The Japanese Hokkaido milk bread makes the softest and easiest homemade hamburger buns you will ever have. Slightly sweet and milky, but soft like cotton. Amazing on its own, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and of course your hamburger sandwiches
Table of Content
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 bread flour. But, no, it's the technique. They use what is called a tangzhong.
What is tangzhong?
Well, it's a Japanese technique called yukone (yudane) using 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 flour, water, and milk. Once thickened, it is cooled to room temperature and then added to the dough-making process. How does it work?
Well, the water is absorbed by the flour at a 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!
Today, we make hamburger buns, but you can use this to make almost anything. For example, try my softest shokupan sandwich bread, dinner rolls, or even cinnamon rolls.
Why make these buns?
- The 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. It takes no more than 3 minutes for the whole process.
- This process makes the lightest, airiest, and softest buns everyone will be impressed with.
- These buns are perfect for everyday use and leftover freeze beautifully.
- While perfect for hamburgers these are all-purpose buns - Delicious on their own or, serve for breakfast with butter and jam. Alongside the main course for lunch or dinner. Of course, these also make the most amazing sandwiches and burgers!!
Timeline and process at a glance
- Prepare and cool tangzhong - 5 mins
- Prepare dough - 25 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 baker's fresh yeast, about 21 grams. But, you can use 2 ¼ teaspoon of instant yeast. For other substitutes for yeast read my post - Baking with yeast a beginners guide.
Softest hamburger buns
Tangzhong
- In a saucepan, combine water and flour with a whisk until no lumps. Add the milk and combine well again.
Pro tip - It is very important to make sure you have no lumps as these will be difficult to remove from the dough. - Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Pro tip - Keep the heat on medium to low. 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. - Take it off the heat and transfer it into a bowl or plate. Cover and let cool to almost room temperature. Make sure the plastic touches the surface of the tangzhong to prevent skin.
Pro tip - Removing the hot pan will prevent it from cooking further as we don't want it to get lumpy.
Dough
- Yeast mixture - In a bowl of a stand mixer - add the lukewarm milk (no warmer than 110 F) and the yeast. Combine well with a whisk. Then, add the sugar, milk powder, egg, and cooled tangzhong.
- Combine - Add the flour and salt. Combine well on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until all the flour is well incorporated.
Pro tip - scrape the sides of the bowl well to ensure all the flour is well incorporated and do not add more flour unless necessary (½ cup). - Knead - Continue to knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add the butter and continue to knead for 5 to 8 minutes more until you have a soft, smooth, and elastic dough.
Pro-tip - avoid the temptation to add more flour. We want soft, light, and fluffy rolls, and this is only possible when the dough is soft, elastic, yet slightly sticky
- Bowl - When the dough is soft and shiny, but still slightly sticky shape it into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Rise - Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until it doubles in volume.
Pro tip - In winter, you may need 90 minutes or more. But in summer, the dough may double in 45 minutes. And if you can't attend to it at that moment, de-gas, reshape, and let double in volume again.
- Punch - When the dough is doubled in volume, transfer it to a well-dusted floured surface. Punch down and reshape into a ball. Then, roll it into a small log.
Pro tip - At this point, there is no need for additional flour. So use a light dusting of flour. - Divide - Using a dough scraper divide this log into smaller portions. You can make 8 buns x 100 grams each or 12 smaller buns x 60 grams each (similar to dinner rolls).
How to shape hamburger buns
- Hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seams together. Pinch the seams at the bottom then place the ball on a non-flour surface while still holding it in your hand.
Pro tip - The un-floured surface creates the tension we need in the dough. - Loosen the grip on the dough and roll it back and forth into a tight circle against the work surface. You will feel the dough become tight and smooth.
Pro tip - The goal is to create a tight, smooth ball. If you overdo the rolling, you will rip the top surface, which will give a rough, not smooth roll. - Tray - 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
Pro tip - Flatten it will give us that bun not ball shape as it proofs and bakes.
Proof and bake
- Proof - Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost double in size.
Pro tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls. - Oven - When the rolls are almost double in volume, at about 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°F /190°C / Gas Mark 5.
- Brush the buns with egg wash, milk, or cream. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional).
Pro tip - Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tablespoon of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden color. If you can't use egg, milk or cream will work just as well. Do not use oil or butter as it will create a crust. - Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes until lightly golden on top. When baked, brush with melted butter.
Pro tip - If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with aluminum foil. Brushing with butter is optional but adds a nice flavor and keeps the top crust soft. - Cool - Take them out of the pan and cover them with a clean kitchen cloth for at least 5 minutes to keep them soft.
Pro tip - Do not leave the rolls in the pan for too long as the steam will make the bread soggy on the bottom. - Enjoy!
Variations
- Onion buns - for an onion flavor add 1 tablespoon of onion flakes to the dough. Alternatively, you can add sauteed red onion to the mix.
- Garlic buns - brush the buns with garlic butter for a garlic flavor.
- Herbed buns - Add chopped herbs like fresh parsley or dill to the dough.
Tips for Success
- Cook the tangzhong at 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 into 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.
More buns recipes
How long will these hamburger buns keep?
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 as it dries out moisture from the bread.
What is Japanese milk 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 as soft as a cloud or sponge in texture.
What is the purpose of the tangzhong?
The water is absorbed by the flour at a 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.
Can I add more tangzhong to the bread?
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.
How do you reheat these hamburger 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 a baking tray wrapped with foil and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. The foil prevents them from drying out.
