Milk Bread- Extra Fluffy (No Machine Needed!)

I get asked to share my mom’s homemade Milk Bread at least five times a day; my most HIGHLY requested recipe is FINALLY here!

Today I am showing you how to make my mom’s fluffy Fail-proof Milk Bread that will blow your mind. Soft, tender, rich, smooth, and super buttery, this homemade Milk Bread recipe is one of my favorite recipes from my mom.

You can pair it with my Homemade Strawberry Syrup for breakfast, or my Japanese Egg Salad for lunch, or even eat it on its own because this milk bread will be the most rewarding and satisfying recipe you will ever make. 

The secret to fluffy, soft, and tender Milk Bread is “Tangzhong.”

Do you ever wonder why Asian bread is always so soft yet slightly chewy? It is because of Tangzhong. What is Tangzhong? It is a roux made with flour and water, which helps keep the bread extra moist and soft.

Adding in Tangzhong, it is guaranteed that your Milk Bread will come out perfect every time. Make sure after you make your Tangzhong it is completely cooled down before adding it into the rest of the ingredients; I recommend making it the night before to help you save time. 

Most of us don’t have a stand mixer lying around, and I wanted to make this Milk Bread recipe accessible to everyone so that we will be using our hands throughout the process.

Not going to lie; this bread takes ALOT of love and patient. It is not hard, but there are alot of resting times between and alot of hand kneading. My mom and I practiced without a stand mixer EIGHT times before filming our recipe, so I promise this recipe is fail-proof and ready for you to try. However, if you have a stand mixer at home, just follow the below tips, which can help you save some time. 

We shared our recipe last week with our family in Taiwan to see how “successful” and “fail-proof” it is before sharing it with you.

So this weekend, my mom, grandma, aunt, and I all made Milk Bread together virtually. It was so much fun to connect with all the fantastic home cook chefs from our family and learn from everyone’s tips and tricks.

We wanted to point out that the Tangzhong makes the dough VERY sticky, but this is NORMAL. Keep kneading until it becomes smooth; trust the process! I wrote a REALLY detailed recipe below and included it in alot of pictures. I can’t wait to see your Milk Bread! 

Here are some EASY recipes you can enjoy with your HOMEMADE Milk Bread- 

Tangzhong 

1. Mix two tablespoons of flour and ½ cup of water. Once combined, bring it to a simmer. 
2. Simmer on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and becomes a roux. Remove from heat and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 hours or until it has thoroughly cooled down. You can prepare the step the night before to save time.

HAND MIXED STEPS

1. In a big mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and chilled tangzhong. Mix everything till combined. 

2. Add in egg, water, and Milk. Stir until flakey and knead until it forms into a ball. It will be sticky, but that is normal; as long as you can form it into a ball, you can move on to the next step. 

4. Lightly dust flour on a clean surface and keep kneading the dough until smooth. A method that helps speed up this process is to stretch the dough forward and then fold it back. Repeat this process until the dough is no longer sticky (around 10 minutes). 

5. Cut butter into small pieces and fold it into the dough. The dough will become sticky again; keep kneading until it is smooth and no longer sticking to your fingers. A method that works well is throwing the dough on the floured surface to eliminate air bubbles. Refer to the video tutorial for more information. This process may take another 10 minutes. 

6. Once the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, form it into a ball, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. 
7. After 1 hour, cut it into 3 even pieces. 
8. Roll out each piece until there are no longer any air bubbles. Fold in the sides and roll the dough from the top down. Repeat for all 3 pieces. 

9. Place the dough into a bread container and let it rest for 40 minutes 
10. After 40 minutes in a small bowl, mix 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp of milk. Brush the egg yolk mixture on top of the bread. 

11. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye to ensure the top doesn’t burn. After removing bread from the pan and letting it rest on its side for 10 minutes, it stays fluffy. 

STAND MIXTER INSTRUCTION

1. Add flour, sugar, salt, yeast, egg, milk, chilled tangzhong, and water in a stand mixer. Mix until thoroughly combined; this will take around 10 minutes; the dough may seem sticky at first, but keep mixing until it is thoroughly combined. 
2. Next, add in room temperature butter, turn on the stand mixer, and mix for another 10-15 minutes or until combined. You can check if the dough is ready by stretching the dough; it should be elastic and see-through. Refer to Youtube Video to get a sample of how to test the dough. 
3. Once the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, form it into a ball, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rest for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. 
4. After 1 hour, punch out the air bubble, and cut it into three even pieces. You can weigh the dough to make sure it is all even. 
5. Roll out each piece until there are no longer any air bubbles. Fold in the sides and roll the dough from the top down. Repeat for all three pieces. 
6. Place the dough into a bread container and let it rest for 40 minutes 
7. After 40 minutes, mix one egg yolk and 2 tbsp of milk in a small bowl. Brush the egg yolk mixture on top of the bread. 
8. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye to ensure the top doesn’t burn, you can also place a tin foil on top halfway through baking to prevent the top from burning. After removing the bread from the pan and letting it rest on its side for 10 minutes, so it stays fluffy and keep it’s shape.