Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido Milk Bread)

A loaf of Hokkaido milk bread, pulled apart into two pieces and resting on a metal rack.

4.22 from 14 votes

Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido Milk Bread)

Japanese milk bread, or Hokkaido milk bread is a cottony, fluffy white bread that stays soft and fresh for days. The secret to this freshness is tangzhong, a cooked milk, flour and water paste that makes the dough tender and stops it drying out.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Proofing Time1 10

Total Time2 5

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: hokkaido milk bread, japanese milk bread, shokupan bread

Servings: slices

Calories: 170kcal

Ingredients

Roux/Starter

1/4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water

Dough

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast or instant yeast (no modification necessary for mixing)
2 Tbsp dry milk powder full fat/whole milk powder
1 tsp fine salt
1/2 cup milk room temperature
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
2 Tbsp whole milk for brushing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the roux/starter

Combine the ingredients for the roux/starter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as the mixture heats and then thickens to the consistency of mashed potatoes. This will take about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover, letting the mixture sit until it gets to room temperature.
1/4 cup bread flour, 1/4 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup water

Make the dough

Put the bread flour, sugar, yeast, dry milk powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix the dry ingredients briefly to combine, then add milk, cooled roux/starter, and beaten egg.
2 1/2 cups bread flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp active dry yeast, 2 Tbsp dry milk powder, 1 tsp fine salt, 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg
Mix on low for 5 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. With the mixer running, drop in the cubes of butter, one by one, and continue mixing for 5 minutes. Turn the speed up to medium and mix until the dough is elastic, smooth and soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.
1/4 cup unsalted butter

First proof

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.
If you're using a steam oven for proving, set the oven to 85°F/30°C, 80% humidity. Put the uncovered bowl in the oven until it's doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

Shape the loaf

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equally sized pieces. Roll each out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch/7mm thick. Fold the long sides of each piece of dough in about 1" towards the center. Starting on one of the short edges, tightly and neatly roll up the dough and place in a greased 9x4 inch (23x10cm) loaf pan. Repeat with each piece of dough so you've got three little 'snails' lined up in your loaf pan.

Second proof

For benchtop proving, cover the pan and let rise until the dough springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip, about 45 minutes.
For steam oven proving, set the oven to 85°F/30°C, 80% humidity. Put the uncovered pan in the oven until the dough springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven while you preheat for baking.

Bake the loaf - regular oven

Shortly before you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Brush the top of the risen loaf with milk and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown. If you'd like to bake to temperature, the inside of the loaf should read 190°F/88°C on an instant read thermometer.
2 Tbsp whole milk

Bake the loaf - steam oven

Preheat oven to Combi Steam, 350°F/180°C. If your oven has variable steam settings, set to 60% steam (if not, don't worry! Just set to combi steam/convection steam at the correct temperature and the oven will work out the humidity). Brush the top of the risen loaf with milk and bake until the top is a deep golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. If you'd like to bake to temperature, the inside of the loaf should read 190°F/88°C on an instant read thermometer.
2 Tbsp whole milk
Remove from oven and let the loaf sit for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan to a cooling rack. Let it cool to barely warm before slicing. Any bread not eaten on the first day will keep, well wrapped, for a couple of days at room temperature. Alternatively, slice and freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Notes

You can skip the milk powder in this recipe if you don't have any, however it will make a difference to the softness and richness of the finished loaf.
I use a deep loaf pan for this bread (9x4x4.5"), so it can rise and dome on top without overflowing the pan. A shallower pan will give you a more puffed, muffin-top look to your bread. You can also bake this in a covered pullman pan if you want a very even rectangular loaf. If you do this, skip brushing the risen dough with milk before baking.
Leftover/stale Hokkaido Milk Bread makes excellent French toast and toasted sandwiches.

Nutrition