Description
Japanese-style milk bread is easy to make and stays moist and fresh longer than your typical loaf of homemade bread thanks to a starter or “roux.” It’s light and soft with the perfect amount of sweetness. Try it with my Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich (Tamago Sando) or toast it and use it for a tuna salad sandwich.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bread flour
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 (.25 ounce) package instant dry yeast
- ½ cup warm whole milk (110 degrees F (43 degrees C))
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
- 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed
Instructions
- Whisk bread flour
- water
- and milk for starter together in a small saucepan until very smooth. Place over medium-low heat and cook
- stirring often
- until very thick and just about to bubble. If you want to check
- it should be at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Pull off the heat and transfer into a measuring cup; you will need exactly 1/2 cup. Let cool to room temperature
- about 30 minutes.
- Prepare dough: Combine bread flour
- cooled starter
- salt
- sugar
- yeast
- warm milk
- and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Beat on low speed until dough begins to form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl
- scraping down the sides as needed
- about 5 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape dough off the hook and into the bowl. Add butter and knead on low speed until dough is slightly tacky but very smooth and elastic
- scraping down the sides as needed
- 10 to 12 more minutes.
- Remove dough from the bowl and shape into a smooth ball. Transfer into a lightly buttered bowl
- cover
- and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size
- about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Very generously butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Transfer dough to a work surface (you don’t need flour.) Press and knead out all the air and shape into a 9-inch wide rectangle. Starting at one 9-inch side
- roll dough lengthwise into a log. Transfer log into the prepared loaf pan with the seam down. Press on dough a bit to be sure it’s evenly distributed. Cover the pan and let dough rise until it comes to just about the top of the pan
- 35 to 45 minutes.
- Brush the top of the loaf with just enough milk to lightly coat the surface.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the loaf is beautifully puffed up
- about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Very carefully remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool all the way to room temperature before slicing
- about 1 hour.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 10