Baking Faculty In-Depth: Japanese Milk Bread

Milk bread is divinely fluffy, with a downright cloudlike ivory inside and a bronzed, resilient crust that provides to the fragile textural distinction. Its tender and springy texture is thanks, partly, to the tangzhong, a Japanese approach of making a clean paste flour and milk. Our Japanese Milk Bread Loaf will get its beautiful look from a straightforward shaping approach. The dough may also be formed into spherical buns, as we’ve performed for our Almond Cream Buns, otherwise you make superbly flecked Scallion Ropes sprinkled with sesame seeds and sea salt.

Glorious recipes require great components. Right here’s how our recipes’ components contribute to creating the perfect milk bread loaf, buns, and ropes.

WHOLE MILK: Milk is one in every of two components used to make tangzhong, which is important for milk bread. The fats in entire milk provides tenderness and richness to the dough, leaving you with an extremely tender loaf. Additionally, when the pure sugars in milk warmth at excessive temperatures, they bear the Maillard response, which includes browning in its finish levels, thus contributing to the distinct golden shade of the crust.

GRANULATED SUGAR: You might discover extra sugar on this bread recipe than others, however Japanese-style breads have increased fats and sugar ratios than Western-style breads. They work collectively to provide you with extraordinarily supple bread. Sugar acts as meals for yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol within the fermentation course of. In consequence, sugar finally helps to tenderize the dough. The sugar additionally provides sweetness to stability the salt, contributes to the loaf’s golden shade, improves the crumb texture, and helps retain moisture together with the tangzhong whereas the bread bakes and as soon as saved.

RED STAR® ALL-NATURAL ACTIVE DRY YEAST: A normal on the subject of baking with yeast, Purple Star® All-Pure Lively Dry Yeast is a reliable favourite for a motive. Yeast is important to many bread doughs, and our Milk Bread Dough recipe is not any exception. Yeast acts because the main leavening agent on this bread.

BREAD FLOUR: It might be tempting to substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, however you received’t get as a lot of an increase in your loaf and your mixing time will likely be longer. Bread flour is increased in protein and gluten, which permits bread dough to kind a secure construction and rise increased. Excessive-protein flour is important for this recipe to create a robust gluten community with sufficient protein content material to develop the gluten and to deal with the enrichment added to this dough. A high-protein flour like bread flour gives sufficient construction to create a robust gluten community for an enriched dough.

*We used Purple Star® All-Pure Lively Dry Yeast.

Notice: To make use of the windowpane check to examine dough for correct gluten growth, frivolously flour fingers and pinch off (don’t tear) a small piece of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the middle. If the dough is prepared, it is possible for you to to stretch it till it’s skinny and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not fairly prepared. Beat for 1 minute, and check once more.

1. In a small saucepan, whisk collectively milk and flour. Prepare dinner over medium-low warmth, whisking continuously, till thickened, whisk leaves traces on backside of pan, and an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F (66°C). (Combination will appear to be mashed potatoes.) Switch to a small bowl, and let cool till an instant-read thermometer registers 130°F (54°C) or till room temperature. When making the Tangzhong, a digital thermometer can exactly measure when the starch within the flour gelatinizes. (If you happen to don’t have a thermometer, you’ll know when the Tangzhong is prepared by its thickness. It should resemble mashed potatoes.) The gelatinized starch within the Tangzhong creates a softer crumb and provides the bread an extended shelf life.

1. Change to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low pace till dough is cheesy, elastic, and barely clean, about 8 minutes; add as much as remaining 1⁄4 cup (32 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is simply too sticky. Add butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, beating till mixed after every addition (about 5 minutes whole). Scrape sides of bowl and dough hook. Beat till dough is totally clean and passes the windowpane check, about 12 minutes. (See Notice.) Prove dough onto a clear floor, and form right into a clean spherical. Because the butter is integrated, friction and warmth from the mixer will heat it, so the butter mustn’t be too heat, because it might soften and separate from the dough. However, if the butter is simply too chilly, it received’t incorporate easily into the dough, and items of butter will stay even after a protracted mixing time.

