Description
This fluffy and tender Milk Bread recipe yields soft, slightly sweet loaves or rolls perfect for sandwiches or enjoying on their own. Made with a rich blend of heavy cream, milk, and eggs, this bread offers a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The dough is kneaded until smooth, proofed twice for maximum rise, and baked to a golden brown finish with a glossy egg wash and a simple sugar syrup glaze for added shine and sweetness.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon (at room temperature; whole, 1%, or 2% milk)
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup cake flour combined with 3 1/2 cups bread flour)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Egg Wash
- 1 egg (beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
Simple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Mix and Knead the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, flour, yeast, and salt in that order. Knead on stir setting for about 15 minutes, stopping occasionally to push the dough together. If dough sticks to the bowl sides, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough pulls away from sides but remains sticky to the bottom. If kneading by hand, knead for an additional 5-10 minutes to achieve smooth dough.
- First Proofing: Cover the dough with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. A good proofing method is placing the dough inside a closed microwave with a mug of boiling water beside it.
- Prepare Baking Pans: Grease two baking vessels thoroughly with butter. Options include two standard loaf pans, two 9-inch round pans, or one loaf pan and one round pan.
- Shape the Dough: After the dough has doubled, return it to the mixer and stir for 5 minutes to deflate it. Turn onto a floured surface and divide in half. For loaves, shape each half into a rough rectangle, cut crosswise into three equal portions, and arrange in loaf pans. For rolls, cut each half into 8 pieces, shape into balls or ropes for twisted buns, and place them in round pans. Cover shaped dough and let proof again for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Position a rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush risen dough with egg wash. Bake for 23-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush the warm bread with simple syrup for gloss and sweetness.
Notes
- Ensure all liquid ingredients are at room temperature for optimal yeast activation and dough consistency.
- If you prefer richer bread, use whole milk or a combination of bread and cake flour for softer texture.
- Proofing dough in a warm, moist environment improves rise and texture. Using a microwave with boiling water works well.
- Adjust flour quantity slightly as needed; dough should be sticky but manageable.
- You can bake this bread as 2 loaves, 16 rolls, or a combination of 1 loaf and 8 rolls depending on shaping.
- Egg wash creates a shiny crust, and sugar syrup adds subtle sweetness and shine after baking.
- Store bread in an airtight container once cooled to maintain softness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
