Japanese milk rolls that look too good — soft to the point of disbelief, tender and sweet
By Vivian
Why You'll Love It
Calling them cloud-soft is not an exaggeration!! Simple little rolls, cute and squishy, richly milky, especially soft and sweet. No reason not to love them. The dough is quite wet — if you're new to this, hold some liquid back and add it gradually.
Ingredients
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 2⅓ cups (280 g) bread flour | 1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast |
| 1 egg | scant ½ cup (100 ml) cold milk |
| 2½ tbsp (20 g) whole milk powder | 2¾ tbsp (35 g) sugar |
| 2½ tbsp (35 ml) heavy cream | 1½ tbsp (30 g) condensed milk |
| ⅓ tsp (2 g) salt | 1½ tbsp (20 g) butter |
| bread flour, for dusting | |
Ingredient Notes
- Bread flour with at least 12% protein develops gluten most easily.
- Use cold milk so the dough doesn't warm up while kneading.
- The cream and condensed milk are where the softness comes from — don't cut them all.
- Add softened butter in stages; too much at once won't incorporate.
- Don't skip the ⅓ tsp (2 g) salt — it strengthens the gluten.
Instructions
-
1
Put everything except the butter in the mixer bowl and mix 30 seconds, ramping from speed 3 to 6, then knead 2 minutes.
-
2
Add the butter and knead 6 minutes.
-
3
Transfer to a large oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled.
-
4
Deflate the risen dough, divide into 9 pieces, round them, and relax 15–20 minutes.
-
5
Roll each into a tongue shape.
-
6
Fold both sides toward the middle.
-
7
Roll both ends toward the center to finish shaping.
-
8
Done.
-
9
Rise at 100°F (38°C) until 1½ times bigger.
-
10
Once risen, cut two slashes in the top with a sharp knife — any shape you like — and dust with bread flour.
-
11
Bake in a preheated oven, middle rack, at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes. Watch the color and cover with foil once it looks right, so it doesn't go too dark.
-
12
Beautiful and soft — let them cool and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
a high-hydration dough kneaded to a thin membrane, shaped into rolls after rising, baked at 350°F for 20 minutes. Soft as a cloud, with a big dairy aroma.
Time Needed
Prep Ahead
- Soften the butter until a finger leaves a dent.
- Take the egg out of the fridge early — a cold egg keeps the dough too cool to develop gluten.
- 【Yield】2⅓ cups (280 g) bread flour divides into 9 pieces for one 8-inch square pan.
- 【Key ratios】Flour to total liquid ≈ 1:0.75 (egg, cold milk, cream, condensed milk); a sticky dough is normal.
- 【Heat】Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the middle rack for 20 minutes; cover with foil as soon as the color is right.
- 【Rising】First rise to double; after shaping, rise to 1½ times at 100°F (38°C).
- 【Storage & reheating】Room temperature 2 days, frozen 2 weeks; reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes.
- 【Common problems】Not soft enough means the dough wasn't kneaded to a thin membrane. Sunken sides mean over-proofed or under-baked.
Nutrition (per 100 g, estimated)
| Calories | about 298 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | about 8 g |
| Fat | about 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | about 44 g |
| of which sugars | about 11 g |
| Fiber | about 1.2 g |
| Sodium | about 300 mg |
Estimated from the ingredient amounts, not lab tested. One roll is about 2.3 oz (65 g), roughly 194 kcal, calculated at 4 / 9 / 4 kcal per g of protein / fat / carbs.