Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
Soft, fluffy milk bread rolls with a tender, pillowy texture. This recipe uses a tangzhong (starter dough) method to achieve that characteristic light crumb and subtly sweet flavor that makes these rolls absolutely irresistible.
Story
These Japanese milk rolls are the ultimate comfort bread. The tangzhong technique—cooking a portion of the flour and liquid into a paste—locks in moisture and creates that signature soft, cloud-like texture. Perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, or simply warm from the oven with butter.
Ingredients
bread flour
300g
whole milk
180ml + 50ml for tangzhong
granulated sugar
40g
active dry yeast
4g
salt
4g
unsalted butter
30g, softened
Instructions
1
Make the tangzhong starter
Combine 50ml of milk with 20g of flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a paste and reaches 65°C (149°F). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2
Mix the dough
In a bread machine or large mixing bowl, add the remaining milk, cooled tangzhong, flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, then add the softened butter and continue kneading until fully incorporated. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3
First rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 60 minutes. In cold weather, preheat your oven to its lowest setting for 2 minutes, turn it off, and place the covered bowl inside with a bowl of hot water on the rack below.
4
Shape the rolls
Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and arrange in a greased 9-inch round cake pan, spacing them evenly. Cover and let rise again until puffy and filling the pan, about 30-40 minutes.
5
Bake
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush the tops gently with a little milk for a golden finish. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
