Japanese Milk Bun

This recipe is stolen and modified from King Arthur ¹ which also provides an introduction to tangzhong ² as well as a way to convert any bread recipe to use tangzhong ³.

Ingredients

Tangzhong

• 6 tablespoons (86g) boiling water
• 2 tablespoons (14g) Unbleached Flour (any kind)

Dough

• 2 1/2 cups (300g) Unbleached Bread Flour
• 2 tablespoons (14g) Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (6g) table salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup (113g) milk, whole preferred
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Tangzhong Easy Method ⁴

1. Boil water in an electric kettle. ⁵
2. In an easy to clean bowl, combine boiling water flour.
3. Fully combine. Small lumps are ok as long as they are fully saturated (no dry parts).
4. Let mixture cool to room temperature before using.

Dough

1. Combine the tangzhong with the remaining dough ingredients, then mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a lightly greased covered bowl for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
3. Gently deflate the dough, divide it into 8 equal pieces (for large rolls) or 10 equal pieces (for medium-sized rolls), and shape each piece into a ball.
4. Place the rolls into a lightly greased 8" or 9" round cake pan. Cover the pan, and let the rolls rest for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the rolls with milk or egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water), and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top; a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the middle roll should read at least 190°F.
6. Remove the rolls from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Footnotes