Printable Recipe
Homemade Hamburger Buns - Hokkaido Buns
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 375°F /190°C / Gas Mark 5
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 325kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 Buns
Description
The Japanese Hokkaido milk bread makes the softest and easiest homemade hamburger buns you will ever have. Slightly sweet and milky, but soft like cotton. Amazing on its own, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and of course your hamburger sandwiches.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 60 g (¼ cup) Milk
- 60 g (¼ cup) Water
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) Bread flour
Dough
- 1 batch Tangzhong (prepared above)
- 320 g (1½ cup) Warm milk (100°F)
- 7 g (2¼ teaspoon) Instant yeast (I used 21 grams Fresh bakers yeast)
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) Sugar
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) Milk powder
- 50 g (1 large) Egg (large)
- 60 g (4 tablespoon) Butter ((4 tbsp)unsalted, room temperature)
- 680 g (5¼ g) Bread flour (or 50% bread and 50% all-purpose flour )
- 13 g (2 teaspoon) Kosher salt
Plus
- 1 Egg (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoon Water (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoon Sesame seeds (or poppy seeds (optional))
Instructions
Tangzhong
- In a saucepan, combine water and flour with a whisk until no lumps. Add the milk and combine well again.Pro tip - It is very important to make sure you have no lumps as these will be difficult to remove from the dough.60 g Milk, 60 g Water, 45 g Bread flour
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring constantly to prevent lumps.Pro tip - Keep the heat on medium to low. 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.
- Take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl or plate. Cover and let cool to almost room temperature. Make sure the plastic touches the surface of the tangzhong to prevent a skin.Pro tip - Removing from the hot pan will prevent it from cooking further as we don't want it to get lumpy.
Dough
- Yeast mixture - In a bowl of a stand mixer - add the lukewarm milk (no warmer than 110 F) and the yeast. Combine well with a whisk. Then, add the sugar, milk powder, egg, and cooled tangzhong.320 g Warm milk, 7 g Instant yeast, 30 g Sugar, 30 g Milk powder, 50 g Egg, 1 batch Tangzhong
- Combine - Add the flour and salt. Combine well on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until all the flour is well incorporated. Pro tip - scrape the sides of the bowl well to ensure all the flour is well incorporated and do not add more flour unless necessary (½ cup).680 g Bread flour, 13 g Kosher salt
- Knead - Continue to knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add the butter and continue to knead for 5 to 8 minutes more until you have a soft, smooth, and elastic dough.Pro-tip - avoid the temptation to add more flour. We want soft, light, and fluffy rolls, and this is only possible when the dough is soft, elastic, yet slightly sticky60 g Butter
- Bowl - When the dough is soft and shiny, but still slightly sticky shape it into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl seam side down. Coat the surface with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap.
- Rise - Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until it doubles in volume. Pro tip - In winter, you may need 90 minutes or more. But in summer, the dough may double in 45 minutes. If you can't attend to it at that moment, de-gas, reshape, and let double in volume again.
Shape the buns
- Punch - When the dough is doubled in volume, transfer it to a well-dusted floured surface. Punch down and reshape into a ball. Then roll it into a small log. Pro tip - At this point, there is no need for additional flour. So use a light dusting of flour.
- Divide - Using a dough scraper, divide this log into smaller portions. You can make 8 buns x 100 grams each or 12 smaller buns x 60 grams each (similar to dinner rolls).
How to shape hamburger buns
- Hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seams together. Pinch the seams at the bottom then place the ball on a non-flour surface while still holding it in your hand. Pro tip - The un-floured surface creates the tension we need in the dough.
- Loosen the grip on the dough and roll it back and forth into a tight circle against the work surface. You will feel the dough become tight and smooth. Pro tip - The goal is to create a tight, smooth ball. If you overdo the rolling, you will rip the top surface which will give a rough, not smooth roll.
- Tray - 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.Pro tip - Flatten it will give us that bun not ball shape as it proofs and bakes.
Proof and bake
- Proof - Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost double in size.Pro tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.
- Oven - When the rolls are almost double in volume, at about 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5.
- Eggwash - Brush the buns with egg wash, milk, or cream. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional).Pro tip- Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tablespoon of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden color. If you can't use egg, milk or cream will work just as well. Do not use oil or butter as it will create a crust.1 Egg, 2 tablespoon Water
- Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes until lightly golden on top. When baked, brush with melted butter.Pro tip - If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with aluminum foil. Brushing with butter is optional but adds a nice flavor and keeps the top crust soft.2 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- Take them out of the pan and cover them with a clean kitchen cloth for at least 5 minutes to keep them soft.Pro tip - Do not leave the rolls in the pan for too long as the steam will make the bread soggy on the bottom.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Cook the tangzhong at 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 into 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 hamburger buns - These buns 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 - these rolls 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.
- Keeping the buns soft - The best way to keep homemade bread soft is to contain the steam within the bread. So, while they are still hot, place a clean kitchen cloth over them and let them rest for 10 minutes. Keeping these dinner rolls covered will also keep them from drying out.
- Freezing buns - For make-ahead or freezer-friendly 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.
- The dough did 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.
- Dry dense, not soft bread? If you add too much flour to the dough the bread 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.
- Bread deflated during 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.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 325- kcalCarbohydrates: 48- gProtein: 10- gFat: 10- gSaturated Fat: 5- gCholesterol: 60- mgSodium: 376- mgPotassium: 139- mgFiber: 2- gSugar: 5- gVitamin A: 292- IUCalcium: 71- mgIron: 1- mg
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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Lauren
I want to make this recipe but I have a question: when I measure out 3 Tbsp of flour it comes to less than 45g in weight (which ends up being more like 5 Tbsp). Which should I go by?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Lauren, You can use the scale as your measure. Its always more accurate.