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    TaraTeaspoon » Course » Bread

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    Published: by

    Soft and Fluffy White Bread Recipe (Japanese Milk Bread)

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    White Bread Process Shots Pin
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    Soft and Fluffy White Bread Closeup with Slices Pin

    If you're searching for a soft and fluffy white bread recipe, this is it! I used the Japanese milk bread technique called Tangzhong. It's super simple, takes only a few hours, and creates a soft sandwich bread that you'll love.

    Sliced Japanese milk bread with butter
    Jump to:
    • What Is Milk Bread?
    • What Makes This Recipe Unique?
    • Making a Tangzhong Starter
    • How to Make Homemade White Bread
    • FAQs
    • More Easy Bread Recipes:
    • Soft & Fluffy White Bread Recipe

    This homemade white bread will blow your mind. It's completely soft like a cloud and tastes amazing. It's got one extra step (making a milk and flour jelly on the stove, called a tangzhong) and is still super fast and easy.

    This is my favorite fluffy white bread recipe. It is seriously the perfect sandwich bread, both soft and flavorful. I even use this method of bread making in my luxuriously soft and fluffy cinnamon roll recipe.

    I find most homemade loaves delicious, yet dense or overly sweet, or they have a course crumb. A coarse crumb doesn't mean it's not soft, just that the texture is more coarse or heavy, say, compared to Wonder Bread.

    My love for this soft and fluffy white bread doesn't negate my fond memories of classic homemade loaves mom would make. The sliced white sandwich bread made day in and day out in our homes is still fantastic. Just different!

    The texture of this bread is a genius mix between a classic homemade loaf of bread, a soft store-bought white bread, and buttery brioche.

    In some circles, it's called milk bread and it's light, moist, and pillowy soft all at the same time. It's like the white bread and rolls you get from Chinese and other Asian-style bakeries. You find flavors of milk, eggs, and butter, with a classic homemade-bread-sweetness that makes it a great sandwich loaf.

    fluffy white bread loaf on cutting board

    What Is Milk Bread?

    Milk bread goes by many different names, and as far as we know it originated in China as Shokupan or Hokkaido. In Korea it is called Uyu Sikppang.

    This soft, airy, cloud-like bread is commonly referred to as Japanese milk bread and is popular in the bakeries of many Asian countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. You can even find this style of bread at bakery chains like Paris Baguette, which is a Korean franchise!

    Asian-style milk bread is different than American homemade sandwich bread. It's a bit closer in texture to Wonder Bread but has an amazing homemade flavor. It doesn't crumble or tear the same as American style bread. And, it's what panko bread crumbs are made of!

    Cooks across Asia were introduced to making this bread at home in 2007 with a book called 65ºC Bread Doctor, by Yvonne Chen. It's been covered in many American baking books since then and online outlets like King Arthur Flour have great recipes.

    straight on shot of homemade loaf of bread

    What Makes This Recipe Unique?

    This fluffy white bread recipe is different than a homemade country loaf of white bread because of a special flour and milk roux called Tangzhong. It gets mixed and cooked before being added to the pretty standard bread recipe.

    Sounds simple and sort of odd, but it works wonders. Miracles even!

    The tangzhong method is most often used in China to make buns with a soft, fluffy texture. I've enjoyed these in Chinatown here in New York! They are often filled with savory or sweet coconut fillings and brushed with a heavy egg wash before baking so the top is glossy and dark.

    homemade white bread rising in pans

    Making a Tangzhong Starter

    The tangzhong method is flour, milk, and sometimes water mixed together and heated to create a roux. It's actually quite pudding-like in texture and forms a gel.

    This gel is added to the bread dough and the science is that the already moisturized flour or pre-gelatinized starches can absorb more water.

    The flour will absorb two times as much hot milk as it does the warm water or milk you'd usually use in yeast dough. This roux holds moisture in the loaves of bread as well as helps create a fine crumb and texture. The tangzhong post on King Arthur explains it so well.

