The Softest kind of Bread: Hokkaido Milk Bread

With a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb along with its amazing flavor, this Hokkaido milk bread is a unique Japanese creation that changes lives.

I make this bread recipe so often, since it is seriously one of the easiest, amazingly delicious breads that are out there. Hokkaido milk bread is just so moist, soft, and tender, and the subtle scent of milk is just lovely! This is my mum's favorite recipe ever, so I make it for her quite often.

In this recipe, there is a step when making the bread dough to make a flour paste. Also known as a tangzhong, the flour paste adds moisture to the dough without compensating stickiness--ultimately making the dough easier to shape while still tasting amazing.

Please try out this recipe! You will definitely not regret it.

Fast Facts!

• Contains flour(gluten)

• Contains milk and eggs

• Beginner baking level

• Soft and moist

• The best kind of sandwich bread

• Toasts really well

Hokkaido Milk Bread Recipe:

-makes 2 loaves-

30 min prep time

25-30 min cook time

1 hr 30 min rise/proof time OR overnight plus 30 min proof time

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TangZhong

• 188g milk

• 24g bread flour

Bread Dough

• 263g bread flour

• 150g cake flour

• 1 tspn of salt

• 45g milk

• 68g heavy cream

• 68g egg

• 38g butter

1. For the tangzhong, combine the flour and the milk in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until thick and gloopy.

2. For the bread: Add milk and heavy cream to the tangzhong in the same bowl to cool it down. Whisk. Add eggs. Whisk.

3. In a stand mixer bowl, add both flours, sugar, and salt. Add in the tangzhong mixture.

4. One med-low speed, knead the dough for 5-8 min, or until relatively combined and starting to smooth out.

5. Add the butter, and continue to knead for another 10-12 min, or until it passes the windowpane test, and is smooth in appearance. The dough should be tacky, but no sticky. If it is, add a tablespoon more flour at a time.

6. Let the dough rise in a warm environment for an hour OR let it rise in the fridge overnight. I like doing the latter for even better flavour, but letting it rise for just an hour is fine too. If you are doing the overnight version, let it come to room temp for 45-60 min before proceeding.

7. Once risen, the dough should've doubled in size. Punch out all the air in the dough.

8. Divide the dough into 4 even pieces, and shape them into balls.

9. Let rest for 5-10 min.

10. Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into an oval. Roll the oval into a log, and place the logs in a greased loaf tin(I used 8x4), 2 logs per tin.

11. Let proof for 30min to an hour, or until doubled in size and puffy.

12. Preheat the oven to 175C and bake for 23-30 min. Internal temp should be about 190F.

13. Invert the loaves out the pans, and let cool completely.

14. Enjoy!