Easy Japanese Milk Bread

This is a quick and easy yeasted Japanese Milk Bread recipe with no tangzhong or yudane necessary! The perfect quick loaf of fluffy bread.

Prep Time 3 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 3 50

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Vegetarian

Servings 16 slices

Calories 177 kcal

One 13-inch bread tin (pullman or regular, lidded or not) OR two 9-inch bread tins

In the microwave or on the stovetop, heat the milk, heavy cream, and butter until about 90F.
Add the mixture to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl.
Mix in a stand mixer on medium speed for 14 minutes or combine and knead by hand until the dough passes the windowpane test.
Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover to rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.
When done rising, oil a 13-inch bread tin. Separate the dough into 3 sections. Roll one section out into a long rectangle.
Fold the sides in.
Stitch the edges together.
Roll into a cylinder.
Set seam side down into the tin (so the spirals are touching the sides of the tin). Repeat with the other two sections.
Cover the tin and place in a warm place to proof for one hour. And don't forget: halfway through the proof, you'll preheat the oven to 375F. When the proof is over, your loaf should be hovering at about ½-1 inch from the top of the tin.
If your tin is not lidded, you can whisk one egg and brush the top of the proofed loaf with it. If your tin is lidded, place the lid on top. Bake for 32-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190F.
When done, remove from the tin onto a cooling rack to fully cool before slicing. Enjoy!

You can use two normal (9-inch) sized bread pans if you don't have a 13 inch pullman pan.

If you want a perfectly fluffy, even crumb, wait until the loaf is fully cool to slice (about 2 hours)