Baking School In-Depth: Japanese Milk Bread

Milk bread is divinely fluffy, with a downright cloudlike ivory interior and a bronzed, resilient crust that adds to the delicate textural contrast. Its soft and springy texture is thanks, in part, to the tangzhong, a Japanese technique of creating a smooth paste flour and milk. Our Japanese Milk Bread Loaf gets its stunning look from an easy shaping technique. The dough can also be shaped into round buns, as we’ve done for our Almond Cream Buns, or you make beautifully flecked Scallion Ropes sprinkled with sesame seeds and sea salt.

Excellent recipes require wonderful ingredients. Here’s how our recipes’ ingredients contribute to making the very best milk bread loaf, buns, and ropes.

WHOLE MILK: Milk is one of two ingredients used to make tangzhong, which is essential for milk bread. The fat in whole milk adds tenderness and richness to the dough, leaving you with an incredibly soft loaf. Also, when the natural sugars in milk heat at high temperatures, they undergo the Maillard reaction, which involves browning in its end stages, thus contributing to the distinct golden color of the crust.

GRANULATED SUGAR: You may notice more sugar in this bread recipe than others, but Japanese-style breads have higher fat and sugar ratios than Western-style breads. They work together to give you with extremely supple bread. Sugar acts as food for yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol in the fermentation process. As a result, sugar ultimately helps to tenderize the dough. The sugar also adds sweetness to balance the salt, contributes to the loaf’s golden color, improves the crumb texture, and helps retain moisture along with the tangzhong while the bread bakes and once stored.

RED STAR® ALL-NATURAL ACTIVE DRY YEAST: A standard when it comes to baking with yeast, Red Star® All-Natural Active Dry Yeast is a trustworthy favorite for a reason. Yeast is essential to many bread doughs, and our Milk Bread Dough recipe is no exception. Yeast acts as the leading leavening agent in this bread.

BREAD FLOUR: It may be tempting to substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, but you won’t get as much of a rise in your loaf and your mixing time will be longer. Bread flour is higher in protein and gluten, which allows bread dough to form a stable structure and rise higher. High-protein flour is essential for this recipe to create a strong gluten network with enough protein content to develop the gluten and to handle the enrichment added to this dough. A high-protein flour like bread flour provides enough structure to create a strong gluten network for an enriched dough.

*We used Red Star® All-Natural Active Dry Yeast.

Note: To use the windowpane test to check dough for proper gluten development, lightly flour hands and pinch off (don’t tear) a small piece of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it’s thin and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not quite ready. Beat for 1 minute, and test again.

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, whisk leaves lines on bottom of pan, and an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F (66°C). (Mixture will look like mashed potatoes.) Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool until an instant-read thermometer registers 130°F (54°C) or until room temperature. When making the Tangzhong, a digital thermometer can precisely measure when the starch in the flour gelatinizes. (If you don’t have a thermometer, you will know when the Tangzhong is ready by its thickness. It will resemble mashed potatoes.) The gelatinized starch in the Tangzhong creates a softer crumb and gives the bread a longer shelf life.

1. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until dough is tacky, elastic, and slightly smooth, about 8 minutes; add up to remaining 1⁄4 cup (32 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky. Add butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, beating until combined after each addition (about 5 minutes total). Scrape sides of bowl and dough hook. Beat until dough is completely smooth and passes the windowpane test, about 12 minutes. (See Note.) Turn out dough onto a clean surface, and shape into a smooth round. As the butter is incorporated, friction and heat from the mixer will warm it, so the butter mustn’t be too warm, as it could melt and separate from the dough. On the other hand, if the butter is too cold, it won’t incorporate smoothly into the dough, and pieces of butter will remain even after a long mixing time.

2. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

1. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and let stand for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 portions (about 243 grams each). On a very lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into a 10×6-inch oval. (Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Fold each long side over toward center by about 1⁄2 inch. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough, making sure it is 5 inches wide. Starting with one short side, roll up dough into a log, pinching seam to seal. (Be careful not to roll up dough too tight.) Place, seam side down, in center of prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough, placing equidistant between center dough and sides of pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) milk. Brush top of dough with egg wash. The egg wash gives the loaf a shiny, dark gold crust.

5. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), about 40 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

1. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer fitted with beater attachments at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg white and almond extract, and beat until combined. Beat in almond meal, flour, and salt until well combined. This almond cream, which is also called frangipane, has a nutty, sweet taste and adds a richness and wonderful texture contrast to the soft milk bread.

3. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and turn out onto a very lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 portions (about 60 grams). Shape each portion into a smooth ball; cover, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. On a clean surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 dough ball into a 3-inch disk. Using the rolling pin or your fingers, press on outer edges to make them thinner than center. (Final size should be 33⁄4 inches wide.) Place 1 rounded tablespoon (18 grams) almond cream in center of disk. Pinch edges up and around filling until well-sealed. Place dough, seam side down, on work surface. Gently cup with your hand, and rotate dough 2 to 3 times to seal and create a smooth round. Check bottom of round to make sure it is sealed, pinching dough together if needed, before placing on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining almond cream, and place at least 3 inches apart on prepared pans. Using sharp scissors, make 5 equidistant 1⁄2-inch cuts around sides of each bun. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

6. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash. Place almonds in center of each bun.

7. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), about 18 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, stir together scallion, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper (if using), and kosher salt.

3. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and let stand for 10 minutes. On a very lightly floured surface, divide dough into 6 portions (about 120 grams each). On a very lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into a 10×5-inch oval. (Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Spread about 11⁄2 tablespoons (19 grams) scallion mixture onto dough, leaving a 1⁄2-inch border on all sides. Starting with one long side, roll up dough, jelly roll style, pinching seam and ends well to seal. Place dough horizontally in front of you. Place hands flat on each end of rope, and simultaneously roll your left hand up and your right hand down 2 to 3 times until dough twists into a tight rope. Lift rope by holding at both ends, and it will naturally start twisting around itself. Twist rope twice, and pinch and tuck ends as you place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining scallion mixture, and place about 3 inches apart on prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, 30 to 45 minutes. If there’s too much flour on the dough and it will not pinch to seal, run your fingers along the seam with a little bit of water.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.

6. In another small bowl, stir together all sesame seeds and sea salt. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash. Generously sprinkle sesame seed mixture onto ropes.

7. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), about 25 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.