Japanese milk bread is probably the lightest, fluffiest, most tender bread you'll come across. It's the perfect everyday loaf, from sandwiches to toast, and is one you need to try!
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I'll admit, when I have seen lines of similar-looking white bread any time I have been in Asia, I haven't felt inspired. I've always been more of a fan of artisan-style loaves, whether that's something like a sourdough rye bread or with 'bits' in it like my fig walnut bread.
However, when I heard about Japanese milk bread I knew I needed to give it a try. It might be about all you can find if you are in Japan, but when it's such a wonderfully soft and light loaf, it really doesn't matter.
This loaf is perfect for everyday use as well. It's a great base for sandwiches and toasts beautifully too. The method might seem a little unusual, but it's the combination of that less typical method and ingredients that makes this bread so wonderfully light and soft.
What is the tangzhong method?
One of the things that makes this loaf so soft is the fact you start by making a roux with flour and water. This warming starts to activate the gluten in the flour before you even mix it with the rest of the ingredients which helps create the soft texture. And while this loaf didn't get a chance, apparently it helps preserve the bread better too.
The method was apparently developed in Japan, but named in China and used in many breads around the region. If you are used to Western bread, it might seem strange, but it's not difficult and believe me, you want to give it a try.
The other aspect of the light, soft texture and flavor is using milk as an ingredient. Dairy in it's many forms can really add to the flavor and texture of a dish, as well as the nutrition, and using milk definitely helps this loaf become something special.
How to make Japanese milk bread
If you have made other breads, most of this will look familiar. Only the tangzhong and how the dough is folded is a bit unusual. The steps are:
- Put water and small amount of flour in a small pan. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Warm the flour paste gently until it thickens, stirring, then set aside to cool (this is the tangzhong).
- Measure out remaining ingredients (flour, yeast, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt and egg) and add cooled tangzhong. Mix all the ingredients together then knead, either in mixer or by hand.
- Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled.
- Knock back the dough, divide into three pieces and roll each piece into an oval.
- Fold one side of dough over to halfway across the remaining dough then fold the other side on top so you have three layers (see photos). Gently roll slightly, if needed, then roll up the piece of dough as you would a cinnamon roll.
- Repeat with the other pieces of dough then put all three rolls of dough in an oiled loaf pan.
- Cover and leave to rise again then brush with egg wash.
- Bake for approx 30 minutes until golden brown. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool.
It can be a little difficult to describe exactly how to fold the bread, but hopefully the pictures below make it clearer:
Additional tips
You don't have to fold the pieces of dough in this traditional way - some recipes form small rolls, for example - but it's kind of fun to do and gives a lovely appearance to the finished loaf. If you form rolls, try using a round pan instead.
As you are making it, you may find it much softer than other bread doughs. You may need to add slightly more flour as you are kneading so it is not too sticky, but it should stay soft. It is closer to a brioche in texture but without that slight sweetness. To me, this is a more versatile bread.
Make sure you oil your bread tin to help the bread come out without sticking. Use a knife to help ease it away from the side before turning onto a cooling rack.
Once you have baked the bread, try to avoid the temptation to slice it immediately. It's hard, I know, as it smells so good! However this is a pretty soft loaf and it will slice better when cooler.
You can either cut the loaf as a whole or break off one of the chunks and slice that, as I did here. Either way, once you slice you'll see the wonderfully light crumb.
We got through this loaf in one meal, we all enjoyed it that much (true, we had a couple extra helpers). We particularly liked it spread with pate or soft cheese. If you do have some leftover, it's a great bread for toasting.
Japanese milk bread might look a little unassuming, but this is one special loaf. While perfect for every day use, it's so light and fluffy, you'll have everyone back for more.
Try these other bread recipes:
- Pain de campagne (French country bread)
- Anadama bread (a New England bread with molasses and cornmeal)
- Caramelized onion sourdough bread
- Fig and walnut bread
- Plus get more bread recipes in the archives.
Japanese milk bread
Ingredients
For the tangzhong
- 2 tablespoon bread flour (2tbsp is approx 20g)
- 90 ml water
For rest of loaf
- 300 g bread flour (300g is approx 2 cups plus 2 tbsp)
- 7 g fast acting yeast (technically a little under but can use 1 sachet, ¼oz/ 7g)
- 120 ml milk (lukewarm or room temp, but not hot)
- 28 g unsalted butter melted but not hot
- 5 ml salt
- 42 g sugar (caster sugar/fine)
- 1 egg
To glaze
- 1 egg (lightly beaten - won't need all)
Instructions
For tangzhong - made slightly ahead
- Put water and flour for tangzhong in a small pan. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain - do this before turning on the heat.
- Warm the flour paste gently over a medium-low heat until it thickens, stirring constantly. You should see trails left by the spoon/whisk as you stir it. Set the pan aside to cool.
To make bread
- Measure out the remaining ingredients into a large bowl (flour, yeast, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt and egg). Add the cooled tangzhong - I gently beat the egg into the tangzhong first to both save the tangzhong being too thick and help egg to mix better but you don't need to, just make sure you mix it well. Mix all the ingredients together then knead, either in mixer or by hand on a floured surface. Add a little more flour if needed.
- Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a relatively warm place until doubled - around 1 hour.
- Once it has risen, knock back the dough, divide into three pieces. Set the other pieces to one side and roll one piece into an oval.
- Fold one side of dough over to halfway across the remaining dough then fold the other side on top so you have three layers (see photos above). Gently roll slightly, if needed, then roll up the piece of dough as you would a cinnamon roll.
- Repeat with the other pieces of dough then put all three rolls of dough in an oiled loaf pan - 9x5in (22x12cm) or slightly smaller.
- Cover and leave to rise again until the loaf is just reaching the top of the pan. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Lightly beat the egg and brush the top of the loaf with egg wash.
- Bake the loaf for approx 30 minutes until golden brown. If it browns too fast, tent with foil for the last part of cooking. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Recipe draws on a few sources, with my own tweaks, particularly King Arthur Flour's milk bread rolls and Beautiful Life and Home's Japanese milk bread.
This post was created in partnership with the dairy farmers of New England. For further information, including school nutrition, and health and wellness topics, please visit New England Dairy.
Remember to pin for later!
Joanne
Bread looks great but dough was very wet and needed to add at least 1/4 c more than recipe called for.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad it came out well - if you are measuring with cups, this may be partly that you can always get a bit of variation in measurement by volume. For many things, this is not a huge issue, but for baking I always recommend weighing if at all possible.
Abi
Hiya I was just wondering if this can be made with oat milk. Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't made it with oat milk myself, but I think there are other comments that suggest others have tried and it worked fine.
Anna
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It was a hit! I’m attempting one with a cinnamon, sugar, cocoa filling … We’ll see what happens
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear it worked well, hope the filled version works out, too!
Anna
Hello Caroline, the cinnamon swirl version was absolutely delicious.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear, thanks for coming back to say (might have to try myself 🙂 )
Chris Townsend
Easy to follow recipe, I haven't tried it yet but will do at my next attempt. I'm curious to try it with an egg added as this time I made it without for more traditional milk bread. Thanks for sharing this.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you find it easy to follow!
Alex
Hi and thank you so much for the recipe, it turned out delicious and fluffy! We love it! 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Phi
My first trial is a success, the bread texture turns out soft and fluffy. I used Japanese flour, and only diff I mixed the yeast in warm water to develop it first before mixing the ingredients. It's delicious and easy to follow. Thanks!!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well for you and was easy to follow!
MJ
Love this bread! Making it today, and used Active yeast instead of fast acting. Wondering if this will have a negative outcome?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you have been enjoying! So the main thing that is different is that active dry yeast needs to be bloomed in liquid before you add it, unlike fast acting where you can mix it in directly. So with active dry yeast, I'd suggest you gently warm the milk (only very slightly, to lukewarm), add the yeast and leave it around 5-10 minutes until it bubbles up. Then, add this mixture to the flour and other ingredients as in the recipe. The amount of yeast is the same, sometimes active dry takes a little longer in the rising time.
Sue
So easy to make, delicious, light & fluffy, my lot dipped in condensed milk!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed!
Jenn Cost
So I was making this with my 3 yr old while watching and feeding my 1.5 yr old, just for background. I used a scale to weight everything the only changes I made were; I used butter flavored crisco in place of butter and split the milk half with whole whipping cream to give a slight sweetness. Would any of that change the way the bread rises? I'm worried it's not reaching the top of my pan.
I cant wait to taste it the pictures look so good.
