Description
Soft, fragrant, and incredibly fluffy, this milk bread loaf skips the tangzhong step but still delivers that classic Asian bakery texture—perfect for toast, sandwiches, or eating warm straight from the pan.
Ingredients
- 500 g bread flour (about 3¾ cups)
- 40 g sugar (about 3 Tbsp)
- 1½ tsp instant yeast
- 225 g cold water (a little less than 1 cup)
- 115 g cold milk (½ cup)
- 9 g sea salt (1½ tsp)
- 25 g unsalted butter, softened slightly (about 1¾ Tbsp)
- Butter, for greasing the pan and brushing the top
- Flour, for lightly dusting the pan
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, cold water, and cold milk. Knead on low speed just until a rough dough comes together.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse). This helps gluten development and shortens kneading time later.
- Add the salt and knead on low speed for 1 minute, then add the softened butter in pieces. Continue kneading until the dough passes the windowpane test (about 7 minutes).
- Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and proof in a warm place for about 1 hour.
- Gently turn the dough out onto a work surface and cut it into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll each ball into an oval, then roll it up into a log. Repeat with all pieces and rest again for 15 minutes.
- Rotate and roll each log into a long rectangle, then roll up again tightly.
- Grease a 10 x 5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour. Place the rolled pieces seam-side down in the pan and proof for 1–1.5 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the loaf for 30–35 minutes, tenting with foil after 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, drop the pan once on the counter, then turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Brush with melted butter and let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Use a kitchen scale for flour and liquids to ensure proper measurements. Slice and freeze for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian