Ever wondered what makes Japanese milk bread so soft and pillowy? The bread is made with a starter called tangzhong, which means “water-roux,” a warm paste made from flour and water traditionally used in China to create soft, springy buns full of air bubbles. However, for milk bread, the tangzhong is made with milk, as the name implies. This mixture contains a substantial amount of water (in this case, milk); when added, it makes the bread extra moist, softer, and lasts a little longer.
Many people mistake milk bread for Brioche, a very soft and pillowy type of bread on the inside. However, Brioche uses more eggs in the dough and has a much longer resting time. Making bread using the tangzhong method will be more similar to Brioche but still soft and fluffy. Milk bread has a lighter sweetness, while Brioche can be pretty sweet and makes for an excellent dessert like the exquisite french Tarte Tropézienne. This bread pairs perfectly with anything, especially with infused butter or marmalade.
Ingredients:
For the starter: *This starter recipe produces enough to bake 2 loaves of bread because it’s challenging to cook a smaller amount. You can always discard the extra starter or, better yet, double the dough recipe and bake 2 loaves.
1/3 cup bread flour + 1/2 cup of whole milk
For the bread dough:
2 1/2 cups of bread flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tsp of active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tsp of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup of warm whole milk (a little extra for brushing the top of the loaf before baking).
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and softened at room temperature (a little extra to butter the bowl and pan).
Preparation:
Make the starter:
In a small pot, whisk flour, milk, and 1/2 cup of water together until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, often stirring, until thickened but still pourable, about 10 minutes; it will thicken more as it cools. You will know when it’s ready because the spoon should leave tracks on the bottom of the pot. Scrape into a measuring cup and lightly cover the surface with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool down to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of starter.
Make the dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix for a few seconds, just until evenly combined. Add egg, milk, and 1/2 cup of starter, turn the mixer to low speed and knead for 5 minutes. Add the softened butter and knead for another 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth, springy, and tacky.
Lightly butter the inside of a bowl. Use your hands to lift the dough out of the mixer bowl, shape it into a ball, and put it in the prepared bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes to an hr.
Punch the dough down and use your hands to scoop it out onto a surface. Using a bench scraper or a large knife, cut down in half. Lightly form each half into a ball, cover again, and let rise for 15 more minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, generously butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Gently roll out one dough ball into a thick oval using a rolling pin. By this time, the dough should be moist but no longer sticky, you probably won’t need to flour the surface, but you still should flour the rolling pin.
Roll away from your body, then pull in until the oval is about 12 inches long and 6 inches across. Fold the top 3 inches of the oval down, then fold the bottom 3 inches of the oval up, making a rough square. Starting from the right edge of the square, roll up the dough into a fat log, pick it up and smooth the top with your hands. Place the log in the buttered pan, seam side down and crosswise, nestling it near one end of the pan. Repeat with the other dough ball, placing it near the other end of the pan. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes more until the risen dough is peeking over the edge of the pan and the dough logs are meeting in the center. Brush the tops with milk and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven until golden brown and puffed for 35-40 minutes.
Take it out of the oven. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool down in a wire rack for about an hour to let the crust soften and keep the crumb lofty; if you cut it too soon, the air bubbles trapped in the bread (what makes it pillowy) will deflate resulting in a less pillowy bread. Never unmold your bread while too hot, and never slice your bread while still too warm.
Slice and enjoy!
The author shall not be liable for any damage or injury alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided here. Neither is responsible for any allergic reaction or adverse reaction to any ingredient (including infusions). No legal, nutritional, or medical advice is intended with this information, and under no circumstances should any infused product be given to children without professional medical guidance.