Japanese milk bread uses tangzhong, a flour-water roux cooked to exactly 149°F that keeps bread soft for weeks.
Japanese Milk Bread
Indulge in the soft, pillowy delight of Japanese milk bread, a true treat for your taste buds! This enchanting loaf is crafted using the yudane technique, which combines flour and water to create a tender texture that remains irresistibly fluffy for days. With just a handful of simple ingredients, including milk and a touch of sugar, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to whip up this bakery-style bread at home!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Water: 50g (for the yudane) (1.76 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- Unsalted Butter: 25g (room temperature) (1.75 tbsp)
- Whole Milk: 210g (7.41 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Bread Flour: 350g (25g for the yudane) (2.8 cup)
- Honey: 10g (0.35 oz)
- Instant Yeast: 3g (0.11 oz)
- Sugar: 20g (0.1 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Kosher Salt: 7g (0.25 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine a small amount of flour with boiling water to create yudane and let it cool.
- 2
Bloom flour, sugar, and salt, followed by milk, honey, and yeast, then add the yudane.
- 3
Knead the dough for 10 minutes, gradually adding butter one cube at a time until fully incorporated.
- 4
Knead for another 10 minutes until smooth and passes the windowpane test.
- 5
Cover and proof for an hour until doubled in size.
- 6
Split the dough in half, shape into balls, and proof for another 30 minutes.
- 7
Roll out the dough, fold into thirds, then roll into scrolls.
- 8
Place the scrolls into a buttered loaf tin for final proofing, about an hour or until 90% of the way up the tin.
- 9
Seal and bake at 220°C for 20 to 30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Make yudane with a 1:1 ratio of flour to boiling water (212°F) to pre-gelatinize starches, which increases moisture retention by 15-20% and creates the signature soft texture.technique1:1 ratio, 212°F
- ✓Add butter gradually at 65-70°F when dough reaches 75-80°F internal temperature, as cold butter won't incorporate and hot dough will melt the butter before proper emulsification.ingredient65-70°F butter, 75-80°F dough
- ✓Knead until dough passes the windowpane test at 26-28°C internal temperature, indicating proper gluten development for the characteristic fine crumb structure.technique26-28°C
- ✓Proof at 78-82°F with 75% humidity for optimal yeast activity - milk bread requires slower fermentation than regular bread to develop flavor while maintaining tenderness.timing78-82°F, 75% humidity
- ✓Stop final proofing when dough reaches 90% of tin height rather than doubling, as over-proofed milk bread collapses due to its high fat and sugar content weakening gluten structure.timing90% tin height
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Japanese milk bread uses tangzhong, a flour-water roux cooked to exactly 149°F that keeps bread soft for weeks.
Japanese Milk Bread
Indulge in the soft, pillowy delight of Japanese milk bread, a true treat for your taste buds! This enchanting loaf is crafted using the yudane technique, which combines flour and water to create a tender texture that remains irresistibly fluffy for days. With just a handful of simple ingredients, including milk and a touch of sugar, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to whip up this bakery-style bread at home!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Water: 50g (for the yudane) (1.76 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- Unsalted Butter: 25g (room temperature) (1.75 tbsp)
- Whole Milk: 210g (7.41 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Bread Flour: 350g (25g for the yudane) (2.8 cup)
- Honey: 10g (0.35 oz)
- Instant Yeast: 3g (0.11 oz)
- Sugar: 20g (0.1 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Kosher Salt: 7g (0.25 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine a small amount of flour with boiling water to create yudane and let it cool.
- 2
Bloom flour, sugar, and salt, followed by milk, honey, and yeast, then add the yudane.
- 3
Knead the dough for 10 minutes, gradually adding butter one cube at a time until fully incorporated.
- 4
Knead for another 10 minutes until smooth and passes the windowpane test.
- 5
Cover and proof for an hour until doubled in size.
- 6
Split the dough in half, shape into balls, and proof for another 30 minutes.
- 7
Roll out the dough, fold into thirds, then roll into scrolls.
- 8
Place the scrolls into a buttered loaf tin for final proofing, about an hour or until 90% of the way up the tin.
- 9
Seal and bake at 220°C for 20 to 30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Make yudane with a 1:1 ratio of flour to boiling water (212°F) to pre-gelatinize starches, which increases moisture retention by 15-20% and creates the signature soft texture.technique1:1 ratio, 212°F
- ✓Add butter gradually at 65-70°F when dough reaches 75-80°F internal temperature, as cold butter won't incorporate and hot dough will melt the butter before proper emulsification.ingredient65-70°F butter, 75-80°F dough
- ✓Knead until dough passes the windowpane test at 26-28°C internal temperature, indicating proper gluten development for the characteristic fine crumb structure.technique26-28°C
- ✓Proof at 78-82°F with 75% humidity for optimal yeast activity - milk bread requires slower fermentation than regular bread to develop flavor while maintaining tenderness.timing78-82°F, 75% humidity
- ✓Stop final proofing when dough reaches 90% of tin height rather than doubling, as over-proofed milk bread collapses due to its high fat and sugar content weakening gluten structure.timing90% tin height