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Japanese Milk Bread Recipe
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5 from 1 vote

Japanese Milk Bread Recipe

This Japanese Milk Bread recipe creates the softest, fluffiest loaf of bread you've ever tried, with a slightly sweet flavor and golden crust. A simple, straightforward recipe that anyone can make!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Proof Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: milk bread recipe
Servings: 10
Calories: 223kcal
Author: Jill

Ingredients

Milk Bread Starter

Milk Bread Dough Mixture

  • 2 ⅔ cup Bread flour
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • 1 large Egg room temperature
  • 1 pkg Active dry yeast
  • ½ cup Warm milk
  • ¼ cup Warm milk or 1 egg white (for brushing bread)
  • 4 tbsp Salted butter

Instructions

Milk Bread Starter

  • Fill a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Add the 1/3 Cup of bread flour and whisk until smooth with no lumps. Add in the 1/2 cup milk and whisk together until combined.
  • Heat the mixture over medium heat, continuously whisking until you have a thick, pudding-like consistency.
  • Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the plastic wrap to touch the surface of the starter so that skin doesn’t form on top.
  • Cool the starter to room temperature.

Milk Bread Dough Mix

  • In a mixing bowl pour ½ Cup lukewarm milk and dissolve 1 tsp of the sugar in the liquid. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and mix gently until combined. Allow the mix and yeast mixture to stand for about 10-20 minutes to activate the yeast. The mixture should be bubbly and frothy on the surface.
  • Once the yeast has become activated you can add in the rest of the sugar, the starter, egg, and flour.
  • Use a spatula to mix the dough and combine the ingredients, forming a raggedy dough.
  • Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, knead the dough for about 5 minutes at a low speed. The dough will be very sticky, but if you keep kneading it will come together.
  • After 5 minutes of kneading the dough, add in the butter in 3-4 increments. Mix about 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure it is mixing well.
  • Once all of the butter has been added, turn the speed on the mixer up to a medium speed and continue kneading for 5-7 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice while kneading.
  • The dough should become smooth, satiny, and pull cleanly from the bowl sides.
  • Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Keep the bowl in a warm place and allow it to double in size. This will take approximately 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of the room.

Form the Milk Bread Loaf

  • Once the dough is proofed, prepare the loaf pan. Using a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, butter, and flour the sides and bottom. Or you can use a non-stick cooking spray and flour lightly.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and press all of the excess air out of the dough.
  • Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
  • Roll out each portion into an approximate 6-inch square.
  • Fold the opposite corners into the middle.
  • Roll or shape each piece of dough into a small loaf shape.
  • Once the dough has been rolled to the top, fold the pointed edge in and pinch the seam to seal.
  • Place the rolled dough into the pan, with the seam side facing down. There will be four rolls in the pan.
  • Repeat with all the dough portions and place them in the loaf pan.
  • Cover the pans with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm place, until doubled in size. This will take approximately 1-2 hours. The dough should be just slightly below the top of the pan.

Baking the Bread

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Once the oven has preheated and the dough has proofed, brush the top with an egg white and 1 tbsp. water wash (for a glossy crust). You can choose to use milk for a crust that is not glossy. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • If the bread begins to brown too much in the oven, place a piece of foil on the surface to keep it from burning.
  • If using a thermometer, bake until the internal temperature is about 190°-205°F.
  • Remove the loaf pan from the oven and cool for a few minutes.
  • Turn the dough out onto a cooling rack to continue cooling.
  • The bread will cut easier when completely cool.

Nutrition

Serving: 10g | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 0.4mg