Easy, Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread
Prepare all the ingredients for the Hokkaido Milk Bread recipe
Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir as the mixture heats and becomes a thick paste, about the consistency of mashed potato.
Start prepping the dough by putting the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add milk, cooled tangzhong and egg, and mix until elastic and very smooth.
For benchtop proving, cover the bowl and let the dough sit at warm room temperature (75-80°F/24-27°C is ideal), until it has doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
Flatten the dough into rectangles and fold the sides towards the center. Then neatly roll the dough and place in a greased deep loaf pan. Let it prove again for 45 minutes.
Bake the loaf for 30 minutes. Then let it sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice the bread to serve.