Japanese Milk Bread
This bread is soft and fluffy like the white bread we ate as kids, only so much better! It’s a little sweet and reminiscent of King’s Hawaiian Bread. It goes well with the Chicken Katsu Sandwich or just with butter and jam.
Tips:
You can prepare the bread up to the last proof and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. Just bring the bread to room temperature and allow it to proof before baking.
Wrap the bread well and store for 5 days at room temperature or in the freezer for longer.
Japanese Milk Bread
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
Makes one loaf
PREP 20 minutes
COOK 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Tangzhong
3 tablespoons (43g) water
3 tablespoons (43g) whole milk
2 tablespoons (14g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
Dough
2 1/2 cups (298g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
2 tablespoons (14g) Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (113g) whole milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the tangzhong: Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.
Place the saucepan over low heat and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the tangzhong to a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and let it cool to lukewarm.
To make the dough: Combine the tangzhong with the remaining dough ingredients, then mix and knead — by mixer or bread machine — until a smooth, elastic dough forms; this could take almost 15 minutes in a stand mixer.
Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into four equal pieces; if you have a scale each piece will weigh between 170g and 175g.
Flatten each piece of dough into a 5" x 8" rectangle, then fold the short ends in towards one another like a letter. Flatten the folded pieces into rectangles again (this time about 3" x 6") and, starting with a short end, roll them each into a 4" log.
Place the logs in a row of four — seam side down and side by side — in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.
Cover the loaf and allow it to rest/rise for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
To bake the bread: Brush the loaf with milk and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes, until it's golden brown on top and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 190°F.
Remove the loaf from the oven and cool it in the pan until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely.