confusing! So it depends the type of yeast - if you are using fast acting or instant yeast, you can just add it in with the dry ingredients. If you are using active dry yeast, you need to activate it in liquid first, so dissolve it in gently warm water and let it bubble up for around 10 minutes, then add it in. For this bread, I prefer fast acting/instant as you can then just add it in with everything else, rather than having it sit in the slightly warm milk first.
Evelyn says
This has become a family favorite and I make it to share with son and granddaughters once or even twice a month. We all love it. And my granddaughters came and made it with me. That resulted in my 14 year old going home and making it herself the next week. She crafted it into a braid! We are very glad to have found this recipe! Been making it for about 2 years now.
Caroline's Cooking says
Oh how wonderful! So glad to hear, and thanks for letting me know (plus love that the kids are making it too!)
Michael L Young says
This is great bread!! Comes out well every time. Tastes great with butter and jam and makes great toast.
However I do not know how to keep the end from drying out, the crust from getting crisy and if it is wrapped mould appears really quickly. As there are only two of us and we do not eat bread every day what is the best way of keeping it fresh?
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you are enjoying! It's a tricky balance between trying to stop mould and also drying out, as often something that makes one work causes the other. But I'd suggest wrapping in paper and trying to find a cool spot, away from the sun and not too humid is best. The other option is to freeze leftover bread, either as a chunk or slice it first.
Walter Barbier says
perfect recipe for milk bread. Tried a couple of others that didn't work out. This one came out great on the first try
Caroline's Cooking says
That's wonderful to hear, so glad it worked well for you!
Mary says
Wow! This bread was just wonderful in texture and buttery flavor. It was soft, moist, and yet strong enough to make hearty sandwiches and not tear or fall apart. It will be my go to bread from now on.
I enjoyed the information about this breads origins.
Thank you for the detailed instructions and bread making tips.
I will be sure to try some of your other bread recipes.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed and that the tips and info were helpful! And yes, there are a few more bread recipes so hope you find others you enjoy, too.
Razan says
Hi, everything was great but when I’m making the dough it was hard a little bit not soft ):
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed, not sure why the dough would be hard rather than soft - maybe you cooked the initial base a bit long or higher heat, or there was a bit too much flour compared to liquid? Not sure how you measured the ingredients, but I recommend weighing and also if it seems dry, add a little extra water, maybe.
Leila says
Hi I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I’m really excited to, I was just wondering if it’s okay to half the recipe and if you keep the baking time the same if you do?
Caroline's Cooking says
If you are making a smaller loaf, you almost certainly will need a shorter bake time as the loaf won't be as thick and so will cook through quicker. Exactly how short depends a bit on the shape etc, but could be anything from around 1/2 to 2/3 the time I'd say. I would say, though, that this bread does keep well (much more so than others) and you can freeze it too. It's also not that big compared to many breads, so it may well be worth still making a full loaf.
Leila says
Thank you so much that really helps!
Sandy Knapp says
Can I use almond milk?
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't used it myself, but I believe from other commenters that a couple people have tried and it worked out well.
Darma says
If I have any leftover, how do you suggest storing it? I followed the recipe and directions, and my loaf came out great!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear it came out well! The best way to store short-term is to wrap it loosely (ideally paper or with a cloth) or place in a bread box and store at (cool) room temperature - just make sure it isn't damp or too warm. If you won't be using it in a day or two, then you can freeze it, just make sure it is wrapped well in plastic or foil.
Lan says
Instructions were terrific. Recipe was simple —pantry ingredients. Bread baked up fabulously. I ate. I died and went to Heaven. The end!
Caroline's Cooking says
Ha, so glad to hear it was a success!
Rae says
This is my go to bread recipe now. It makes such a good loaf and keeps so well. The only change I've made is I put a shallow baking tray of water in the base of the oven. My favourite way to eat this bread is sliced and used to make a fish finger sandwich
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you have been enjoying, and yes agree it keep well (if you let it!)
Karis says
Tastes great but I might have messed up haha - I used gluten free flour, and I've never baked bread before, so I think maybe I was too heavy handed? I'll try again of course though!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear it was tasty, but not sure quite what happened that you say you were maybe heavy handed? Gluten free flour can behave a bit differently and may need different handling (plus not all gluten free flours are the same) - but certainly worth trying again I'd suggest!
