Japanese Milk Bread

This Japanese milk bread is very soft, tender, light, and extra fluffy.  This bread is the perfect everyday loaf and makes for delicious sandwiches and toast.

Unlike most bread, this Japanese milk bread has the ability to stay soft for a longer period of time without processed ingredients.

To make this bread, we use the Yudane method, the traditional method of making milk bread in Japan. It’s a patented method involving mixing boiling water and flour and then letting it rest overnight.

Japanese Milk Bread

Ingredients:

• 200 g Bread flour
• 150 ml milk (room temperature)
• 10 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 15 g sugar
• 3 g dry instant yeast
• 5 g salt
• 1 egg (optional)

For the Yudane:

• 50 g Bread flour
• 40 ml boiling water above 90°C

Japanese Milk Bread

Directions:

1. Make Yudane the night before. Place bread flour in a bowl and add boiling water and mix well. Put cling wrap and leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. Pour the room temperature milk into a stand mixer bowl. Add the sugar, butter, and yeast to the bowl then add the Yudane as you tear it into small pieces. Then add the bread, flour, and salt.
3. Attach the kneading hook onto the stand mixer and knead on low speed until combined, then turn the speed up to speed 5 or 6 and knead the dough for 20 min.
4. Roll the dough round and place the dough into a greased bowl. Wrap with cling wrap to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F (30°C) or until double the size.
5. Punch the dough down and cut the dough into two equal parts with a scraper and roll them.
6. Cover the rolled dough with a wet cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place until doubled for 20 minutes bench time.
7. Roll out each dough to about 15 x 20 cm rectangle with a rolling pin then fold the dough tightly not letting any air in towards the center from left and right.
8. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it from one end.
9. Spray one loaf of bread tin lightly and place the rolled dough at the end of the tin facing the center.
10. Cover it with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for a second time for about half an hour until the dough rises to the size of the bread tin.
11. Preheat the oven to 365 °F (185°C).
12. Lightly beat the egg and brush the top of the loaf with egg wash. (optional)
13. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 -30 minutes until golden brown. (If it browns too fast, tent with foil for the last part of cooking)
14. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool.
15. Serve and enjoy.