Caroline's Cooking
Those changes may impact rise for a couple reasons - butter has some water in it, while crisco is pure fat, so you are changing the liquid level slightly, which feeds the yeast. Also, cream has a higher fat content than milk so this, too, is probably impacting the liquid level a little, as well as making the dough a little denser. So it may take a bit longer to rise, or not rise quite as much. Although temperature and other factors also impact rise time so it's not necessarily that these are having an impact. Hopefully it rises a little more, even if a bit slower and if not quite the full way and comes out well!
Suz
Oh no I forgot to put in the egg …. I will see how it turns out! It was a very easy recipe though! Can’t wait until it’s done!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you found it easy, and hopefully still worked out well for you - the egg is only to help give it that shiny brown top (it's nice but not essential, as it were).
Francesca Tiongson
Can I use All Purpose Flour rather than Bread flour? Does it make a difference?
Caroline's Cooking
You could, and while it probably won't make too much difference it may make a little. Bread flour has a higher gluten forming content which helps to give the bread more structure, so the texture may be a little different. You might also find the dough slightly more damp with all purpose, so you may need to add slightly more flour, but it's hard to say for sure.
Maria
What temperature in a gas oven and we’re about in oven what shelf.
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried this in a gas oven myself as I don't know anyone who has one but it should be about the same temperature, or as you would normally adjust if you were to adjust other baking recipes. Shelf-wise, I would suggest towards the middle, probably.
Suzie
This looks do-able but only because you explained it so well with such a well thought out recipe and photos. Thank you. I have 2 questions.
First, is it okay to refrigerate the dough overnight and allow to rise and bake the following day?
Second, will adding a ground seed mix alter the fluffy texture of the gp bread?
Thank you kindly. Best regards.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear the explanation and photos help! So I haven't done it that way myself but I see no reason why it wouldn't work letting it do the first rise in the fridge overnight. Then, if it hasn't risen enough allow it to sit out a little more to rise further and then continue with the rest of the steps as normal. On the seed mix, it will certain give a bit more texture to the bread but I think the fluffiness should probably be more or less the same - interested to hear if you try how it turns out!
Annalise
Great recipe! I was wondering though how long this will last before it expires.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed! It should keep a couple days, but it will depend a bit on how stored and weather etc. It keeps best in a bread box or wrapped and at cool room temperature.
Maria
I am going to try baking this loaf. I tried in Japan in March. This year. It was to die for been looking to see if I can find a ready made one as I am gluten intolerant
Caroline's Cooking
This recipe isn't written as being for gluten free flour, but I believe some readers have adapted and had success making it GF.
LK
FINALLY a recipe that works! Thank you so much for this. I used my Breville stand mixer and kneaded for approx 5 minutes. The dough was sticky, but I took it off one it passed the window pane test. The house smelled so good while it was baking. The top browned quick and I used the foil method. Just wondering if I am to use the same temp for fan bake function?
I will double the recipe next time I make it. Thanks again
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked well for you! On the browning - so reducing the heat for a fan oven apparently depends a bit where you are, as ovens work slightly differently but if you are having it brown quickly then maybe yes, it might be worth reducing the heat slightly.
Sg
Amazing bread!!! Will be making again. I doubled the recipe and it worked well. Ended up doing 4 rolls per pan and everyone who tried it so far wants more! Thanks for sharing 🤗
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you all enjoyed!
Michael
The bread is in the oven but the smell already is godly. Also appreciate the cups even though weight is better. Was massively helpful since my scale is dead. Will be coming back for this recipe and many more!
Caroline's Cooking
I agree the smell is so good - hope you enjoyed the bread just as much! And yes I prefer using weights since they are more accurate, particularly for things like this, but I try to have recipes both ways to allow for different ways of cooking (and when someone doesn't have scales etc).
Britney T
Caroline, this is one AMAZING recipe! This is my new signature bread. The whole family loves it. Thanks for sharing this with us 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
I am so glad to hear you all enjoyed it! I can't take credit for the style since it's a traditional one, but glad this recipe for it has worked well for you!
Sally
Hi. Trying this recipe tomorrow:) Can you please tell me how long to knead for?
Thanks for the recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
So kneading is a little hard to be precise on as some of it is by feel - if you use a stand mixer with a dough hook, I'd say 3-4 minutes, if by hand, then more around 5 minutes. You are looking for the dough to appear fairly smooth and well mixed, ideally not sticky nor in shaggy lumps but more combined, if that makes sense. Hope it works out well for you!
Sally
I made this loaf this afternoon and served it with soup! My husband cannot stop raving about it and asked for more slices, so not much left for tomorrow! Probably the best bread I've made:) Thank you so much!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear that!
Lucia
Hi from Sparta, New Jersey 😊. I just made this bread exactly as written and it’s absolutely delicious!!!! Thank you for this recipe. I will be making it again and again.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed (and will keep enjoying!)
Draxon Bailo
This is pretty great. The only trouble im having is with step "2.Once the dough is no longer sticky"
It stays so sticky, i add a little more flour but wory i add to much and ir comes out hard.
I tryed by hand and with the mixer, mixed and kneeded with a dough hook for ages.. so so sticky still. Cant roll n fold it it after first rise and I just plonk the lot it into a bread tin.. still turns out ok, but wish i could roll n fold like ya said.. hmm..
Caroline's Cooking
It can be tricky, and you are right to not add too much flour. So a couple ideas - one is that sometimes you need to knead a little longer to get it to stop being sticky. If that still doesn't work, when you come to where you would roll and fold, that's when to have flour on the surface and on your hands - you ideally don't want to work it into the dough, but instead just have it on the surface to help it not stick to you and itself too much. Hope that helps!
Mary
Everyone loves this and it is fast and easy.
I actually add the cold milk immediately to cool the Tangzhou (sp? ) so it can get started faster as no one wants to wait. I also divide the recipe into 4 small loaf pans-but roll each small loaf as you suggest. That way someone gets to take a loaf home !
It does not mold very soon as you have said which is also great.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe and the clear instructions.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you all enjoyed and that the instructions worked well for you!
VIRGINIA GRIFFITH
I haven't made this yet but was curious if I could use regular flour instead of bread flour? And also started in my bread machine
Caroline's Cooking
I personally haven't tried either, but I believe from other comments that other people have tried one or the other and have had it work well. Bread flour has a higher level of gluten-forming proteins so can help it rise a little better than regular flour, but it's a pretty light bread so I think regular should still work fine. Enjoy!
Virginia Rowden
Amazing. Making it today for the second time. For next time, could I double the recipe? How would it turn out?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed! Yes you can double the recipe - you will either need to divide it into two loaves of use a larger baking pan that holds about double the volume. Alternatively, you could divide the mixture into smaller rolls and place in a large skillet. In terms of making the mixture, you simple double everything, but you may find it needs slightly longer to rise with a larger amount, and bake time may need adjusted. If baking all as one in a larger pan, it will need longer. If they are as rolls in a skillet since they will have a larger surface area/smaller pieces, the bake time will be less.
Faye
Beautiful bread! I'm just starting out at baking and this is one of the first loaves I made, recipe was relatively easy to follow and the bread turned out great and tastes amazing!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear that it worked out well - here's to many more successful bakes!
su
I made this yesterday- it came out perfectly- followed the recipe to the tee! 5/5 - will make again! Thank you ☺️
Caroline's Cooking
That's great to hear! Glad you enjoyed.
Diane
This is it! I tried 3 other recipe for milk bread and this is the winner. I accidentally used expired yeast but still came out delicious. Thank you for this perfect bread recipe
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear it worked out well for you!
Michelle
My very first time making milk bread! Thanks so much for this encouraging and forgiving recipe! I used only all purpose flour because that's what I have. Almond milk and vegan because I was vegan until April of last year and still very much prefer my vegan ways. Dough didn't rise but I couldn't bake yesterday anyway so I didn't until this morning. I made it into milk pan rolls and used my bundt pan to bake them. I forgot to brush the tops with egg wash before baking and butter after but still turned out good and buttery! Even my picky husband and 11 year old had good things to say about it! Oh I think it didn't rise well because my granulated sweetener was BetterSweet, a combination of erythritol and monk fruit. I think that is the culprit. I'll use real cane sugar next time! Thanks again!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it worked out for you (even with a few tweaks etc!)
Janis
I have read so many recipes for this bread that I have to wonder if it is possible to use any white bread recipe but set aside a portion of the bread flour and add water to make the Roux?