2. Evenly oil a big bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease prime. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till doubled in dimension, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

1. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and let stand for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 parts (about 243 grams every). On a really frivolously floured floor, roll 1 portion into a ten×6-inch oval. (Hold remaining dough lined with plastic wrap to forestall it from drying out.) Fold every lengthy aspect over towards heart by about 1⁄2 inch. Utilizing a rolling pin, flatten dough, ensuring it’s 5 inches vast. Beginning with one quick aspect, roll up dough right into a log, pinching seam to seal. (Watch out to not roll up dough too tight.) Place, seam aspect down, in heart of ready pan. Repeat with remaining dough, inserting equidistant between heart dough and sides of pan. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

4. In a small bowl, whisk collectively egg and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) milk. Brush prime of dough with egg wash. The egg wash provides the loaf a shiny, darkish gold crust.

5. Bake till an instant-read thermometer inserted in heart registers 190°F (88°C), about 40 minutes, masking with foil midway by means of baking. Let cool in pan for five minutes. Take away from pan, and let cool utterly on a wire rack earlier than slicing.

1. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer fitted with beater attachments at medium pace till fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg white and almond extract, and beat till mixed. Beat in almond meal, flour, and salt till properly mixed. This almond cream, which can also be referred to as frangipane, has a nutty, candy style and provides a richness and great texture distinction to the tender milk bread.

3. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and end up onto a really frivolously floured floor. Divide dough into 12 parts (about 60 grams). Form every portion right into a clean ball; cowl, and let stand for five to 10 minutes.

4. On a clear floor, utilizing a floured rolling pin, roll 1 dough ball right into a 3-inch disk. Utilizing the rolling pin or your fingers, press on outer edges to make them thinner than heart. (Ultimate dimension needs to be 33⁄4 inches vast.) Place 1 rounded tablespoon (18 grams) almond cream in heart of disk. Pinch edges up and round filling till well-sealed. Place dough, seam aspect down, on work floor. Gently cup along with your hand, and rotate dough 2 to three occasions to seal and create a clean spherical. Verify backside of spherical to ensure it’s sealed, pinching dough collectively if wanted, earlier than inserting on ready pan. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining almond cream, and place at the least 3 inches aside on ready pans. Utilizing sharp scissors, make 5 equidistant 1⁄2-inch cuts round sides of every bun. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

6. In a small bowl, whisk collectively egg and milk. Brush prime and sides of dough with egg wash. Place almonds in heart of every bun.

7. Bake till golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in heart registers 190°F (88°C), about 18 minutes. Let cool on pan for five minutes. Serve heat or at room temperature.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, stir collectively scallion, sesame oil, garlic, pink pepper (if utilizing), and kosher salt.

3. Punch down Milk Bread Dough, and let stand for 10 minutes. On a really frivolously floured floor, divide dough into 6 parts (about 120 grams every). On a really frivolously floured floor, roll 1 portion into a ten×5-inch oval. (Hold remaining dough lined with plastic wrap to forestall it from drying out.) Unfold about 11⁄2 tablespoons (19 grams) scallion combination onto dough, leaving a 1⁄2-inch border on all sides. Beginning with one lengthy aspect, roll up dough, jelly roll type, pinching seam and ends properly to seal. Place dough horizontally in entrance of you. Place fingers flat on every finish of rope, and concurrently roll your left hand up and your proper hand down 2 to three occasions till dough twists into a good rope. Elevate rope by holding at each ends, and it’ll naturally begin twisting round itself. Twist rope twice, and pinch and tuck ends as you place on ready pan. Repeat with remaining dough and remaining scallion combination, and place about 3 inches aside on ready pan. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till puffed and holds an indentation when pressed, 30 to 45 minutes. If there’s an excessive amount of flour on the dough and it’ll not pinch to seal, run your fingers alongside the seam with a bit little bit of water.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. In a small bowl, whisk collectively egg and milk.

6. In one other small bowl, stir collectively all sesame seeds and sea salt. Brush prime and sides of dough with egg wash. Generously sprinkle sesame seed combination onto ropes.

7. Bake till golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in heart registers 190°F (88°C), about 25 minutes. Let cool on pan for five minutes. Serve heat or at room temperature.