Milk Bread (Delicate and Fluffy Asian Fashion Recipe)

Milk Bread is a splendidly mild, moist and pillowy delicate white bread that you will note in lots of Asian/Korean model bakeries or in Korean espresso retailers – served in thick slices normally with jam and butter. Flavors of milk and butter with a refined sweetness makes this bread addictingly scrumptious and now you may make it at dwelling!

Milk Bread or Uyu Sikppang (우유식빵) is a bread that’s extremely popular not simply in Korea however in lots of Asian international locations together with Japan (the place it additionally goes by Shokupan), China and Taiwan. And lately you will discover them in bakeries like Paris Baguette (which is a franchise from Korea) in numerous areas all through the US. It is usually referred to as Asian Milk Bread, Japanese/Chinese language Milk Bread (Shokupan) and Hokkaido Milk Bread.

OK, so this bread makes me consider my mother.. she beloved this delicate bread a lot. However the way in which she ate the bread was fairly humorous and I do know she all the time thought she was being a bit naughty 😈when she did this. She would rip out the middle of the bread, leaving a giant gap behind. 😲🤭 So far as I can keep in mind she all the time tried to be correct however delicate milk bread was one factor that made her unhealthy…together with her consuming solely the middle half! hahaha..

And you already know.. how when rising up… our dad and mom all the time advised us that we needs to be consuming each a part of the bread together with the crust due to no matter cause?? HAHAHA.. one cause being, we should always not waste meals!! When there are children ravenous in faraway international locations and right here you might be being a choosy eater concerning the crust…

And that solely spoiled youngsters ask for sandwiches made with bread with the crust minimize out?? HAHAHA 🤣😆

Properly… that was one factor my mother might by no means inform us as a result of she violated this rule on a regular basis!!

So once I made this bread and it got here out simply as yummy, delicate and pillowy delicate as how I keep in mind it many a few years in the past, I used to be so tempted to simply dig out the middle and eat it  – similar to how my mother did… 😂🤣😂

What’s particular about this Milk Bread?

Completely different from the frequent American sandwich bread, this milk bread is made very in a different way and could be very moist and in addition has a lightweight, fluffy and barely chewy texture. It doesn’t ‘crumble’ like most American model sandwich bread. BTW, this bread is what Panko bread crumbs are made from.

This bread comes out so totally different due to a particular water roux approach referred to as Tangzhong Technique (탕종법 湯種法). Flour, water and milk are combined and heated to make a roux like combination and that is added to the dough. This technique was historically utilized in China to make buns with a delicate and springy texture. After which within the early 1920’s a Japanese baker determined to make use of this technique to make this model of soppy bread.

And whereas the remainder of Asia was broadly launched to this technique by a Chinese language cookbook creator Yvonne Chen in a ebook referred to as the “65°C Bread Physician” in 2007,  Koreans had been launched a lot earlier. I undoubtedly keep in mind consuming this sort of fluffy delicate bread in Korea once I was just a little child within the 70’s.

Again to Tangzhong.. this technique gelatinizes the starches within the flour, permitting it to soak up and maintain extra water. As well as, the gelatinized starch in Tanzhong creates a extra secure construction – permitting the bread to rise HIGHER (as a consequence of additional inside steam throughout baking) even with the additional liquid. And resultingly, the bread will come out extra moist and can keep delicate and contemporary longer.

So one might say it is a Japanese milk bread aka Shokupan (as sadly that’s how folks search) however as I discussed above, the unique technique comes from China. So I wish to say that is an Asian model bread greater than something. And, when you’ve got been to an Asian bakery, you’ll know that every nation has its personal distinctive model of baking e.g. Taiwanese like to make use of Taro of their bread whereas Koreans by no means do. 

MILK BREAD REcipe for bread machine with no Tangzhong

If you’d like a milk bread recipe for bread machine, you possibly can attempt THIS RECIPE. I developed and examined it a number of occasions and have obtained nice suggestions from readers. This recipe additionally makes use of NO TANGZHONG however nonetheless makes simply as scrumptious, moist and barely chewy bread.

Completely different Korean Milk Breads

Over time, Koreans have developed their very own model of milk breads – such because the Chestnut Bread (밤식빵),  Corn Bread (옥수수식빵), Raisin Bread (건포도식빵), Walnut Bread (호두식빵 to not be confused with the American candy walnut bread) and extra just lately, Squid Ink Bread (먹물식빵).  I already made some easy chestnut bread and my husband devoured it up immediately saying it’s his favourite bread rising up!

Chef’s Ideas for Good Milk Bread

With a purpose to convey you one of the best milk bread recipe, I examined a number of recipes which can be on the market on each the Korean and American Web. I’ve seen some recipes that do NOT use the Tangzhong technique however claimed you get comparable delicate and fluffy outcomes – you can not. I’ve seen some Korean milk bread recipes that discuss including the sugar, yeast and salt however not letting them contact one another till they’re combined. Unsure who got here up with that vivid thought however I attempted a number of and didn’t matter in any respect and really failed every time with out Tangzhong.

I’ve seemed on the high 4 US recipes and tried a pair however was not proud of the outcome. It simply didn’t rise as a lot as I needed it to. I believe a part of the issue with these recipes was that it doesn’t have footage or particulars for me to understand how a lot to knead, and many others. There was only one recipe that got here out like how I needed it (by NYT Cooking) and my recipe is predicated on that principally however with some adjustments (low-fat milk as an alternative of entire milk, diminished sugar, just a little extra flour) to it.

• Observe directions fastidiously – baking is a science so each little element could make a giant distinction. Measure in weight too.
• Don’t neglect to heat milk (vital for activating yeast) and soften butter.
• Use Bread flour. It’s totally different from common All Goal flour.
• Use Quick Appearing Prompt Yeast and ensure it’s not expired.
• Time for mixing dough and proofing is an estimate, it could fluctuate relying on the temperature and humidity. Be taught to regulate by checking the dough.
• Retailer leftover Tangzhong within the fridge – should you occur to make additional. The recipe under will make sufficient for 1 bread. When utilizing leftover starter, simply reheat to room temp earlier than utilizing.
• Use a narrower bread loaf pan or pullman loaf pan (with out the highest) for greatest outcomes.
• Variations –   along with including raisins or canned chestnuts, you too can add cinnamon sugar, chocolate or fruit jam when rolling to make totally different flavored breads.
• Storage – bread will maintain contemporary for 3 days, wrapped in foil or frozen as much as 3 months

Can I substitute non-instant Lively yeast? What do I must do in a different way?

With the newest scarcity in yeast, I do know a lot of chances are you’ll solely have the ability to get the non-instant Lively Yeast (you might be fortunate should you may even get that!). In that case, you need to use it however the non-instant type should be activated first in heat liquid. Within the recipe under, in step 4, after warming up the milk, add the yeast to heat milk and let it activate.

As soon as yeast has activated (bubbles up) within the milk in about 5 minutes or so, you possibly can add the milk to the dough. Additionally, chances are you’ll wish to enhance the proving time by 10-Quarter-hour when utilizing non-instant Lively Yeast since they take longer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Makes 1 loaf

Whole Cooking Time: 4 1/2 hours  Inactive Cooking Time: 3 hrs Problem: Medium

Gear: Stand mixer with a dough hook (might be wanted by hand), whisk, small pot, 2 bowls, loaf pan (9″x 5″  or narrower), rolling pin ** I used Monfish Pullman loaf pan (8.35 x 4 inch) – purchase it right here.

1. Convey egg and butter to room temperature or soften butter within the microwave (like 30 sec at 30% energy for 4 Tbs).
2. Starter : In a small sauce pot, add flour, milk, water and whisk. Flip warmth to medium and prepare dinner for  2-3 minutes for this minimal quantity (longer if you’re making greater than 1 loaf). For the primary 1-2 minutes, test each 10-15 seconds and whisk. After 2 minutes, because it begins to thicken, whisk continuously till all the things is cooked and thickened. When it’s carried out, whisking ought to depart tracks on the underside of the pot and maintain its form like under.

   

3. Dough: In a stand mixer bowl (utilizing a dough hook), add flour, sugar, yeast, salt. Combine the dry elements with the dough hook for a number of seconds till they’re evenly mixed. When carried out, I additionally like to make use of my fingers to combine once more simply to verify issues are evenly combined together with the underside of the bowl.
4. Heat up milk in a pot or within the microwave – till it appears like very heat tub water (110° F/43° C).
5. To mixer bowl with dry elements, add heat milk, the entire starter made in step 2 and egg. Flip the mixer on low velocity and  knead for five minutes.

   

6. Butter your loaf pan and butter two bowls the place the dough can be proved. One needs to be giant sufficient to carry greater than double dimension of the dough.
7. Add softened butter to the dough from 5 and knead for 10 – 11 minutes.  First at medium-low velocity for a pair minutes till the butter is all integrated (it doesn’t look like it can get combined in however maintain kneading and finally the butter will disappear into the dough) then at medium velocity till dough turns into easy and stretchy however just a little cheesy. Dough will persist with the edges of the bowl until the tip and that’s the way it needs to be. See video.
8. Switch the dough along with your fingers to the buttered bowl from 6. See how easy it seems within the mixing bowl but additionally how sticky it’s – sticking to the aspect of the bowl.
   

   

   Form it a bit along with your fingers to make it right into a ball. Cowl with a plastic wrap or with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a heat location for 40 t0 60 minutes or till it has doubled in dimension. To make sure constant outcomes, I used my oven’s PROOF operate which units the oven at 100°F. On this setting, the dough will solely must show for 40 minutes.

   

   

9. Uncover the dough and punch it down along with your fist. Pull the edges away from the dough and kind it into one giant ball then utilizing a dough scraper. Then divide the dough in two and scoop out half of the dough into your hand. Along with your fingers, kind the dough calmly right into a ball after which put it into the 2nd bowl. Scoop out the remaining dough and kind it right into a ball once more with the seam aspect down and put it again within the bowl.

   

10. Cowl each bowls with dough with a plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let it rise once more (in a heat location) for 15 – 17 minutes.  Once more, I used my PROOFing operate in my oven.
11. As soon as dough has risen, pull the dough away from the aspect of the bowl and switch one dough on a easy floor (granite or marble works properly). That is how correctly proofed dough will look while you pull it from the edges.
    

    

    Sprinkle floor very calmly with flour and in addition the rolling pin. You don’t should sprinkle flour on the floor but it surely makes issues simpler.

12. Roll out one dough ball right into a thick rectangle (or oval) about 12 inches lengthy and 4-5 inches large.

    

13. Fold or roll the highest of the dough (like 3 inches) down after which fold the underside up about the identical quantity, leading to a square-like dough form. Then roll it right into a log, ranging from the best fringe of the sq.. Choose up the log and nestle it down close to one finish of the loaf pan. REPEAT with the opposite dough ball and place it on the different finish of the loaf pan.  TIP – as you might be folding/rolling the dough off the floor, chances are you’ll discover that it sticks an excessive amount of. Use a dough scraper to get the dough off from the floor as an alternative of simply attempting to make use of your fingers.

    

14. Cowl the loaf pan and let it rise once more for 30 to 40 minutes – this time I normally let it rise at room temp whereas I anticipate the oven to warmth up. However you in case your room temp is chilly, you might be welcome to make use of the PROOF operate in your oven once more and let it rise first. Through which case, I’d take it out a bit sooner so it doesn’t over-prove.
15. Begin heating oven to 350°F/175° C, select Convection Bake should you can.
16. After 30 min, the dough is now seen above the sting of the pan and the two dough logs have totally crammed up the pan.
    

    

    Optionally, brush the tops calmly with milk (for shine) and bake on the backside shelf of the oven (you in all probability might want to take out a shelf since this bread will rise fairly a  bit throughout baking) till golden brown about 32-35 minutes. Bake just a little longer should you pierce it with a protracted skewer or skinny metallic chopstick (within the lowest half) and it doesn’t come out clear or take it out sooner in case your oven is a robust convection oven and it comes out clear.

    

17. Let the milk bread cool within the pan for 10-Quarter-hour after which take the bread out of the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool for a minimum of an hour or extra earlier than slicing as a result of should you slice too quickly when it’s nonetheless heat, the bread could collapse! TIP – if you would like a really delicate crust, loosely cowl the bread with foil or wrap whereas it cools.

Notes

• Common Tangzhong starter recipes check with a pourable consistency with 1 half dry to five half liquid (1:5 ratio in quantity) whereas another recipes use 1 half dry to three half liquid ratio. My recipe has a 1 to three.2  ratio (in quantity) which makes it thicker but it surely works!! *2.5 Tbs flour : 8 Tbs complete liquid = 1 : 3.2 ratio.
• Use the identical dough however divide into smaller dough balls and make pull-apart spherical rolls.
• To make Korean chestnut bread (bamsikppang), use Korean canned chestnuts that are available in syrup. Drain and minimize into smaller items.

Properly, it’s time for some toast and tea!!

And right here’s one remaining take a look at how the bread seems when torn up or when it’s sliced. 😍

Take pleasure in! ❤️

JinJoo

Methods to make Milk Bread Video