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What is it?

Japanese Milk Bread is a white bread that is soft and yes… you guessed it right… milky! It’s also known as Shokupan or Hokkaido milk bread.

During my last trip in Japan, egg salad sandwiches were a staple buy in convenience stores. I could not forget the soft white milky bread goodness. I knew I had to make one at home. This recipe was by far the best (and easiest) one to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Servings: 1 Loaf

• 1/6 cup bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water

• 2 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk (warm)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (softened and divided into 4- 1 Tablespoons each)

• Additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter to grease mixing bowl
• Additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter to grease loaf pan
• Additional 2 Tablespoon milk for brushing loaf

Instructions

1. In a small pot, whisk flour, milk and water until smooth. Simmer on medium-low heat until it is syrupy in texture (8-10 minutes). 
2. Turn off heat. Set aside. The mixture will thicken as it cools.  

3. Prepare your stand mixer using a dough hook. 
4. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined.
5. Add egg, milk, and mixture prepared earlier. Continue to mix on low speed until well combined (about 5 minutes). 
6. Add soft butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait until fully incorporated with the dough before adding the next. Set mixer to medium speed.
7. Once butter is fully incorporated, turn mixer to medium-high speed. Continue mixing 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Do the windowpane test (if you pull the dough, it should be stretchy and shouldn’t break right away).
8. Lift the dough and shape into a ball. 
9. Grease the mixing bowl with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of butter. Put the dough back inside and cover to let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour (check if the dough has doubled).

10. Once the dough has doubled its size. Punch the dough. Cut the dough in 3 parts and shape each into a ball.
11. Cover for another 15-30 minutes to rise. 
12. While waiting for the second rise, pre-heat the oven to 350 F degrees and grease the loaf pan.

13. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll one dough into an oval about 12 inches by 6 inches. 
14. Fold the upper half of the rolled dough down. Then fold the lower half up. Gently roll the dough from one side to the other. It will look like a log.
15. Place the seam side down and rolled edges should fit snugly on one side of the loaf pan. 

16. Repeat steps 13 to 15 with the remaining 2 dough balls. It’s ok to have space in between the doughs.
17. Cover the pan and let it rest for 30-45 minutes. The dough should have rise or expanded, and the gaps in between them should be gone.     

18. Lightly brush the dough with the milk.
19. Bake in the bottom shelf of the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
20. Let it cool. Move to a wire rack and let it rest for about 1 hour.