Vasanti says
Thank you for the recipe the bread turned out delicious. My family loved it. It turned out very very soft.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you all enjoyed and it came out well!
Elaine says
Thank you for the recipe! I've made the bread twice and both times the bread turned out soft and fluffy. However, the dough after mixing turns out very very sticky - about 10% of the dough gets stuck to my hand while pulling it out of the mixing bowl, abt 20 tea spoons of extra flour to make it SLIGHTLY less sticky, although it still ism I've used a weighing scale for the ingredients and followed the recipe exactly. Mixed on medium for 15 minutes. Could you advise me on where I'm possibly going wrong? Thank you so much!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed the bread! As for the sticky dough, even with weighing, brands and types of flour can vary, and things like humidity can make a difference so it may just be that with where you are/what you are using, you need just that little bit more flour (or slightly less water).
Steve s says
Bread baking has become my way to de-stress. I rarely eat it, but I love to bake loaves and give them away. A lot of my recipients were very happy with my challah, but I've given several of them this bread and they find it similar to challah, but like it better.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear this has proven popular. And yes, it does have some similarities to challah (and I can relate to the de-stressing through bread-making!)
Cara says
Caroline, I haven't tried this yet, but can't wait to! Can I use almond milk instead of whole milk? I don't have any whole milk at home, but could go buy some this week
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried it with almond milk myself but in theory, I think it should work. It may just change the hydration a bit so you may need a little more or less. I'd try with the same amount then if needed, add slightly more milk or flour a little at a time as you are kneading if it seems needed. Also, it won't have the fat as much as regular whole milk, so you might want a little more butter in there as well (only, say 1/2tbsp more). Hope you enjoy!
Sigrún says
I've tried this recipe with both milk and almond milk, and it makes no difference.. This is my go to bread recipe and most of the time I use almond milk 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you have been enjoying it, and thanks for letting me know it works well with almond milk, too!
Shrey says
Hi Caroline! Looking to make this over the weekend and wanted to know if I can use AP flour instead of bread flour? Bread flour is not a common thing around here and is ridiculously expensive, and as a student who enjoys baking to relax, it is not something I can afford. Any help is appreciated, thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
Hi, yes this should still work fine with all purpose flour, the two just have slightly different levels of gluten forming protein so the structure may not be quite the same but for this type of bread it is probably less likely to be that different. Hope you enjoy!
Mary says
Shrey:
Expense of bread flour does depend upon the brand. That elegant one with the pretty Medieval inspired design is very expensive. Other less pricey brands are available in regular grocery stores. A 5 pound bag of mid price bread flour will make many, many, many loaves. You can store bread flour, well wrapped, in the refrigerator or freezer. I live in the south and if pantry goods are not very well sealed or kept in cold storage bugs are a problem. It is very expensive and time consuming to throw everything out and using poisons in the house is not good either. But you can find affordable bread flour and it does make a difference I think.
Good luck and have fun.
Molly says
I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this bread is. I thought I had an amazing recipe (which I still use for donuts and tea rings), but this? I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS RECIPE FAIL! Even in the dead of winter when it's below zero! (my kitchen was added onto a 100+ year old farmhouse and isn't well insulated)
This recipe is so simple, the dough is so easy maintanance, and the time it takes to complete is about half of any other dough I've worked with (and is the most tender by far). There's something about the Tangzhong that's simply amazing and mind-blowing.
Going along with that thought, the Tangzhong activates the yeast differently. I truly believe that's why I've yet to have a batch fail, but....... that's not the best part. My mom has a gluten and yeast sensitivity, and this bread does not bother her one bit!!! NOT ONE BIT! (even my other yeast breads I make bother her; though not as much as anything store-bought) This recipe using ingredients that are the least processed (unbleached flour, raw whole milk, REAL butter) has changed her life. And if I'm being blunt: I've even noticed a change in my body since eating this bread. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I stumbled across it while searching for recipes to do a Japan-theme meal for a special birthday dinner and I am SO glad I did! Don't be afraid to try recipes from different cultures! I've found that especially if they are "older" recipes, you are sure to find a truly delicious food that when made with ingredients that were like those used when the recipe was originally used can help make your life so much more enjoyable and flavorful. 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe and having it work well for you!
