Milk Bread

Created on January 06, 2024

Japanese milk bread, or shokupan, is a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet white bread made with a tangzhong (cooked flour-milk paste) that gives it its signature pillowy texture.

Makes: 1 round For dinner, start at noon the day before. ~1 hour hands-on, plus 6 or 26 hours of rising and resting.

⚠️ I would not try to do this recipe without a stand mixer. You would be kneading dough for 1 hour. ⚠️


  • Tangzhong: 2 + 10 min (prep + cooling)
  • Mixing & kneading: 30ish min
  • Bulk rise: 30–90 min (plus overnight optional)
  • Shaping: 10 min
  • Final proof: 1.5–3 hours
  • Bake: 25–35 min

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • ¾ cup (180 grams) milk
  • 4 (37g) tbsp King Arthur bread flour

Dough

  • 2.5 cups (312g) King Arthur bread flour
    • The higher % protein in KAF bread flour is important for the structure needed in these rolls!
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup sugar (plus a tbsp or two ;)) 65 grams
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • ½ active dry yeast packet
  • 5 tbsp of unsalted butter, soft or melted or cold

Optional Garlic Butter Topping

Garlic butter topping:

  • 2–3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Make the tangzhong:
    Whisk tangzhong ingredients in a small saucepan or skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick like pudding (about 2 minutes). Scrape into stand mixer bowl and cool completely (you can throw it in the freezer for 10 min if in a hurry).

  2. Make the dough:
    Add all ingredients (except butter) to the bowl. Mix on low until combined, then up to 2nd speed for 12 minutes. Add the butter one tbsp at a time and continue mixing for another 12 minutes, until smooth dough forms (do window pane test), scraping down walls of bowl as needed.

  3. First rise:
    After the dough has enough structure to pass window pane test, take it out, fold it into a tight ball, and place back in bowl seam-down. Cover the bowl and rest dough at room temp for 30 minutes and then place in the fridge overnight. If baking same-day, let rise for 1.5 hours or until doubled (can take up to 4 hours!).

  4. Shape:
    Butter a 9-10” pan. Deflate dough and cut into 10 even pieces, rolling each into a tight ball (use the counter to create surface tension). Place all the balls into buttered pan, cover and let rise for 2 hours (or until doubled, do “poke” proof test).

  5. Egg wash & bake:
    Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat 1 egg and brush rolls or loaves. Bake 25–30 min until golden and 190ºF inside.

  6. Optional garlic-dill finish:
    Melt 2 Tbsp butter with garlic, garlic powder, and salt. Remove from heat, stir in dill, and brush over rolls while warm.