    Tangzhong roux for japanese milk bread

    The Benefits of Tangzhong

    • The bread may rise higher, because of more liquid creating more internal steam.
    • The bread will be moister and will stay soft and fresh longer because of the moisture the loaves retain.

    Tangzhong starter is technically supposed to be a pourable consistency with 1 part flour to 5 parts liquid (1:5 ratio in volume) while some other recipes use 1 part dry to 3 part liquid ratio.

    My recipe is more of a 1:3 ratio. Roughly 1 tablespoon flour to 2 ½ tablespoons milk. This makes the roux thicker but it works like a charm.

    kneaded dough for homemade bread

    How to Make Homemade White Bread

    Simple steps and tips for making the perfect soft, Tangzhong milk bread loaves. See the recipe card below for process shots and detailed instructions.

    Step 1: Make the Tangzhong starter first so it can cool.

    • Mix the flour and milk together in a saucepan and cook, whisking constantly until it is just starting to thicken like pudding. I really like this whisk.
    • Cover with plastic wrap and let cool or place in the fridge.

    Step 2: Mis en place, or assemble all the bread ingredients and make sure they are warm or close to room temperature.

    Step 3: Mix the dough and let the mixer knead it for about 12 minutes. This creates the gluten strands.

    Step 4: Proof or let rise in a greased bowl, covered, until doubled in size.

    • I heat my oven to 100ºF, then turn it off to create a warm space for my dough. It should be a warm, but draft-free space.
    rolling loaf of Japanese milk bread

    Step 5: Divide dough in half and form loaves. I like to weigh the dough so my halves are equal. This food scale is awesome.

    • Form loaves however you'd like. I prefer the structure of loaves folded like classic Japanese milk bread. Follow the how-to pictures in the recipe.
    • You can also make 3 smaller loaves if you'd like!

    Step 6: Let the loaves proof or rise a second time in a warm, draft-free area. Not quite doubled in size.

    • Preheat your oven during this second rise. Use an oven thermometer to achieve the perfect temperature.

    Step 7: Bake loaves until dark golden brown and cooked through. Let cool in pans for a couple of minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.

    FAQs

    Although this soft white bread recipe is easy, it does require time and patience to prepare. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about preparing this white bread loaf using the Tangzhong method.

    Do Have to Weigh the Ingredients?

    While not everyone will have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend getting one. I like this scale.

    Weighing the ingredients guarantees accuracy and will result in loaves just like mine. If you do not weigh the flour, you will most likely add too much flour and the bread will be a little more dense. It will still taste great, but you won't have the same texture as the tested loaves. 

    Can I Use Different Sized Pans?

    You can use any bread pan you like. The old standard is 9-by-5-inches and makes two gorgeous large loaves.

    If you're using 8 ½ - by - 4 ½ - inch loaf pans I suggest using 3 pans and dividing the dough equally between them.

    Can I Double This Recipe?

    Yes, doubling the recipe shouldn't be an issue. Just make sure you have enough loaf pans on hand!

    What Type of Yeast Should I Use?

    You'll want to use instant dry yeast, NOT active dry yeast.

    And yes, you'll need to use 2 tablespoons of yeast, not 2 teaspoons. It's not a typo, promise!

    More Easy Bread Recipes:

    • Finnish Cardamom Bread - a classic Pulla bread recipe
    • Soft and Sweet Cornbread - the ultimate cornbread recipe
    • Orange Nut Swirled Bread - use this recipe or frozen bread dough
    • Whole Wheat Walnut Pumpkin Bread - a seasonal favorite
    soft fluffy homemade sandwich bread

    Soft & Fluffy White Bread Recipe

    Tara Teaspoon
    I use the Japanese milk bread technique called Tangzhong. It's super simple, takes only a few hours, and creates a soft sandwich bread that you'll love.
    4.86 from 34 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Baking
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 large loaves or 3 regular loaves
    Calories 2000 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Tangzhong:

    • 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole milk

    Bread:

    • 1⅓ cups whole milk (350 ml) warm
    • 6 cups all-purpose flour (720 g)
    • ¼ cup sugar (50 g)
    • 2 teaspoon fine salt
    • 2 tablespoon instant dry yeast (NOT active dry)
    • 2 large eggs
    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature (60 g)

    Instructions
     

    For the Tangzhong:

    • This needs to cool a bit before using, so plan for about 20 minutes.
      Mixing flour and milk in pan for tangzhong
    • Whisk together the flour and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Stir until mixture is just barely paste consistency, like warm pudding. Remove from heat. Quickly transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool a bit (I put mine in the fridge).
      Tangzhong roux for japanese milk bread

    For the Bread:

    • When the Tangzhong starter is warm but not hot start the bread. In the bowl of a stand mixer or Bosch with the dough hook, mix together the warm milk, Tangzhong, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs and butter.
      ingredients for homemade bread in a bosch mixer
    • With the mixer on low, add the 6 cups flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and let the mixer knead the dough on medium or medium-low speed for 12 minutes. The dough will be sticky and become more smooth as mixing happens. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically as needed, so everything mixes evenly.
      Homemade milk bread rough looking dough
    • After 12 minutes the dough will be tacky but smooth and not as rough as at the beginning.
      kneaded dough for homemade bread
    • Turn into a greased bowl, pull in the edges to make a ball then turn over so the round, oil-coated surface is on top. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise (I use a 100ºF warmed oven that has been turned off).
      homemade bread dough in a greased bowl
    • Let dough rise until it is almost double in size and an indent stays when poked with a finger, instead of bouncing back, 30 to 45 minutes depending on how warm the environment is.
      testing second proof of homemade bread dough
    • Grease 2 9-by-5-inch loaf pans or 3, 8½-by-4½-inch standard loaf pans. Turn dough out on a pastry cloth or lightly floured surface. Divide in half weighing if desired. For 3 standard loaves, divide dough into thirds.
      weighing dough for loaves of bread
    • Roll each piece into a rectangle about 15 inches in length (12 inches for smaller loaves), and 9 or 10 inches wide. Bring the two long ends together to meet in the middle.
      rolled dough for homemade loaf of bread
    • You can shape the dough as needed to maintain a rectangle.
      folding homemade bread dough into loaf
    • This technique is not necessary, but helps the loaf have an even gluten structure when baked. Don't use excess flour.
      bread dough being folded on a board for loaves
    • Then roll up the center to create a loaf. Pinch the long edge together on the bottom of the loaf. Place in greased loaf pans.
      rolling loaf of Japanese milk bread
    • Lightly cover and let rise a second time until almost double in size, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how warm the environment is. When you poke in your finger it should stay and only push back slowly.
      homemade bread rising in pans
    • While dough rises a second time, heat oven to 350ºF. Use an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of the oven temperature.
    • When loaves are ready, bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. You can rotate pans halfway through cooking if your oven has hot spots. Let loaves cool in pans 1 or 2 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

    Notes

    Nutritional analysis is for 1 loaf.
    Is weighing my ingredients necessary?
    While not everyone will have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend getting one. I like this scale. Weighing the ingredients guarantees accuracy and will result in loaves just like mine. If you do not weigh the flour you will most likely add too much flour and the bread will be a little more dense. It will still taste great, but you won't have the same texture as the tested loaves. 
    Can I use different sized pans?
    You can use any bread pan you like. The old standard is 9-by-5-inches and makes two gorgeous large loaves. If you're using 8 ½ - by - 4 ½ - inch loaf pans I suggest using 3 pans and dividing the dough equally between them.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 2000kcalCarbohydrates: 344gProtein: 58gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 274mgSodium: 2530mgPotassium: 909mgFiber: 12gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 1423IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 413mgIron: 20mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

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    Filed Under: Bread Tagged With: homemade bread, tangzhong, white bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mia says

      February 01, 2021 at 9:17 pm

      This bread is absolutely DIVINE! Thanks! And thanks for the great instructions with photos. It’s like you are there with me in my kitchen!

      Reply
    2. Emily says

      February 20, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      What I love most about this bread is the lack of a super "crumby" texture. Most homemade white bread is a bit too dense and crumbles easily, but not this milk bread! It's a must for PB&Js.

      Reply
    3. Lisalia says

      February 20, 2021 at 11:48 pm

      The roux was GENIUS!! It worked perfectly and this was the fluffiest yummiest bread loaf I have ever made. It tasted so amazing and made the house smell heavenly! Thanks for this new recipe!

      Reply
    4. Elizabeth Polson says

      August 25, 2021 at 8:47 pm

      It reminds me in taste of Hawaiian rolls but has way less sugar than them. It is fluffy and not overly dense. Best bread I've ever made.

      Reply
    5. Tammy says

      December 28, 2021 at 9:37 pm

      Can I double up this recipe and mix it by hand. I don't have a bread mixer and all my bread is done by hand mixing

      Thank you

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        January 07, 2022 at 10:23 am

        Hi Tammy I haven’t tried it myself but I’m sure kneading it by hand will be great. I can’t give you details on texture clues because I haven’t run through it by hand, but it sounds like you’re familiar with the process.
        Doubling it shouldn’t be an issue. Tara

        Reply
    6. Irene says

      December 31, 2021 at 11:22 am

      This was absolutely brilliant. My God was the bread soft !! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Btw, I made this in a pressure cooker, and it was gooooooood!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        January 07, 2022 at 1:31 pm

        Oh fantastic! Great to hear, thanks Irene. And so fun that you made it in the pressure cooker. Tara

        Reply
      • Sherry says

        March 15, 2022 at 4:39 pm

        How did you make it in the pressure cooker?

        Reply
        • Tara Teaspoon says

          March 15, 2022 at 7:53 pm

          Hi Sherry,
          I don't make this in a pressure cooker. I never have. If you want to use a pressure cooker for part of the process I know some people like to proof their bread dough in one. But I don't use my pressure cooker for bread.

          Tara

          Reply
    7. Kevin says

      March 12, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      Does this really take 2 TABLEspoons of yeast? Every other milk bread recipe I've ever done used 2 teaspoons.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        March 15, 2022 at 7:54 pm

        Hi Kevin,
        Yes I use 2 tablespoons of instant yeast. It seems like a lot compared to other recipes you'll see. It is great, and helps the dough proof much faster. It doesn't affect the flavor and was my favorite amount in all my tests.
        Tara

        Reply
    8. Donna says

      March 30, 2022 at 8:24 pm

      I'd like to make this in my bread machine. Could I just make the tangzhong, add it to the breadpan followed by the remaining ingredients? If course I'd have to half or do 3/4's if the recipe.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        March 31, 2022 at 9:59 am

        Hi Donna,
        I don't see why it wouldn't work. Yes, just add the tangzhong as you would the other ingredients into your bread machine. I wish you luck with the math cutting the recipe down, and would love to hear if it works in your machine! Fun!

        Reply
    9. Stephanie says

      May 06, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      What happens if I use active dry yeast

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        May 09, 2022 at 8:45 am

        Hi Stephanie, You will just need to activate it first. It makes for longer instructions. Instead of activating it in warm water (which would add liquid to the recipe) you can activate it in some of the milk.

        Tara

        Reply
    10. Bob L says

      September 05, 2022 at 10:38 am

      This is absolutely the best bread I have ever made, possibly the best I have ever eaten. I have tried many recipes looking for the best sandwich bread. This is the one, I’ll look no further.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        September 13, 2022 at 10:17 am

        Bob I'm so happy you found this recipe! I love it too. This comment makes my heart happy!

        Reply

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