Caroline's Cooking
To a point, yes you probably could, but the challenge is then getting the right balance of liquid etc in the end recipe as it's not quite as simple as reduce down the liquid by x to put in the tangzhong paste, and then use x less liquid later on. It would need a bit of trial and error to get the right quantities.
Teena Joseph
Thank you for this amazing recipe... It's the best recipe ever
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed!
Anon
My first bread recipe ever and it turned out so so so so sooooooo yummm. I didn't use any egg and subbed in ghee for butter and the bread was so yummy my brother said it tasted like a croissant 😛 Thank you Caroline for this delicious recipe!
bonus: the house smelled like butter for the whole night :]
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked well for you, and hooray for first loaf and yummy smells!
Laura MacLean
I have over 40 years of dismal bread-making experience, until now. Easy, easy, easy with consistently excellent results. I weigh everything, use almond milk and Earth Balance vegan butter (for my dairy-allergic son), and knead for 4 minutes in my KitchenAid. I use traditional yeast that I proof in the milk with a hint of sugar. The only change I made was to reduce the yeast to 6 grams as I found my first batch to be a bit "yeasty." Raises perfectly, and bakes up fluffy and soft. It does not turn crumbly after a day or two. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
That's so lovely to hear that this works so well for you. And yes, I do love that it keeps well.
Abdullah Rafiq
Love this easy recipe thanks from Thailand
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed!
Azmat
Caroline, this is a wonderful bread. I’ve so enjoyed making it and it’s a delight each time. Its texture reminds me of bakery milk breads in northern India which I grew up eating. Recently I used it to make bread rolls and added olives, cheddar cheese and onions- also yummy! Thank you for sharing.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and the additions sound yummy, too.
Barbara H
Delish! The only change I would make is to double the recipe to get two loaf pans of this wonderful bread. Thank you very much for the recipe! 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed. I tend to find it's always easier to double a recipe than halve, which is why it's written this way, but definitely glad to hear you would want to make even more!
Martin
Made this twice now. Such a good bread recipe.
Used a high protein low fat milk and normal white sugar, which works well.
Also used a 1 litre bread tin, which seems to be the perfect size for the recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you have been enjoying!
Alia Farley
I took a lot of time into following this recipe and it really paid off! So good I'm making it two night in a row! I'm going to try rolling butter into my dough this time!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well for you and you enjoyed so much!
Alia Farley
I am new to bread making, do I have to dissolve the yeast before adding it to the mix? Or can I add it in as a dry ingredient ?
Caroline's Cooking
Not a problem - I know it can be confusing! So it depends the type of yeast - if you are using fast acting or instant yeast, you can just add it in with the dry ingredients. If you are using active dry yeast, you need to activate it in liquid first, so dissolve it in gently warm water and let it bubble up for around 10 minutes, then add it in. For this bread, I prefer fast acting/instant as you can then just add it in with everything else, rather than having it sit in the slightly warm milk first.
Evelyn
This has become a family favorite and I make it to share with son and granddaughters once or even twice a month. We all love it. And my granddaughters came and made it with me. That resulted in my 14 year old going home and making it herself the next week. She crafted it into a braid! We are very glad to have found this recipe! Been making it for about 2 years now.
Caroline's Cooking
Oh how wonderful! So glad to hear, and thanks for letting me know (plus love that the kids are making it too!)
Michael L Young
This is great bread!! Comes out well every time. Tastes great with butter and jam and makes great toast.
However I do not know how to keep the end from drying out, the crust from getting crisy and if it is wrapped mould appears really quickly. As there are only two of us and we do not eat bread every day what is the best way of keeping it fresh?
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you are enjoying! It's a tricky balance between trying to stop mould and also drying out, as often something that makes one work causes the other. But I'd suggest wrapping in paper and trying to find a cool spot, away from the sun and not too humid is best. The other option is to freeze leftover bread, either as a chunk or slice it first.
Walter Barbier
perfect recipe for milk bread. Tried a couple of others that didn't work out. This one came out great on the first try
Caroline's Cooking
That's wonderful to hear, so glad it worked well for you!
Mary
Wow! This bread was just wonderful in texture and buttery flavor. It was soft, moist, and yet strong enough to make hearty sandwiches and not tear or fall apart. It will be my go to bread from now on.
I enjoyed the information about this breads origins.
Thank you for the detailed instructions and bread making tips.
I will be sure to try some of your other bread recipes.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed and that the tips and info were helpful! And yes, there are a few more bread recipes so hope you find others you enjoy, too.
Razan
Hi, everything was great but when I’m making the dough it was hard a little bit not soft ):
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed, not sure why the dough would be hard rather than soft - maybe you cooked the initial base a bit long or higher heat, or there was a bit too much flour compared to liquid? Not sure how you measured the ingredients, but I recommend weighing and also if it seems dry, add a little extra water, maybe.
Leila
Hi I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I’m really excited to, I was just wondering if it’s okay to half the recipe and if you keep the baking time the same if you do?
Caroline's Cooking
If you are making a smaller loaf, you almost certainly will need a shorter bake time as the loaf won't be as thick and so will cook through quicker. Exactly how short depends a bit on the shape etc, but could be anything from around 1/2 to 2/3 the time I'd say. I would say, though, that this bread does keep well (much more so than others) and you can freeze it too. It's also not that big compared to many breads, so it may well be worth still making a full loaf.
Leila
Thank you so much that really helps!
Sandy Knapp
Can I use almond milk?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't used it myself, but I believe from other commenters that a couple people have tried and it worked out well.
Darma
If I have any leftover, how do you suggest storing it? I followed the recipe and directions, and my loaf came out great!!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it came out well! The best way to store short-term is to wrap it loosely (ideally paper or with a cloth) or place in a bread box and store at (cool) room temperature - just make sure it isn't damp or too warm. If you won't be using it in a day or two, then you can freeze it, just make sure it is wrapped well in plastic or foil.
Lan
Instructions were terrific. Recipe was simple —pantry ingredients. Bread baked up fabulously. I ate. I died and went to Heaven. The end!
Caroline's Cooking
Ha, so glad to hear it was a success!
Rae
This is my go to bread recipe now. It makes such a good loaf and keeps so well. The only change I've made is I put a shallow baking tray of water in the base of the oven. My favourite way to eat this bread is sliced and used to make a fish finger sandwich
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you have been enjoying, and yes agree it keep well (if you let it!)
Karis
Tastes great but I might have messed up haha - I used gluten free flour, and I've never baked bread before, so I think maybe I was too heavy handed? I'll try again of course though!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it was tasty, but not sure quite what happened that you say you were maybe heavy handed? Gluten free flour can behave a bit differently and may need different handling (plus not all gluten free flours are the same) - but certainly worth trying again I'd suggest!
Vasanti
Thank you for the recipe the bread turned out delicious. My family loved it. It turned out very very soft.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you all enjoyed and it came out well!
Elaine
Thank you for the recipe! I've made the bread twice and both times the bread turned out soft and fluffy. However, the dough after mixing turns out very very sticky - about 10% of the dough gets stuck to my hand while pulling it out of the mixing bowl, abt 20 tea spoons of extra flour to make it SLIGHTLY less sticky, although it still ism I've used a weighing scale for the ingredients and followed the recipe exactly. Mixed on medium for 15 minutes. Could you advise me on where I'm possibly going wrong? Thank you so much!!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed the bread! As for the sticky dough, even with weighing, brands and types of flour can vary, and things like humidity can make a difference so it may just be that with where you are/what you are using, you need just that little bit more flour (or slightly less water).
Steve s
Bread baking has become my way to de-stress. I rarely eat it, but I love to bake loaves and give them away. A lot of my recipients were very happy with my challah, but I've given several of them this bread and they find it similar to challah, but like it better.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear this has proven popular. And yes, it does have some similarities to challah (and I can relate to the de-stressing through bread-making!)
Cara
Caroline, I haven't tried this yet, but can't wait to! Can I use almond milk instead of whole milk? I don't have any whole milk at home, but could go buy some this week
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried it with almond milk myself but in theory, I think it should work. It may just change the hydration a bit so you may need a little more or less. I'd try with the same amount then if needed, add slightly more milk or flour a little at a time as you are kneading if it seems needed. Also, it won't have the fat as much as regular whole milk, so you might want a little more butter in there as well (only, say 1/2tbsp more). Hope you enjoy!
Sigrún
I've tried this recipe with both milk and almond milk, and it makes no difference.. This is my go to bread recipe and most of the time I use almond milk 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad to hear you have been enjoying it, and thanks for letting me know it works well with almond milk, too!
Shrey
Hi Caroline! Looking to make this over the weekend and wanted to know if I can use AP flour instead of bread flour? Bread flour is not a common thing around here and is ridiculously expensive, and as a student who enjoys baking to relax, it is not something I can afford. Any help is appreciated, thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
Hi, yes this should still work fine with all purpose flour, the two just have slightly different levels of gluten forming protein so the structure may not be quite the same but for this type of bread it is probably less likely to be that different. Hope you enjoy!
Mary
Shrey:
Expense of bread flour does depend upon the brand. That elegant one with the pretty Medieval inspired design is very expensive. Other less pricey brands are available in regular grocery stores. A 5 pound bag of mid price bread flour will make many, many, many loaves. You can store bread flour, well wrapped, in the refrigerator or freezer. I live in the south and if pantry goods are not very well sealed or kept in cold storage bugs are a problem. It is very expensive and time consuming to throw everything out and using poisons in the house is not good either. But you can find affordable bread flour and it does make a difference I think.
Good luck and have fun.
Molly
I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this bread is. I thought I had an amazing recipe (which I still use for donuts and tea rings), but this? I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS RECIPE FAIL! Even in the dead of winter when it's below zero! (my kitchen was added onto a 100+ year old farmhouse and isn't well insulated)
This recipe is so simple, the dough is so easy maintanance, and the time it takes to complete is about half of any other dough I've worked with (and is the most tender by far). There's something about the Tangzhong that's simply amazing and mind-blowing.
Going along with that thought, the Tangzhong activates the yeast differently. I truly believe that's why I've yet to have a batch fail, but....... that's not the best part. My mom has a gluten and yeast sensitivity, and this bread does not bother her one bit!!! NOT ONE BIT! (even my other yeast breads I make bother her; though not as much as anything store-bought) This recipe using ingredients that are the least processed (unbleached flour, raw whole milk, REAL butter) has changed her life. And if I'm being blunt: I've even noticed a change in my body since eating this bread. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I stumbled across it while searching for recipes to do a Japan-theme meal for a special birthday dinner and I am SO glad I did! Don't be afraid to try recipes from different cultures! I've found that especially if they are "older" recipes, you are sure to find a truly delicious food that when made with ingredients that were like those used when the recipe was originally used can help make your life so much more enjoyable and flavorful. 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe and having it work well for you!
Carol de Reuck
Hi. First time baking this bread (made 6 mini loaves) and it is (actually was) very yummy. However, my husband doesn't like a sweet bread and even a bit of cheese doesn't cut the sweetness. Can I use a third of the sugar instead? I hope so as I think I'm in love. I would post a photo here but unfortunately I'm not able to.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes it should still work fine with less sugar, will just obviously taste a little different. Yes, afraid for various reasons I can't enable people to upload photos here, but I love seeing them shared on instagram (just tag the @carolinescooking handle) and I try to share them on!
Mary Holden
Caroline: Thank you for this easy foolproof recipe. Everyone loves it. It rises very fast which is a great advantage for busy people. I use a stand mixer, turn it out in a glass pan, knead it in the pan just a bit, and put it on a seed starting plant/garden mat for extra heat. I can be start to finish in 3 hours.
It is very pretty as well and the instructions to make the 3 rolls in the loaf pan are very creative and helps it rise I'm sure. Also it is a light dough which I hope is less calorically dense and easier for an older person with arthritis to knead.
I recently went to visit friends taking this recipe and we ended up making it twice a day for 3 days! I find in my gas oven that it is done in 25 minutes, not 30 which might be good to know for those with gas ovens.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, and appreciate you mentioning re gas oven - indeed, baking times can certainly vary a couple minutes up or down with different ovens. Like the garden mat idea too!
Ayesha
Hi Caroline!
This is the first time I'm commenting on a recipe site, but I just had to. This was the most amazing, softest, yummy bread ever. I absolutely love milk bread, and this was such a winner. I don't bake bread often at all, and I found this really simple, and actually found the dough easy to work with throughout. I used AP flour.
Definitely a keeper! I've already shared this recipe with a few others. Will attempt to make smaller individual rolls with this recipe next.
Thank you for sharing this with us 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! And yes, it can definitely be made into rolls, too.
Thuyen
Awesome!!! My milk bread turned out just like your picture. It is very soft and fluffy. For a non-experience of breading making like me, it is a huge success. I don’t have loaf tin but the square glass baking tray so I made 4 rolls and bake for 25 mins. I shared the bread with my coworkers and they really like it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well for you!
Roch
Hi there, I tried this recipe and it turned out really well! I wanted to try it another time adding purple sweet potato. What would be the recommended proportion and do I have to reduce any other ingredients? Thanks!!!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it worked well for you. As for adding sweet potato, its not something I have done so it's really hard to say quantities as it will definitely impact the texture of the dough etc - it's effectively a completely different bread, just using the same basic technique as the base. But I may try and work on it and come up with a recipe to share in due course.
MMD
My 12 year old son made this recipe and wanted to add some flavors. He steeped Chai Tea in the milk and added cinnamon and coriander to the flour. It turned out so well! Delicious!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it worked out well, it's definitely the kind of 'blank canvas' you can add the odd flavors too (though I'd generally suggest not too strong).
Kseniya
I don’t know what to say... I followed all the steps and bread turned out just the same like on your photos... I’m shocked. It’s the best recipe in my life! Thank you so much!!!!!!!
Caroline's Cooking
That makes me very happy to hear - glad it worked out so well!
Joyce Jones
Ilove the recipe, I've made it multiple times and it always turns out perfect.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear!
S
I came across this recipe yesterday and made it yesterday. The only change I did was to make one roll instead of 3. Next time I'll do 2 since the top kinda cracked open. Still suuuuper delicious and I highly recommend it. Super easy to do as well.
(I might also reduce the sugar a bit too since I forgot how sweet this bread can get.)
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed and found it easy!
Amelia D
Loved the recipe! I am new to bread making and found that the dough was still very sticky after mixing. Kneading was very difficult and took a long time. Should I have mixed the dough for longer before kneading? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed! Yes this is a relatively sticky dough, I'm not sure that mixing more would help, I'd suggest you maybe needed just a tiny bit more flour, especially on your hands, to make it a little easier but hard to tell for sure.
Molly
I rarely comment on recipes but this is so good I was compelled. Chicken Katsu Sandwiches are my new go-to meal when I want to impress or treat friends and I use this bread because it's amazing. My husband said it's like biting into a cloud and I always double the recipe even if I'm just making it for us. I'm seriously considering buying a traditional milk bread pan. The only change I've ever made is to use AP flour because I ran out of bread flour (still delicious) and I usually do half water and half milk for the tangzhong.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you like this bread as much as we do. And while I haven't done it with this, I do sometimes switch AP for bread flour and have found it to work just fine, so glad to hear it worked here too.
KM
What a lovely bread! I made it almost exactly as written — no eggs for me so I used a flax egg in the bread and milk on the bread — and it was a wonderfully light and fluffy bread.
Thanks for the recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear you enjoyed! It really is such a lovely fluffy bread, I agree.
Belinda
Tried this. Had only about 100g+ bread flour left so I added all purpose flour to top it up. I also used brown sugar that looks more like molasses (I forgot what type it is. Threw the bag already after filling it in a jar). The rest is as per your recipe. Still turned out great. Love the texture and taste. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear. Yes, all purpose definitely works very close to the same, it's just slightly different in gluten-forming proteins etc but I have had good success swapping it in a lot of bread recipes.
Emily
This came out so well! I'm a college student so cooking and baking is new for me, but this recipe was so clear and easy to follow, and the results were amazing! The bread is so good, I'm definitely going to make this again!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you found it easy to follow and that it came out well. It's definitely one of my favorite breads.
Emmet
I forgot to put in the butter and its first rise is up. Is it too late to put it in?
Caroline's Cooking
You might be able to work it into the dough later, but I'm really not sure if it will work out as well, I'm afraid. You'll still get a bread that's perfectly edible without the butter, it just won't likely be as soft and rich.
Emmet
I baked the 2 loaves without putting in the butter and they tasted great next time I won't forget. Thanks for the recipe
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it was still great, hopefully that little but better with butter next time too 🙂
Maan
Hello Caroline! I just want to ask if I can make this recipe in small round pieces and not in the form of a loaf? Would it be okay to use All-Purpose flour as substitute? And for the Tangzhong, can I use milk instead of water? (will it make it milkier?)
