Japanese Milk Bread

This Japanese milk bread recipe includes milk, butter, an egg, and yeast for an aromatic loaf. This recipe creates dinner rolls your family will love. Light, and airy as a cloud, the bread dough uses the Asian method of water roux called tangzhong. Delish on its own but perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Table of Content

• Why make these dinner rolls?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Japanese milk bread recipe
• Tips for success
• Variations
• More bread recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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I've shared my soft dinner rolls recipe and my no-knead soft crescent rolls, which are my absolute favorites. And today, I want to share with you yet another dinner rolls recipe which are softer than those!!

If you look at the video you will understand why I call these the ultimate dinner rolls. I don't think I have ever had a bread roll softer than this.

And, I am in love with this method of making bread and I must admit that recently I am tempted to add tangzhong in almost every bread I make.

What is tangzhong?

Well, it's a Japanese technique called yukone (yudane) using a roux. This method was adopted by a Taiwanese woman named Yvonne Chen. This Hokkaido milk 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 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 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 loaves. Did you know you can add tangzhong to any bread to improve its consistency and texture? Yup!

Today, we make dinner rolls, but you can use this to make almost anything. Try my Shokupan sandwich bread, softest burger buns, or even cinnamon rolls.

Why make these dinner rolls?

• 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 dinner rolls everyone will be impressed with.
• These rolls are perfect for everyday use and leftover also freeze beautifully.
• These are all-purpose rolls - Delicious on their own or, serve them for breakfast with butter and jam. Alongside the main course for lunch or dinner. Of course, these also make the most amazing sandwiches!!
• Timeline and process at a glance.
  • Prepare and cool tangzhong - 5 mins
  • Prepare dough - 10 mins
  • First rise - 60 to 90 mins
  • Shape the rolls- 10 mins
  • Proof the rolls - 45 mins
  • Bake the rolls - 35 mins
  • Cool the rolls- 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 unsalted butter at room temperature works best for flavor and consistency.
• Milk powder - This bread is often referred to as milk bread because it has whole milk and milk powder.
• Yeast - Today, I am using bakers fresh yeast, about 21 grams. But, you can use 2 ¼ teaspoon of instant yeast or active dry yeast. For other substitutes on yeast read my post - Baking with yeast a beginners guide.

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Japanese milk bread recipe

Tangzhong

• In a small 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 it on medium-low heat. 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 small 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 from the hot pan will prevent it from cooking further as we don't want it to get lumpy.

Dough

• In a bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment - 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.
• Add the flour and salt. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed.
  Pro tip - Scrape the sides of the bowl well to ensure all the flour is well incorporated and do not add more flour yet.
• Once all the flour has been incorporated - knead.
  • By hand - transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Stand mixer - once all the flour is well incorporated knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes.

• Then, gradually add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been incorporated - knead for 3 minutes more.
• When the dough is soft, shiny, but still slightly sticky shape 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.
• Leave in a warm place. Let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until double 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 rolls

• When the dough is double in volume transfer to a well-dusted floured surface. De-gas, reshape into a ball. Then roll into a small log.
  Pro tip - At this point, there is no need for additional flour. So use a light dusting of flour.
• Using a dough scraper divide this log into three portions and then each of those portions into 3 again. This should give you 9 dinner rolls.
  Pro tip - The odd number 9 is because we are using a square baking pan. You can also divide into 8 medium or 12 small rolls, use an 8-inch round or rectangle sheet pan.

How to shape dinner rolls

• 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.
• Loosen the grip on the dough and roll 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.

Proof and bake

• Grease or spray a 9 x 9 square baking pan. Place the rolls in the pan. Alternatively, you can also place the rolls on a baking tray and bake them as individual rolls.
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot 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.
• 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 rolls with egg wash, milk, or cream
  Pro tip - Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tablespoon of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden brown 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 - This is optional but adds a nice flavor and keeps the top crust soft.
• Take them out of the pan, cool them on a wire rack 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!

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.
• 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.
• For make-ahead or freezer-friendly dinner rolls, bake the rolls 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.

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Variations

• Japanese milk bread loaf - place the dough in a 9-inch or 2 x 5-inch loaf pan instead of square pan.
• Milk bread cinnamon rolls - You can also use this dough to make cinnamon rolls!! Roll the dough with a rolling pin and spread some cinnamon brown butter mixture. Roll into a log like a pinwheel and cut into 12 slices. Bake in a 9 x 13 sheet pan.
• Milk bread garlic rolls - These are perfect to make garlic butter rolls too! Just reduce the sugar in the recipe by half.
• Milk bread sandwich bread - divide and shape the bread into 3 and shape into a roll and place them into the sandwich loaf pan.

More bread recipes

• Homemade Soft Classic Dinner Rolls
• Garlic Rolls - Dinner Rolls
• Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
• Easy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Parmesan Garlic Rolls
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes Olive Rolls
• No-Knead Knotted Rolls
• Soft Crescent Rolls
• Soft Pumpkin Crescent Rolls
• See all bread recipes or white bread recipes

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Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe