Milk Bread
This recipe is my partner’s recipe for a Japanese-style milk bread. It has one sub-recipe, which is the starter used for the bread.
Servings
Makes 1 loaf of bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Milk Bread Starter (room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup warm milk, plus some extra for brushing
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer (not required, but helps with the initial mixing)
- loaf pan
- Basting brush
Steps
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift bread flour.
- Add sugar, yeast, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Add milk, egg, and Milk Bread Starter, and mix to combine.
- If the dough seems dry, and not all the flour is incorporated, add splashes of milk until dough comes together.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 3 minutes.
- Add butter, and knead for 10 minutes.
- I find it easiest to add butter 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, and only add more once the first is fully incorporated.
- Shape into a ball, and place in a small, buttered mixing bowl.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rest until doubled-size (roughly 45 - 60 minutes).
- Punch down dough, and scoop out onto clean unfloured surface.
- Divide in half, and form into balls.
- Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Grease and lightly flour your loaf pan
- Lightly flour rolling pin, and roll one ball into a 12" x 6" oval.
- With the oval pointing towards you, fold 1/3rd of the oval towards the middle.
- Fold the other 1/3rd towards the middle, over the first fold.
- Opposite the folds, roll the dough into a log.
- Place the log into the loaf pan seam-side down.
- Repeat the last four steps with the other ball of dough.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cover dough with a kitchen towel, and allow to rest for 35 - 40 minutes.
- Brush top of loaf with milk.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and immediately begin baking on the bottom rack for 35 minutes.
- Let cool for 8 - 10 minutes in the loaf pan, and then finish cooling on a wire rack for an additional 30 - 60 minutes.
Storage
Keep in a not-fully-closed zip-lock bag. Stays fresh for roughly 7 days.