Caroline's Cooking
Yes to all! You can make this as small rolls - a cast iron skillet can be good to use to bake them in, just be sure to leave a little space between them when you first put in the skillet or other baking dish then they will expand slightly. And yes, all purpose should work, just be aware it has a slightly different level of gluten-forming protein and can absorb liquid differently. So you may need a little more/less liquid and a little more time to let it rise. And finally yes, milk in the tangzhong also works. Not too sure on flavor since it's a relatively small amount, but you may notice.
Anna
Hi, I wonder if it can be done with whole weat flour... can it?
Caroline's Cooking
So in theory, yes, but one of the main things about this bread is the super soft texture and that's not going to be the same with whole wheat flour. You could try whole wheat pastry flour which is less coarse and about the closest to white flour. Just be aware different flours absorb liquid differently and have different levels of gluten, so you may need a little more or less flour to have a similar texture and the rise may take a little longer, I think.
Lisa
Hi Caroline I have an 8 by 4 inch cake tin is this tin to small.
Caroline's Cooking
So I used slightly larger than that, but an 8x4in will probably work as long as it is relatively deep (at least 2 1/2in) - you might just have the top spill over a little when it bakes.
Elaine Yip
I tried this recipe twice, but somehow my bread comes out hard as a rock. During my 2nd attempt I tried to cut the baking time by 5 minutes. But it still comes out very hard! Any idea what could be the cause? Thank you!!
Caroline's Cooking
Sorry to hear that, that's not something I tend to hear as a challenge with this type of bread, but a few possibilities - one problem may be you need to knead it a little longer. Another option is that you have added too much four and so try to avoid adding when you are kneading as much as possible. Just add a little bit more to your hands and the work surface to help stop it stick but let it be sticky as much as you can as it will naturally get less so as you knead. The one other thing is it may not have risen enough before baking. Try to make sure it rises as much as the recipe says in terms of being well up the tin rather than just by time as room temperature and other factors can make quite a difference. Hope these help and good luck!
Mary
Elaine: It sounds like too much flour or not enough liquid to me.
I do not knead it too much as I use a stand mixer to mix the ingredients.
Then I use a spatula to turn it out directly into a buttered glass pan. I put butter on my hands. I knead it a bit in the buttered pan, then put a glass top on it and let it rise. More flour does not help if you want a light bread.
When you turn it out to make the loaves, butter the cutting board and again put a bit on your hands when you go to roll them up.
My pan and mixing bowl are always pretty sticky when I make this.
When making other breads you do have less mess I agree. But for the taste and texture it is worth it to have a slightly messier clean up process.
lilian
thank you so much for the recipe Caroline. This is the best recipe ! My hubby commented so far this is the best bread I've ever baked. Can't get enough of it.
Caroline's Cooking
That's praise indeed, so glad you enjoyed!
Constance
So excited by this bread that I forgot to give the 5 stars!
Constance
Omg, I was in bread heaven! This bread is delicious! It is incredibly fluffy and soft, it looks exactly like your pictures!! So easy to make and just the right size. We ate half a loaf when it came out from the oven! Used mixer to knead medium low for about 5to 6 minutes, the dough was still slightly sticky when handled, but put in oiled bowl anyway. Brushed with milk instead of egg wash before baking, the bread still browns to perfection. Thank you so much!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes milk works well as an alternative to egg for brushing.
Audrey Ng
Hi, can I use my bread machine for this recipe?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't got a bread maker myself to try, but I believe from other comments that other people may have tried it and it worked.
Haruka
I followed the recipe, and measured out my ingredients using a scale. The bread turned out incredible! Best yeast bread recipe I've used, and I've baked plenty. Thank you so much for sharing. It is definitely a keeper.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed and fantastic that it's the best!
Dana
I am fairly new at bread baking.....I am a “ breadbaker wannabe”.
This is my 1st time making this recipe. Took a long time in the first rising and since there was egg in the dough, after 2 hours, had to refrigerate it. Wasn’t sure of the dough rising in the refrigerator, but it slowly did. We haven’t yet sliced into the bread. I want to make it again, but not divide into 3 parts. Any advice for me on this?
Thank you for this recipe and what is the pronunciation for tangzhong?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad it seemed to work in the end - the tie it takes to rise depends a lot on temperature, amongst other things. While you typically form it in three parts, they join together as they bake so you can still slice it as a regular loaf in slices, you don't need to split it into three. But if you'd rather have it as one piece, you can roll it in one piece a bit like a jelly roll and then put that in the pan for the second rise. On the pronunciation, it's relatively phonetic with the "zh" being like the French "j" as in "jus", if that helps.
Isaiah Treadwell
Hi! I made this bread last night and the inside of my bread looks kinda strange. It’s more crumbly then flaky and soft. How do I fix this?
Caroline's Cooking
It's a little hard to tell without a little more detail as there are always a number of variables making bread. But as a guess, it sounds like it may either be a little too dry (so possibly too much flour) or maybe did you cut it while still warm, as that can make it look a little strange when you cut it? Did you weight the ingredients or use the volumes, as the volumes are less accurate so you may need to adjust to get the right 'feel' to the dough. If possible, it's always best to weigh if possible. Try not to add too much flour when you are kneading as well - it can be tempting to add more flour to make it less sticky, but you really want to avoid adding too much, it does become smoother with kneading. Hope these help.
A
Hi,
Is it possible to use this recipe in the bread machine or do I need to adjust it?
Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
I don't have a bread machine so haven't been able to test myself, but I see from other comments, someone mentioned they did 1hr 55min rapid bake and it came out well.
Kenya
Hi can I substitute all purpose flour ??
Caroline's Cooking
I have yet to try but yes, it should work fine. You may not need quite as much liquid and the dough may be slightly less easy to work with or slower to rise. Just be careful not to be tempted to add a lot of extra flour as you knead - try to work with it a little first.
Ciara Quintero
will any kind of butter work?
Caroline's Cooking
I typically use unsalted - if you use a salted butter it may make a slight difference in the flavor of the bread, but you are not using all that much so it won't be too significant.
Lori
Can this be frozen? And can this recipe be doubled? Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen this myself but there's no real reason why it wouldn't work as long as it is well wrapped. And yes, you can certainly double it. If you divide and bake in two pans there's no need to adjust cook time, just double all the ingredients. It may need slightly longer to rise. If you are making a very large loaf then it will need longer to cook.
Abi
Delicious! I made this this evening and during the folding steps I added some cheese and garlic butter to make cheesy soft garlic bread and it is heavenly! Can't wait to make it again plain and possibly try other fillings! I thought adding ingredients to an enriched style dough might prevent rising but it still worked at treat!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed, and the filling sounds tasty too! Yes I can see some fillings working but probably not too much and nothing too heavy.
Sona
This is the best bread. I made it yesterday and my kids LOVE IT! I will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you for sharing this. =)
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you all enjoyed!
Pete
Love it!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear!
Berta Pauly
I have made this bread and love it!!
It is so soft.. thanks for giving out this recipe..💞
Caroline's Cooking
That's great to hear! And yes, I do love how soft it is.
Imelda
Thanks for sharing this beautiful fluffy bread. I made the exact amount of engredients as stated. The result is as perfect for a small serving. I love it.. Next time I plan to Add more sweeter taste. Let u know the result.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
G.L.Cantrell
Can it be frozen? It is so soft, and delicious toasted, or for sandwiches. I just love it.
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen it myself (we always get through it pretty fast!) but I don't see why not - I'd put it in a freezer bag, making sure you get the air out before sealing.
Carl
I just made it this morning and it is perfect . I will be making again and again!
Caroline's Cooking
That's great, glad to hear you enjoyed and will be making again!
Asuka
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I've made it a few times and follow the measurements exactly, but the dough always comes out super sticky and I end up adding a lot of flour while kneading. Should I use less milk or less tangzhong, or both? My loaf also comes out not nearly as fluffy as I'd like. Maybe it's because I'm using 2 tsp of active dry yeast (after proofing in milk) instead of instant yeast?
Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
It sounds like you are adding too much flour which is making it more dense. I wouldn't recommend less liquid, as that's basically going to give you the same just in a different way. I'd say as you are kneading, try to just dust the work surface, a little over the top of the dough and on your hands to start and knead a few times. If it sticks to you, don't worry, just keep working it a bit and only add a small amount more as you go. The stickiness will become less as you work the dough without you needing to add lots of flour. It is a soft dough, but as I say the stickiness largely goes down through kneading rather than needing lots of flour, if you can try to hold off adding too much. Hopefully this will also help with the fluffiness, but if by fluffiness you mean it hasn't risen enough, it may be that you need to leave it to rise slightly longer during the two rising periods. Hope it works out a little better!
