Japanese Milk Bread

🥘 Ingredients

• bread flour 25 g
• whole milk 120 ml
• bread flour 375 g
• sugar 50 g
• salt 7 g
• yeast 7 g
• whole milk 120 ml
• egg 1
• butter 55 g
• egg 1
• milk 1 tbsp

Tangzhong

1. 1

   Whisk bread flour and whole milk in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes until a thick paste forms. Cool to room temperature.

Dough

1. 1

   In a stand mixer with dough hook, combine bread flour , sugar , salt , and yeast . Add whole milk , egg , and the cooled tangzhong. Mix on low 2 minutes , then medium 5 minutes .
2. 2

   Add butter piece by piece, knead 10 minutes until dough passes the windowpane test.
3. 3

   Cover and bulk ferment 1 hour until doubled.
4. 4

   Punch down, divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape into balls, rest 15 minutes . Roll each into an oval, fold in thirds like a letter, then roll into a tight cylinder. Place all four in a greased 9x5 loaf pan .

Bake

1. 1

   Cover and proof 45 minutes until dough rises 1 inch above the pan rim. Brush with egg wash (beat egg with milk ).
2. 2

   Bake at 175°C for 30 minutes until deep golden and internal temperature reaches 88°C.
3. 3

   Cool 10 minutes in pan, then unmold onto a wire rack .