Carol de Reuck says
Hi. First time baking this bread (made 6 mini loaves) and it is (actually was) very yummy. However, my husband doesn't like a sweet bread and even a bit of cheese doesn't cut the sweetness. Can I use a third of the sugar instead? I hope so as I think I'm in love. I would post a photo here but unfortunately I'm not able to.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes it should still work fine with less sugar, will just obviously taste a little different. Yes, afraid for various reasons I can't enable people to upload photos here, but I love seeing them shared on instagram (just tag the @carolinescooking handle) and I try to share them on!
Mary Holden says
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 says
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!
Ayesha says
Hi Caroline!
This is the first time I'm commenting on a recipe site, but I just had to. This was the most amazing, softest, yummy bread ever. I absolutely love milk bread, and this was such a winner. I don't bake bread often at all, and I found this really simple, and actually found the dough easy to work with throughout. I used AP flour.
Definitely a keeper! I've already shared this recipe with a few others. Will attempt to make smaller individual rolls with this recipe next.
Thank you for sharing this with us 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! And yes, it can definitely be made into rolls, too.
Thuyen says
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 says
So glad to hear it worked out well for you!
Roch says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
That makes me very happy to hear - glad it worked out so well!
Joyce Jones says
Ilove the recipe, I've made it multiple times and it always turns out perfect.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
S says
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 says
So glad to hear you enjoyed and found it easy!
Amelia D says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Great, glad to hear you enjoyed! It really is such a lovely fluffy bread, I agree.
Belinda says
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 says
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.
Taylor says
Hello, I was wondering if this could be made with almond milk or oat milk instead of whole milk?
Caroline's Cooking says
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.
Melissa says
For vegan friends and sourdough lovers, here’s what I did. Used almond milk, plant butter, about 1.5-2 Tb sourdough starter straight out of the refrigerator. Let it rise in frig overnight. In the morning , Let rise on counter til double, shape and let rise til just above pan. Very tasty, fluffy, and light! I have pictures.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks for sharing! Glad it worked well adapted to be vegan, too.
Emily says
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 says
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 says
I forgot to put in the butter and its first rise is up. Is it too late to put it in?
Caroline's Cooking says
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 says
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 says
Glad to hear it was still great, hopefully that little but better with butter next time too 🙂
Maan says
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 says
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 says
Hi, I wonder if it can be done with whole weat flour... can it?
Caroline's Cooking says
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 says
Hi Caroline I have an 8 by 4 inch cake tin is this tin to small.
Caroline's Cooking says
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 says
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 says
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!
Mary says
Elaine: It sounds like too much flour or not enough liquid to me.
I do not knead it too much as I use a stand mixer to mix the ingredients.
Then I use a spatula to turn it out directly into a buttered glass pan. I put butter on my hands. I knead it a bit in the buttered pan, then put a glass top on it and let it rise. More flour does not help if you want a light bread.
When you turn it out to make the loaves, butter the cutting board and again put a bit on your hands when you go to roll them up.
My pan and mixing bowl are always pretty sticky when I make this.
When making other breads you do have less mess I agree. But for the taste and texture it is worth it to have a slightly messier clean up process.
Jackie says
Sounds like it may be a yeast issue...maybe not as active as it needs to be. I havemade this recipe 10x following exactly sometimes substituting part of flour for AP flour, using different liquids (coconut milk, cream, whole milk, half and half) and it has always turned out but have experienced this issue with cinnamon rolls when my yeast was dying and not active enough to get a good rise. Threw out my yeast and bought new and problem was solved. Test your yeast in water with a bit of sugar to see if active.
lilian says
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 says
That's praise indeed, so glad you enjoyed!
Constance says
So excited by this bread that I forgot to give the 5 stars!
Constance says
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 says
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes milk works well as an alternative to egg for brushing.
Audrey Ng says
Hi, can I use my bread machine for this recipe?
Caroline's Cooking says
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 says
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 says
So glad you enjoyed and fantastic that it's the best!