Elda
I think it depends on the kind of flour too...
Caroline's Cooking
Yes different flours absorb liquid slightly differently. But this is typically a slightly stickier dough than some to start with, so while you may need to add some extra flour, whichever kind you use, you still need to resist adding too much.
Jenna P Toff
I found kneading longer helps with the stickyness. As you work it more it becomes less sticky, so might want to work it more before adding more flour.
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, thanks for expressing in a different way - that's part of what I meant by saying to try to resist adding flour as you knead 🙂
Madeleine Fuchs
Thank you for this wonderful bread recipe. We just had it with our Sunday dinner.
It is delicious. Also it it great to have a bread recipe that is just right
for a small family.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! And I know what you mean, I often find many bread recipes too big so I often adjust down to what we more realistically use.
Emily
Can I use all-purpose flour, or does it have to be bread flour?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, it should work fine with all purpose, you might just need to adjust the amount slightly as flours can react differently, so I'd hold back slightly in case you need less, or if it's wet you can add a little more. You may also need to leave it slightly longer to rise as AP is typically slightly lower in gluten-forming protein so may need a bit longer to rise.
Emily
So I bought bread flour but it says « yeast included » Do I still use the sachet or dry yeast as well since it is in a different step?
Caroline's Cooking
I've never heard of bread flour containing yeast already. I'd check on the flour packet to see whether it says you don't need to add additional yeast or not. You may not need to (or maybe some but much less), but being unfamiliar with it, it's very hard to say, I'm afraid.
Lynn
Can the dough be pre made and refrigerated overnight if I wish to bake early in the morning?
Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't done it with this particular bread but I think it should work - I'd suggest just giving it part (say up to half) of the second rise out at room temperature then do the rest in the fridge overnight.
Skelli
I found this recipe while looking for a soft bread recipe to try (I've only just started baking bread and I am SO excited to try this one!). I only have margarine and lightly salted butter, which one would be better to use or would either ruin the bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I think either would probably work, but I'd certainly go with the lightly salted butter out of the two. You might want to reduce the salt ever so slightly as a result, though if it's just lightly salted it is probably not so necessary. Enjoy!
Kaylee
Can I use super fine sugar instead of caster sugar? I’m in the US and don’t know where to get caster sugar.
Caroline's Cooking
In the US, the regular sugar is pretty fine so work, or super fine is great if you have it. You just want it to be relatively fine so that it dissolves easily.
Maike
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My kids and I made it today and it was amazing. It reminds me a bit of brioche.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes it is definitely similar to brioche in texture/flavor.
Bella R
I've been baking bread a lot recently, and I made milk bread for the first time with this recipe (I chose this one because it had less butter than other recipes). It was absolutely STUNNING! Just like pictures and videos show of this incredibly fluffly bread. I used an egg yolk for the top, and it was super shiny and golden. Today I am make pirogi stuffed with cabbage and hamburger buns with this recipe, with reduced sugar. Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! It is such a lovely soft bread.
Anu
Can I bake without egg? If so, what would be the replacement?
Caroline's Cooking
You can omit the egg glaze from the top (as you'll see some others have and use eg milk) but I'm afraid I can't think of a good replacement for within the bread itself. The egg adds a level of richness that isn't easy to replace. You could miss it out, and you should still get a nice soft bread, but it will be a little different.
rhona foyn
Canned CHICK PEA WATER is used instead of egg in a lot of vegetarian recipes so perhaps you can use it in the bread.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for suggesting - yes chick pea water/aquafaba can be used as a replacement but generally for egg white, as it has a similar consistency especially when whisked up. It can help recreate that stickiness and lift, so can work in eg macarons (though I have heard it's tricky in those, but then they are tricky in general). What it doesn't have is the richness you get from egg yolk, which is part of what the egg here is for. So it may work to a point, but probably not in full.
nicole
I just made it and I was wondering if you can freeze the dough? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Do you mean uncooked? I haven't tried and not sure if it would still rise OK if you did. However if you bake it then you can wrap it in foil then in a freezer bag and freeze it like that.
Amateur Baker
I made it. it's so soft and fluffy. It tastes perfect. I didn't glaze it with eggs. Instead, I sprinkled it with corn starch. I made it into 8 round balls. Also, I baked it only for 17 minutes so that it's not too dark. Thank you for this recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes great as rolls as well.
Grace Paul
Loved it! Glad I found this recipe. I use this recipe for Mexican coffee buns and Indian aloo buns( potato stuffed buns). It comes out amazing every time.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! I like the idea of using it fr aloo buns as well.
Sally
Fabulously easy and a pleasure to make. Made first yesterday and almost finished it. Today have tried substituting the tangz.... with 6 dessert spoons of sourdough starter instead of throwing some away before feeding it. Will let you know tomorrow what happens.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad you enjoyed. Will be interested to hear how the sourdough worked out.
Christa
Hi
Is this 175C in fan forced oven? To be safe I put it to 170 c in fan forced oven. It turned out good but didn’t rise much in the oven.
Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
It's with a fan oven - without you'd probably want slightly higher. It's not a bread that rises as much in the oven as some, though it will definitely rise a bit - but glad it turned out well either way!
Emily
I know your recipe calls for caster sugar, could I substitute this for regular granulated sugar? Will it have any effect on the texture?
Caroline's Cooking
Regular granulated should be fine (especially if you are in the US where the 'regular' sugar is finer anyway). The main reason for caster is it will dissolve more easily. If you use a coarser sugar I'd suggest adding it to the milk and stirring a minute to help it dissolve before adding the other ingredients.
Dom
is it possible to over knead the dough?
Caroline's Cooking
I tend to knead by hand where it's less likely for that to happen but yes, I think you could over-knead this as you could with almost any dough. You want it to be soft and come together into a smooth ball. If it becomes very firm it's probably over-kneaded. IF so, it may rise slower so you'll want to give it a bit longer to rise, then try to work it as little as possible after.
Joann
I'm new to baking bread and only have made 2 loaves with a 50% success rate, so I'm both nervous and excited to try this one. Does it freeze well and if so, do you have a suggestion on how to freeze bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't frozen this myself, but I don't really see any reason why you couldn't since bread generally freezes fine. Just make sure it cools completely first, then wrap it in plastic or foil, put in a freezer bag then freeze.
Lee
Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is the first time I have made Japanese Milk Bread and tried it. It’s the bee’s knees. This is all the way from Australia 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! (I'm actually in Australia myself at the moment, too :))
Ana
This bread looks so good! I’m very partial to milky and fluffy breads myself, so I’m biased!
I intend to prepare the dough to bake in the morning - so we can have a nice warm bread at breakfast - do you think is ok to let this dough rest overnight in the fridge for the first rise? I usually do this with more “dense” type loafs, so I’m not sure how well this fluffy type will “behave”.
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried it that way, but I think it probably should work fine - will be interested to hear how it goes!
McKenzie
I did an overnight refrigerator rise twice and both times worked great. Had fresh baked bread in the morning and is always a great way to start the day.
I let the dough sit out on the counter with a towel on top to warm up before baking. Followed the recipe from there and had beautiful loads both times.
I also used AP flour and it worked fine. Took a lot longer to knead vs using bread flour for me. I’m sure everyone’s flour will be different, this was my experience.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear it worked out well with overnight rises!
Connie
Love this recipe from this first time baker! Made it 4 times already during this quarantine! But I have a question...my bread turns out beautifully like your pictures but it’s more yellow than white on the inside. Any ideas why that might be? I make my own bread flour adding in wheat gluten but otherwise follow it exactly. Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! It may be the flour, but it could also be your egg may have a darker yolk.
Cristinathebaker
Love the bread. I will never buy soft bread ever. Thank you!
I doubled the recipe and made a loaf (with cream cheese sauce from Cookist) and hamburger buns topped with sesame seeds.
And it freezes well!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed, and sounds good as burger buns too.
Mags
Hi! Can i use instant dry yeast? And milk should be lukewarm?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes instant dry yeast is another name for fast acting yeast and so just use the amounts as above. And yes, the milk is better to be lukewarm or room temperature to save the butter solidifying, and to be slightly better in helping the yeast activate, though the tangzhong will be slightly warm and help with that too. Thanks, I'll update recipe to reflect that.
Julia
This looks tasty! We are trying to reduce our sugar intake. Has anyone tried making it without sugar? In theory, would it affect the structure too much?
