Japanese Milk Bread Rolls arranged on a counter.
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls

Japanese Milk Bread Rolls

Recipe by Charlotte Rutledge
653 Reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars

Made from the same dough as our Hokkaido milk bread,  these slightly sweet rolls are incredibly soft and airy thanks to a simple technique involving a flour, milk, and water roux known as tangzhong. This addition creates rolls that are tender, moist, and stay fresh for several days. The roux is mixed into the final dough, producing wonderfully tender rolls each and every time. For instructions on how to make this recipe into a big-batch of two dozen dinner rolls, check out “tips,” below.

Prep
30 mins
Bake
25 to 30 mins
Total
3 hrs 57 mins
Yield
8 to 10 rolls, depending on size
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls arranged on a table and seen from above. - select to zoom
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls arranged on a table and seen from above. - select to zoom
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls seen from above. - select to zoom
Breaking apart a Japanese Milk Bread Roll to show the pillowy interior. - select to zoom
Japanese Milk Bread Rolls seen from the side. - select to zoom
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Instructions

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  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

  2. To make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.

    Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls – Step 2

  3. Place the saucepan over low heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.

  4. Transfer the tangzhong to a large mixing bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer, or the bucket of a bread machine (whatever you plan to knead the dough in). Add the cold milk, then the flour and remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order listed; the heat from the tangzhong will help to warm the cold milk. 

  5. To make the dough: Mix — by hand, on low speed of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a bread machine set to the dough cycle — to bring the dough together. Next, knead the dough until it’s smooth, elastic, and tacky. This will take up to 15 minutes by hand, 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low speed of a mixer, or the length of the dough cycle in a bread machine. 

    Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls – Step 5

  6. Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a lightly greased covered bowl for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.

    Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls – Step 7

  7. Gently deflate the dough, divide it into eight equal pieces (about 82g each) for large rolls or 10 equal pieces (about 65g each) for medium-sized rolls, and shape each piece into a ball. 

    Stuffed Bagel Buns – Step 7

  8. Place the rolls into a lightly greased 8" or 9" round pan. Cover the pan, and let the rolls rest for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy.  

  9. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.  

  10. Brush the rolls with the egg wash, 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. 

  11. Remove the rolls from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving.

  12. Storage information: Store leftover milk bread rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • With origins in Japan's yukone (or yudane), tangzhong is a yeast bread technique popularized across Asia by Taiwanese cookbook author Yvonne Chen. Tangzhong involves cooking some of a bread recipe’s flour in liquid prior to adding it to the remaining dough ingredients. Bringing the temperature of the flour and liquid to 65°C (149°F) pre-gelatinizes the flour’s starches, which makes them more able to retain liquid — thus enhancing the resulting bread's softness and shelf life.

  • To make a loaf: After the dough's initial rise, divide it into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, then fold the short ends in towards one another like a letter. Flatten the folded pieces into rectangles again and, starting with a short end, roll them each into a log. Place the logs in a row of four — seam side down and side by side — in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Cover the loaf and allow it to rest/rise for 40 to 50 minutes, until puffy. Brush the loaf with milk or egg wash and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads at least 190°F. Remove the loaf from the oven, and cool it on a rack.

  • To make two dozen milk bread dinner rolls: Prepare the dough as described, doubling all of the ingredients, including the yeast. Note that with the increased quantity, the tangzhong may require an extra minute or two to become thick and leave whisk lines on the bottom of the pan (step 3). The dough may take an extra 2 to 4 minutes to mix into a smooth, elastic dough (step 5). When it’s time to shape the dough (step 7), divide the dough into 24 equal pieces (about 55g each). Place the shaped balls about 1" apart on a greased or parchment-lined half-sheet pan, two quarter-sheet pans, or in two 9" x 13" pans. Let rise and bake on a single rack in the center position of the oven, as directed. 

  • Looking for more ways to use your Baker's Special Dry Milk? Try it in other flavorful recipes like Pani Popo Samoan Coconut Buns, Soft Garlic Knots, Swedish Limpa, and Brioche.

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