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If you’re a fan of soft and fluffy bread, then you have to try Japanese milk bread! This bread is known for its tender crumb and slightly sweet flavor, making it perfect for breakfast, snacks or even sandwiches. In this blog post, we’ll share a simple and delicious recipe for Japanese milk bread that you can easily make at home.

The secret to this bread’s soft and fluffy texture lies in a technique called “tang zhong”. This involves cooking a portion of the flour and liquid mixture to create a thick paste, which is then added to the dough. This technique helps to retain moisture in the bread, resulting in a tender and fluffy crumb.

Japanese Milk Bread: A Soft and Fluffy Delight –

Ingredients:

Tang Zhong Ingredients:

• 20g bread flour
• 100g water

Bread Dough Ingredients:

• 290g bread flour
• 5g milk powder
• 130g milk (warmed to 41°C)
• 1/2 an egg
• 3g salt
• 5g active dry yeast
• 30g sugar
• 25g butter (room temperature)

Instructions:

1. Start by making the Tang Zhong mixture. Combine 20g bread flour and 100g water in a pot and cook on medium low heat until it becomes a thick mixture. Transfer it into a bowl and store it overnight in the fridge.
2. In a mixer, add 130g warm milk, 3g sugar, and 5g active dry yeast into the bowl. Let the yeast proof for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Combine 290g bread flour, 5g milk powder, and 25g sugar. Then add them into the mixer bowl along with half an egg into the proofed yeast.
4. Run the mixer on low until everything is combined and the mixture forms a dough.
5. Mix the dough on level 5 until it becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add 3g salt and 25g room temperature butter, and knead for another 2 minutes.
7. Place the dough into a bowl with a lid and set it aside for about 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.
8. Take the dough out and split it into 3 even pieces. For each piece, flatten it out into a long rectangle, then fold the sides in and roll the dough.
9. Grease the bread tin and place each rolled piece into the bread tin.
10. Cover the bread tin and set it aside to rise for another hour. Let it rise until at least 85-90% to the top.
11. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
12. Place the bread tin into the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes.
13. Remove the bread from the tin and place it onto a cooling rack.
14. Let the bread cool for about 30-40 minutes.
15. Slice, serve and enjoy!

This bread is perfect for making French toast, bread pudding, or simply served with a dollop of butter and jam. Try out this recipe and impress your family and friends with your baking skills!