Caroline's Cooking
I understand you would prefer to reduce sugar, and some breads work better than others for that. This one is a little tricky as the texture and flavor is definitely impacted by having sugar in there. You could reduce it, but I don't really think the bread would be quite the same with none at all. I do have a few other bread recipes which I think would work better to have no sugar in than this - my fig and walnut bread, for example, just uses a little honey : https://www.carolinescooking.com/fig-and-walnut-bread/
Katie
This bread is delicious! Perfect recipe. Would it work to double the recipe to make 2 loaves?
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed! Yes, you could make two, just double everything.
Becky
I make and sell bread every week for our local Farmer’s Market and I’ve been looking for a new one.... found it! So darn good! I tested it today and my husband and I definitely agreed that it’s one of our favorites! So tender, wonderful crumb and rose like a dream.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying this so much - I agree it has such a wonderful texture.
Alice
Can I use my breadman bread machine to make this bread?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't got a bread machine myself to be able to advise for sure - I'd say you would at least need to still make the tangzhong ahead of time to get the benefit of that, and then you may be able to let the machine do the mixing, proofing and cooking. It won't give the same shape, obviously, but may otherwise work. I'd suggest referring to the instruction manual to see if there is general advice on adapting regular bread recipes.
anthony day
Just did in my breadmaker 1Hour 55 mins on rapid bake Perfection
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for sharing, glad to hear it worked out well!
Shan
Hi! I only have active dry yeast... How should I adjust the liquids and sugar accordingly?
Caroline's Cooking
You can use the same amount of everything, just active dry yeast should be dissolved in liquid before adding to everything else, so dissolve it in the milk which is best to be lukewarm, let it sit for around 5-10 minutes to help it activate, so I'd suggest you do that first, then make the tangzhong, let it cool while you measure the flour etc then mix them all together.
Frank
Hi Caroline. Thanks much for this recipe! Only been baking bread for three months, so I'm very much still a newbie at it. Anyway I've read instant yeast is stronger than active dry, so if it calls for 1 tbsp of active dry, you'd use 2.4 tsp of instant. I haven't even tried active dry yet, much less pro Baker's favorite yeast, fresh yeast because no grocery stores I've tried carry it. Thanks again.
Caroline's Cooking
Appreciate the comment. Yes fresh yeast is definitely different (and I can never find it either - I remember my grandpa used to get it from the local homebrew shop!). In terms of active v instant, I haven't seen recommendations to use a slightly different amount, more if anything you may want to adjust the rise time such as in this article: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252. I imagine with the quantity here, it wouldn't make a huge difference but you could adjust the amount slightly if you prefer.
QCB
Love the bread!!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear!
Becky
This bread sounds delicious. I want to make it for a Japanese friend. I have sourdough starter that I need to use. Do you think I could use it in this recipe?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried it with sourdough and in theory, you probably could use a little but to be honest, this loaf is all about being soft, light and fluffy and so not sure a sourdough flavor is necessarily the best fit. I'd suggest maybe try using the sourdough for something else (I have recently shared both sourdough pizza dough and sourdough pancakes which are a great fit!)
Ellen
Recipe works like a charm! Can you substitute flour? Today I'm trying with all purpose because it's what I have. But curious about white whole wheat or 100% wheat flours? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad you enjoyed! So the main things when it comes to substituting flour is the different level of gluten-forming protein and how much they absorb liquid, as well as texture. Since you've made it as original, you have a sense for the texture you are looking for so can hopefully make a good guess if you need more or less of the flour you are substituting by the feel of the dough, as it can vary. All purpose and bread flours are relatively similar so it usually works fine to swap, the bread may just not rise quite as well with AP flour. White whole wheat has a similar texture but lower protein, so I'd generally suggest you just swap in a third and see how it goes rather than any more. Other whole grain flours are generally a coarser texture so the bread is likely to not be anything like as soft, and also typically lower protein - again I'd suggest maybe swapping just a bit to see how it goes.
Karen
I made this bread today and it was absolutely delicious. I have not made bread before, so I am very proud of myself and thankful to you for sharing your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed and well done on your first loaf!
mia
This bread is the best!
I made it with a BIG portion of flour "glue"
no eggs, and just a little butter.
It tasted like some buns my turkish neighbour gave me in 1989 (how did she make them...?)
Now I know.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! The egg does definitely add a nice richness, but yes you can make without.
MALLORI watson
This may sound crazy but a restaurant I love makes complimentary milk bread to serve to guests. They also make cinnamon rolls with the milk bread and it is divine. Like no cinnamon roll I’ve ever had. I was trying to replicate the recipe and in the process discovered Japanese milk bread which probably the same as the milk bread they serve. Any chance this recipe can have the dough made the same but you add the gooey layer and roll as you would cinnamon rolls. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Caroline's Cooking
Not crazy at all! I haven't tried using this dough to make cinnamon rolls, but in principle I can see it working - just instead of splitting the dough into three pieces and folding each, keep it as one and roll it flat and add the filling (I'd suggest the mix I use in my eggnog cinnamon rolls would be good, if you don't already have a preferred filling mix), roll up and cut in slices as you would other cinnamon rolls.
Sara
This was surprisingly very simple to make and tastes amazing. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook because I was feeling extra lazy. I only had active dry yeast, so I mixed that with 1/4 cup of warm water first, then used slightly less milk in the recipe. Turned out perfect! We started eating it when it was still warm and almost ate the entire loaf- it’s that good!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! And yes, a stand mixer is a great way to make the kneading that bit easier (I just quite like doing it by hand, I find it relaxing!)
Donna
Please could you tell me how long to mix in a machine and on what speec?
Caroline's Cooking
You're best to use a medium-low speed to knead on a mixer, with a dough hook, and probably just 1 - 2 minutes, though it may depend on the machine.
Mary Borges
I have tried numerous recipes with varying degrees of satisfaction.Assuming I’d never get the hang of making yeast bread I was about to give up when I found your recipe.I am SO happy I did,it’s exactly what I had been looking for..I would encourage every bread lover to try it.The only modification I made was to reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.
Thank you so much for sharing and making lockdown in Scotland tolerable.
Stay safe everyone.
Caroline's Cooking
That makes me very happy to hear! I understand, it's a tough time right now in so many places and glad baking this helped make things that little bit better!
Mary Egbert
I just made this and had my doubts it would rise, but it made me look like a baking super star! Thank you for sharing. I will def be making this again!
Caroline's Cooking
I'm so glad it both worked well for you and that you enjoyed!
Maria Samonte
Hello!
Can you pls. help me? can I use APF instead of bread flour? I do not have any bread flour stock here because of covid-19.
What are the adjustments in flour or water?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, as I mention to someone else, I believe this should work with AP flour, it may just not rise quite as well. All flours (even of the same type) can be different but I'd start with around the same weight as the bread flour, and then adjust flour/water slightly depending how the dough feels. It is a relatively soft dough, but shouldn't be too sticky.
Jacq Henderson
Lovely bread! Been making the classic white loaf, and had been wanting to try this - Glad I did! Husband and daughter loved it. Thank you for this recipe. Only question I have is can I use milk instead of egg wash?
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes, I'd think milk should be good, too, maybe just not quite as glossy.
KRISTINE
I’m planning on making this bread however every grocery store is out of bread flour. Would it come out fine with just regular all purpose flour?
Caroline's Cooking
I've been having challenges getting bread flour as well. Bread flour has a higher level of gluten than all purpose, so the structure of the dough tends to hold a little better, but I think it should still work with AP, you may just need a little more flour and the texture may not be quite as fluffy.
bella
I'm new at making bread so far it's been good.Excited to try this bread...My only problem is my husband is on a low sodium diet Can I reduce the amount of sodium in this bread
thank You From Ontario Canada
Caroline's Cooking
Salt in bread serves a couple purposes, partly for flavor but also it helps with the texture of the bread. So you can reduce it a little, but be aware it will probably impact both of these.
Jeevan Sukumaran
Tried this recipe. Flowed your recipe down to the letter. And it turned out perfectly. Had to leave it in just a wee bit longer. About 45 mins. But it was fantastic. And so easy to make. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed!
Anh
Hi, I dont have fast acting yeast, would I be able to replace ut with instant yeast ? And how much would you recommend? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Fast acting yeast and instant yeast are the same thing, so just use exactly the same amount (and in fact if you had active dry yeast, the other kind of dry yeast, it would also be the same amount it just needs to be dissolved in water first while that doesn't really matter with fast-acting/instant). Hope you enjoy!
