The Japanese milk bread, also known as Hokkaido milk bread, makes the softest homemade burger buns you will ever have. Slightly sweet and milky, but soft like cotton. Also, these buns are simple and easy to make.
Have you ever tasted the Japanese milk bread Hokkaido? Back when I traveled, every single trip to Japan, I'd buy a slice of bread and bring it back home to Singapore. I always wondered how they got the bread to be so soft, soft like cotton. For a long time, I thought it was the bread flour. But, no, it's the technique. They use what is called a tangzhong.
What is tangzhong?
Well, it's a Japanese word for a roux. This bread is made with a roux that's made with flour and water (or milk). I like the combination of the two. This roux is like a thick pudding made by cooking the flour, water, and milk. Once thickened, it is cooled to room temperature then added to the dough making process. How does it work?
Well, the water is absorbed by the flour at high temperature and the starch is gelatinized without forming any gluten (that is why it must be cooked carefully). This allows the starch in the tangzhong to absorb far more liquid at room temperature later. That's why when tangzhong is added to the dough, we can use more water, which in turn gives us a soft, stable yet spongy texture in the final bread. Did you know you can add tangzhong to any bread to improve its consistency and texture? Yup!
About these buns
This is a basic recipe for Japanese milk bread or Hokkaido milk bread. Today, we make burger buns, but you can use this to make almost anything. For example, try a sandwich bread, dinner rolls, or even cinnamon rolls.
This recipe is very simple and easy with one additional step compared to all other bread. That's preparing the tangzhong. But, that too is very simple and easy. In fact, it takes no more than 3 minutes for the whole process.
Here is the process at a glance:
- Prepare and cool tangzhong - 5 mins
- Prepare dough - 10 mins
- First rise - 60 to 90 mins
- Shape the buns - 10 mins
- Proof the buns - 45 mins
- Bake the buns - 25 mins
- Cool the buns - 15 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - I love to use bread flour because it produces the softest most delicious bread, which is also slightly chewy.
- Egg - I use a large egg, about 60 to 65 grams in weight.
- Sugar - This bread is slightly sweeter than most other white bread. And yet, you can certainly reduce the sugar by half.
- Butter - A good quality butter at room temperature works best for flavor and consistency.
- Milk powder - This bread is often referred to as milk bread because it has milk and milk powder.
- Yeast - Today, I am using bakers fresh yeast, about 21 grams. But, you can use 2 ¼ tsp of instant yeast. For other substitutes on yeast read my post - Baking with yeast a beginners guide.
Step by step instructions (save/pin)
Prepare Tangzhong
- In a saucepan, combine water and flour with a whisk until no lumps.
- Add the milk and combine well again.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- At first, the mixture will take a while to thicken, but then it does get thicker quickly. So, keep a close eye and take it off just when it reaches almost paste consistency, similar to a pudding (see video).
- Take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl or plate (this will prevent it from cooking further).
- Cover and let cool completely. Make sure the plastic touches the surface of the tangzhong to prevent a skin.
Dough
- Add salt to the flour. Combine well and set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer - add the warm milk (no warmer than 110 F) and the yeast. Combine well with a whisk.
- Then, add the sugar, milk powder, egg and cooled tangzhong.
- Add the flour and turn the mixer on medium-high speed.
- Once all the flour has been incorporated - knead for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Then, gradually add the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all the butter has been incorporated - knead for 3 minutes more.
- The dough should now be smooth and shiny, but still fairly soft and sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Make a ball.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl.
- Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes until double in volume (this dough can be kept in the fridge overnight for up to 12 hours).
Shape the buns
- Once the dough has doubled, transfer the dough to a lightly dusted surface.
- Punch the dough - remove all the air.
- Roll the dough into a cylinder and divide the dough into portions.
- You can make 8 buns x 100 grams each or 12 smaller buns x 60 grams each (similar to dinner rolls) (see video).
- Shape each portion into a tight ball. To do this correctly, roll into a ball tucking all the seams under tightly. Then, roll the ball on an unfloured surface. The unfloured surface creates the tension we need in the dough (but, do not over roll these or you will rupture the top smooth skin).
Proof and bake
- Place the buns on a baking tray leaving enough room to rise and spread.
- Once you place the ball on the baking tray - flatten it with your fingers (this will give us that bun not ball shape as it proofs and bakes).
- Cover and let proof for 45 minutes to an hour until almost double in size.
- Preheat the oven at 180 C / 356 F.
- Egg wash - beat an egg with 2 tbsp water. Then, brush the buns with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with an aluminum foil.
- As soon as the buns are out of the oven, cover them with a clean kitchen cloth. This will ensure they stay soft (see video).
- Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before you split these for your burgers.
- Enjoy!
Tips for making perfect bread every single time.
- Measure all ingredients ahead of time, so you don't forget anything at the last minute.
- For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
- The liquid (milk or water) must be warm (not hot) - about 110F. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Similarly, if the liquid is too cold, it will not activate the yeast.
- Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go. If not, it's best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
- Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine salt with the flour then add the yeast mixture.
- A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing. Often, it will give you a soft puffy bread. So, don't be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
- Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
- Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (30 C / 75 F- not hotter) oven this will expedite the rise.
- Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
- Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.
Frequently asked questions
This milk bread will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to a month. I do not recommend keeping bread in the fridge and it dries out moisture from the bread.
This Hokkaido bread is called Japanese milk bread, It is quite milky in taste because it uses both milk and milk powder. It is a very light and airy bread often referred to soft as a cloud or sponge in texture.
Well, this is a high-hydration dough which means it has more water compared to other bread dough. As such the dough is quite soft to knead so a stand mixer makes it easier. Having said that, you can certainly knead this dough by hand. I have done it on many occasions. Chilling the dough for an hour after the first rise will make it easier to shape.
The water is absorbed by the flour at high temperature and the starch is gelatinized without forming any gluten. This allows the starch in the tangzhong to absorb far more liquid at room temperature. That's why when tangzhong is added to the dough we can use more water which in turn gives us a soft, stable yet spongy texture in the final bread.
I don't own a bread machine but I don't see why not. Pour all ingredients in the pan including the tangzhong. Set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.
No, it doesn't work like this. Add only as much as requested in the recipe. This recipe has been tried and tested a few times so it works perfectly with these measurements. As you can see in the video the bread is soft as cotton, light, and airy.
The tangzhong is an important part of this recipe. But, if you want to make the classic burger buns I do have a very popular recipe for soft burger buns, whole wheat burger buns, mini soft brioche buns
I have not tried making these without eggs but you can make these eggless burger buns
For make-ahead or freezer-friendly burger buns, bake the buns as instructed in this recipe. Let them cool completely. Once cooled, place them in an airtight freezer-safe ziplock bag. For best results, thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or more as needed.
How do you reheat these burger buns?
My kids warm a single bun in the microwave for 30 seconds or more as necessary.
If I am reheating a whole batch of buns, I like to place them (room temperature) in baking tray wrapped with foil and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. The foil prevents them from drying out.
Troubleshooting
Why did my dough not rise?
Most often the simplest explanation for this is that the liquid (milk) used was not warm. You need the liquid to be no more than 110 F/ 41 C. Hotter than that will not activate the yeast. In some cases, it could also be that the yeast was old and not good.
My burger buns were not soft - They were dense
If you add too much flour to the dough the buns will be dense, not soft. You want the dough to be soft, elastic, and still slightly sticky when kneading. Follow the recipe and look at the video to see my consistency of dough.
My burger buns deflated when baking
Prove the buns for only 45 minutes or until just almost double in volume. They will continue to rise some more in the oven when baking. If you overproof the buns they tend to rise and deflate when baking.
Why are my buns flat?
Again if you over-proof the buns before baking they will rise and deflate giving you flat hamburger buns.
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Description
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Bread flour
Dough
Plus
- 1 Egg for egg wash
- 2 tbsp Water for egg wash
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Tangzhong
- Add the milk and combine well again.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- At first, the mixture will take a while to thicken, but then it does get thicker quickly. So, keep a close eye and take it off just when it reaches almost paste consistency similar to a pudding. (see video)
- Take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl or plate (this will prevent it from cooking further).
- Cover and let cool completely. Make sure the plastic touches the surface of the tangzhong to prevent a skin.
Dough
- Add salt to the flour. Combine well and set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer - add the warm milk (no warmer than 110 F) and the yeast. Combine well with a whisk.
- Then, add the sugar, milk powder, egg and cooled tangzhong.
- Add the flour and turn the mixer on medium-high speed.
- Once all the flour has been incorporated - knead for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Then, gradually add the butter one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all the butter has been incorporated - knead for 3 minutes more.
- The dough should now be smooth and shiny, but still fairly soft and sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Make a ball.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl.
- Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes until double in volume (this dough can be kept in the fridge overnight for up to 12 hours).
Shape the buns
- Once the dough has doubled, transfer the dough to a lightly dusted surface.
- Punch the dough - remove all the air.
- Roll the dough into a cylinder and divide the dough into portions.
- You can make 8 buns x 100 grams each or 12 smaller buns x 60 grams each (similar to dinner rolls) (see video).
- Shape each portion into a tight ball. To do this correctly, roll into a ball tucking all the seams under tightly. Then, roll the ball on an unfloured surface. The unfloured surface creates the tension we need in the dough (but, do not over roll these or you will rupture the top smooth skin).
Proof and bake
- Place the buns on a baking tray leaving enough room to rise and spread.
- Once you place the ball on the baking tray - flatten it with your fingers (this will give us that bun not ball shape as it proofs and bakes).
- Cover and let proof for 45 minutes to an hour until almost double in size.
- Preheat the oven at 180 C / 356 F.
- Egg wash - beat an egg with 2 tbsp water. Then brush the buns with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with an aluminum foil.
- As soon as the buns are out of the oven, cover them with a clean kitchen cloth. This will ensure they stay soft (see video).
- Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before you split these for your burgers.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips for making this Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido milk bread)
- Cook the tangzhong on medium to low speed so the flour has a chance to absorb the liquid - if you cook on high heat the liquid will evaporate.
- Also, you need to stir the tangzhong continuously but not vigorously. Why? we want to avoid gluten formation.
- The tangzhong must be a paste consistency and it gets thicker as it cools so remove it earlier rather than later. If it gets too thick and lumpy it will be difficult to incorporate in the dough.
- Cool the tangzhong to room temperature before you add it to the dough. But do not place it in the fridge to avoid lumps.
- Add salt to the flour, not the yeast mixture. Salt can kill the yeast.
- Knead the dough for the time mentioned in the recipe. Using a timer works great to under or over-knead the dough.
- Bread flour works best for this bead making it soft and chewy. Having said that, I have used all-purpose flour and it works just as well.
- Overnight Buns - The dough can be prepared a day in advance. Proof them for an hour on the counter then punch down and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. Overnight proofing is a great way to add flavor to the bagels. The next day, let the dough come to room temperature before you shape and bake them.
- Storing Burger Buns - Burger bun do freeze beautifully. Cool the baked buns then place them in a freezer-safe storage bag. These can be frozen for up to a month.
- Kneading the dough - If possible use an electric mixer because the dough is soft and sticky.
- Bread machine - buns can be easily made in a bread machine. Pour all ingredients in the pan set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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