This is the Japanese sandwich bread shokupan, also known as the Hokkaido milk bread. It uses an Asian tangzhong method and produces the softest, most light and airy slice bread you will ever make.
Every time I make the Japanese milk bread, it ruins me from making any other bread. I get so tempted to add the tangzhong in every bread I make. If you've never made this Hokkaido milk bread, I highly recommend you try it at least once. The soft, light and airy texture of the bread is as light as a cloud.
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, and 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. And, did you know you can add tangzhong to any bread to improve its consistency and texture? Yup!
About this bread
This is a basic recipe for Japanese milk bread or Hokkaido milk bread. Today, we make sandwich bread, but you can use this to make almost anything. For example, try my softest burger buns, 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. 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 loaf - 10 mins
- Proof the loaf - 45 mins
- Bake the loaf - 35 mins
- Cool the loaf - 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 loaf
- 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 4 portions.
- Weigh the portions to ensure they are similar in size. Mine was about 200 to 215 grams each.
- Shape each portion into a tight roll. To do this correctly, flatten the dough on an unfloured surface. Fold the top and two sides in. Then roll towards you into a sausage shape.
Proof and bake
- Place the shaped portions in a 9 x 4 loaf pan.
- 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.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
- If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with an aluminum foil.
- Let cool on the countertop for 10 minutes then remove from the pan.
Tip for making perfect homemade bread
- 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 sandwich bread I do have a few you may like to try -
Classic white sandwich bread
Pullman sandwich bread
Brioche sandwich bread
Brioche Pullman Loaf
No-knead sandwich bread
Whole wheat sandwich bread
I have not tried making this without eggs but you can make my classic sandwich bread which is also an eggless sandwich bread recipe
For make-ahead or freezer-friendly sandwich bread, bake the bread as instructed in this recipe. Let it cool completely. Once cooled, cut into slices and 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.
This bread doesn't usually last long in our home and these never go to waste.
These are great to use in French toast as well as toasted or grilled sandwiches.
Any hard leftover bread can be pulsed in the food processor and used for coating schnitzel or breaded Crispy Chicken.
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 bread was not soft, it was dense
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.
My bread 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.
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Description
Ingredients
Tangzhong/water-roux
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Bread flour
Dough
- 1 Batch Tangzhong prepared above
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk
- 0.75 oz (21 g) Fresh yeast or 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk powder
- 1 Egg large
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) Bread flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup (60 g) Flour for kneading
Plus
- 1 Egg for egg wash
- 2 tbsp Water for egg wash
Instructions
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 loaf
- 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 4 portions.
- Weigh the portions to ensure they are similar in size. Mine was about 200 to 215 grams each.
- Shape each portion into a tight roll. To do this correctly, flatten the dough on an unfloured surface. Fold the top and two sides in. Then roll towards you into a sausage shape.
Proof and bake
- Place the shaped portions in a 9 x 4 loaf pan.
- 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.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
- If the tops are getting too dark, tent them with an aluminum foil.
- Let cool on the countertop for 10 minutes then remove from the pan.
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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