Frankie
I just made this bread and it is wonderful! I have never used yeast before and was a little anxious but this recipe was so easy to follow. I doubled the recipe and will be making it again tomorrow. Maybe I will try and sprinkle a little cinnamon before I “roll!” Get it?
Since this was such a success, I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
God Bless
Caroline's Cooking
That's great to hear that it was such a success, and yes please try some of the other recipes - there are plenty to choose from 🙂
Angie
Is it possible to replace the bread flour with whole wheat flour to make it more healthy ?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried and as I think I replied to someone else, the challenge with regular whole wheat flour is it tends to be more coarse so I don't think the end loaf would have that lovely soft texture. However I have found whole wheat pastry flour a pretty good alternative in other recipes and can see it working here to still keep a good texture - you just may need a bit more/less flour as different flours react a bit differently.
Rob
Hi Caroline. My first run is rising in the oven with the light on now I’ll be using a pain de mie pan. Any cautions?
Caroline's Cooking
Only that I'd suggest probably not using the lid, if it has one, so you get the nice rounded shape etc, but otherwise I hope it worked out!
Loretta
This sounds yummy! Can wheat flour be used instead of white?
Caroline's Cooking
This is very much a soft textured loaf, and I think regular whole wheat flour would be too dense a texture. However if you can find whole wheat pastry flour, it is much more fine and I think it should work fine - you may just need to adjust the exact amount as different flours react a little differently.
Zara
Hi Caroline, thanks so much for sharing a brilliant recipe with step by steps.
I made this loaf last night for the first time and wasn't sure how it would turn out as first I've never made bread in my life and second I wasn't too confident as it looked a lot of work ie kneading. But I must admit I am pleasantly surprise with the outcome. I brushed milk on the bread before baking and not an egg and then brushed a bit of butter on the top after taking it out.
The bread is soft, fluffy and crumbly...and we loved it.... This is now going to be my 'go-to' recipe and one I'd like to master...
I did, however, want to ask the bread looked a tiny bit dense at the bottom - not sure why? Could it be that it needed a few more minutes more in the oven? I also wanted to ask should the bread be left to cool down completely before slicing it?
Thanks again.... ❤️
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed! In general yes, it is best to let bread cool down completely before slicing - this is mainly because when it's still warm, the knife can pull a bit and cause dough-like clumps. I admit, I am very bad at waiting that long and normally slice it when it's still slightly warm so sometimes get slight clumps but not too much. On being dense in the bottom, it could be that the bread needed slightly more space or time to rise on the second rise. So when you put the dough into the baking tin, try to make sure you don't press it down so there's a little space. If it was dense-looking more into the middle (which may be more towards the bottom but more or less the middle of the loaf) then yes I imagine it may have needed slightly longer to bake.
Lisa
Thank you for this recipe. Can i replace bread flour with all purpose flour? Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
Yes you can, the bread flour just gives a softer texture. Enjoy!
Vanessa
This is my new favorite white bread receipe! Wow! Absolutely delicious!! I didnt have fast acting yeast so I just use the standard one with 1/4 cup of water for it to rise and 1/4 cup almond milk. I will make another one tomorrow so I can hopefully last the week! But it's so tasty, I doubt it!
Thanks for a delicious go-to bread!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed! I agree it's such a wonderful bread.
Mel Bernard
How long do I knead the bread with my mixer? Just enough for ingredients to be incorporated or the typical 5-7 minutes?
Caroline's Cooking
The typical 5-7 minutes, so you get the gluten stretching etc. Hope you enjoy!
Angel Robertson
I loved the recipe and I made 10 rolls from it. Filled 5 with chocolate and the other 5 with turkey bacon and cheese. Turned out great. You could also make a curry but make sure it’s more paste like not runny. 😃
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear, and the fillings sound tasty!
M
You filled when rolling up the buns? How many buns does this recipe make ?
Caroline's Cooking
I didn't fill them as buns, though you certainly could if you like. Just be aware some filling will mean the dough won't rise as well and may become dense in places. You can make the buns as big or small as you would like but I'd say 6 to 9 would be good, depending on how big you'd like them.
Laura
Is the nutrition values based on per 100g or per serving? And if it’s per serving, how many grams per serving please? I’m looking for a bread that’s low salt to give my children so need to work out of it is! Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So the nutrition values are calculated per serving, so it's assuming you get 16 servings, in this case. I haven't weighed the finished loaf, but adding up the ingredients, it comes out around 650g total, so about 40g per serving, but this is only approximate and doesn't really allow for much evaporation, which could well happen.
Denise Henry
I made this bread yesterday for my daughter's birthday dinner. I have been baking bread off and on for years. My brother is a master baker(39 years of experience). I can't even come close to him. That being said neither he nor I have ever made milk bread. After trying your easy to follow directions the bread turned out wonderful. Everyone highly praised it. I know this recipe will go into my top 5 favorites. Thank you for taking the time to share it with all of us.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed this (and found it easy to follow). It really is a special bread, I agree!
Brianp
Great recipe, easy as to make, cooked in a wood fired oven, sensational!
Caroline's Cooking
Sounds wonderful in a wood fired oven, glad to hear you enjoyed!
Chen
Have you used the dough to make buns with fillings? Will the buns turn out soft and fluff?
Caroline's Cooking
No I haven't tried it. With any filling, you run the risk of it soaking in to the dough and weighing it down, so you just need to take care it doesn't make the dough underneath go soggy and maybe not cook. So if you try it, don't over-fill or have a filling that's too liquid. Would be interested to hear how it goes!
Angel Robertson
I loved the recipe and I made 10 rolls from it. Filled 5 with chocolate and the other 5 with turkey bacon and cheese. Turned out great. You could also make a curry but make sure it’s more paste like not runny. 😃
Caroline's Cooking
Great! They sound tasty!
Per
This was great! Very easy to make. Can I add more sugar if I want it to be sweeter? or will that affect the structure of the bread? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed! I haven't tried adding more, but in theory a little more shouldn't make too much of a difference, especially since it is already a soft loaf. I have seen recipes with a little more sugar in there as well. However if you add too much it may impact the structure - to help avoid too many issues, you may need a bit more flour to balance it out and just watch it as it rises so it doesn't over-prove.
Elizabeth
I’m going to make this tomorrow. What is over proofing? How can you tell when it’s perfectly proofed? I do t want to mess this up!
Caroline's Cooking
Sorry for the delay in replying, internet problems! Basically you don't want it to have huge bubbles of air - if it roughly doubles that's fine, but if it's say 3 times as big as it was originally it's probably too much. Good luck, hope all works out!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I've heard you describing this bread for a while now and I'm so excited to see it! It looks soft and pillowy. I can't wait to give this one a try, Caroline!
Caroline's Cooking
Thank you, it really is so incredibly light and soft. Worth trying for sure!
Rene
What type of milk do you recommend. Is dairy free an option?
Caroline's Cooking
Typically I would make this with whole milk (cow's milk). I haven't made this with dairy free milk and can't say for sure how it would work since it may react differently with the other ingredients - eg you may need a little more or less since the flour may not absorb it in the same way.
Christine
This is perfect bread. I'm a pastry chef not a baker so I was pleasantly surprised and so happy that I could pull THIS off in lieu of my regular wheat bread here at home for my husband.
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed - I agree it's such a lovely bread!
Karlene
Instead of putting all three in a pan, could I make mini loaves?
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, you could - you can also make small round rolls eg baked in a skillet. Just be aware smaller loaves/rolls will generally cook quicker so keep an eye on them as they bake.
Sharon
This Japanese milk bread looks so light and fluffy. This bread would be perfect for Sunday dinner.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, it really is so light, and I can see it having so many uses.
Krissy Allori
Oh my gosh! This looks amazing. I can't wait to try it.
Caroline's Cooking
Thank you, hope you enjoy as much as we did!
Shashi at SavorySpin
Wow - that's such a delightfully fluffy loaf - I used to think I preferred artisan loaves too, but after looking at this - it's hard for me to choose!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks - I think both kinds definitely have their place, but we instantly loved this light, fluffy loaf.
Taylor
Hello, I was wondering if this could be made with almond milk or oat milk instead of whole milk?
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't tried myself but think it should certainly work fine, it just may not be quite as soft but I doubt it would be that different.
Melissa
For vegan friends and sourdough lovers, here’s what I did. Used almond milk, plant butter, about 1.5-2 Tb sourdough starter straight out of the refrigerator. Let it rise in frig overnight. In the morning , Let rise on counter til double, shape and let rise til just above pan. Very tasty, fluffy, and light! I have pictures.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for sharing! Glad it worked well adapted to be vegan, too.