If you love soft, fluffy bread with a tender, cotton-like crumb, this Japanese milk bread recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again. Also known as Shokupan, Japanese milk bread is slightly sweet, beautifully light, and perfect for sandwiches, toast, and French toast.
My recipe is a little different because I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, and the result is wonderfully soft and fluffy. A simple Tangzhong helps the bread rise beautifully, stay tender, and remain soft for days.
You don’t need to be an experienced baker to make it, either. I’ll show you how to make Japanese milk bread step by step, including how to prepare the Tangzhong, knead the dough to the right consistency, and shape it for that beautiful pull-apart loaf.
📺 Watch How To Make Japanese Milk Bread 👇🏻
Why You’ll Love This Japanese Milk Bread
- Super soft and fluffy texture
- Stays soft for days
- Slightly sweet buttery flavor
- Perfect for sandwiches and toast
- Beginner-friendly bread recipe
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
What Makes Japanese Milk Bread So Soft?
The secret to the soft, fluffy texture of Japanese milk bread is Tangzhong, a cooked mixture of flour and liquid that is added to the bread dough.
Cooking the flour with milk allows it to hold more moisture. When the Tangzhong is added to the dough, it helps create a tender, cotton-soft crumb and keeps the milk bread soft for longer.
Tangzhong only takes a few minutes to prepare, but it makes a noticeable difference in the texture and freshness of the finished loaf.
What is Japanese Milk Bread?
Japanese milk bread is a soft, fluffy, slightly sweet bread commonly known as Shokupan in Japan. “Shokupan” means “eating bread,” and it’s an everyday bread often enjoyed for breakfast, sandwiches, and toast.
The dough is enriched with milk, butter, and egg, giving the bread a tender texture and mild flavor. Combined with the Tangzhong method, it produces the light, cotton-soft crumb Japanese milk bread is known for.
You’ll commonly see Japanese milk bread baked in two shapes. It can have a rounded top, like the loaf I’m making in this recipe, or a square, flat top when baked in a lidded Pullman loaf pan. The square loaf is especially convenient for evenly shaped sandwich slices.
You can enjoy Japanese milk bread toasted with butter or jam, use it for sandwiches and French toast, or shape the same soft dough into buns.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All-Purpose Flour
Traditional Japanese milk bread recipes often use bread flour, but I use all-purpose flour in this recipe because it’s easier to find in most kitchens. It also produces a wonderfully soft and tender loaf. You can use bread flour instead if you prefer; I explain the difference below.
Milk
I recommend whole milk for the best flavor and texture. The milk is also used to make the Tangzhong, which helps give the bread its soft crumb.
Yeast
You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast. Make sure your yeast is fresh so the dough rises properly.
Butter
Use unsalted butter. It adds richness and a lovely buttery flavor while helping create a tender loaf.
Egg
The egg enriches the dough and contributes to its soft texture. You’ll also use an egg wash before baking to give the loaf its beautiful golden top.
Tangzhong
This simple mixture of flour and milk is one of the keys to the bread’s fluffy texture and helps it stay soft longer. Don’t skip it!
You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Bread Flour vs All-Purpose Flour
Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps it develop more gluten. This can give bread a slightly chewier texture and a stronger structure.
For this Japanese milk bread recipe, however, I use all-purpose flour. It produces a beautifully soft and tender loaf, and it’s an ingredient many home bakers already have in their kitchens.
You can also make this recipe with bread flour using the same measurements. The dough may feel a little different when you handle and shape it, and the finished loaf can have a slightly chewier texture.
If you want an especially soft and tender milk bread, all-purpose flour works beautifully in this recipe.
HOW TO MAKE JAPANESE MILK BREAD (SHOKUPAN)
This will be an easy and fun project if you have baked bread before. But if this is your first time, no worries, it will be easy for you too, I promise! Watch the video tutorial and follow the step-by-step images for guidance. Let’s begin.
MAKING TANGZHONG
Step 1
Off the heat and in a saucepan, add the flour and half a cup of milk. Whisk until you see no lumps.
Step 2
Turn on the heat to medium and keep stirring until you get a pudding-like consistency. Now you have Tangzhong ready.
Step 3
Turn off the heat, pour another half cup of milk into the mixture, and whisk.
Add the sugar, yeast, and whisk well, then add the egg and whisk until combined. Make sure the mixture is not hot but warm before adding the yeast.
MAKING THE DOUGH STEP BY STEP
Step 1
Add the flour and salt to a stand mixer bowl. Mix well.
Step 2
pour the Tangzhong mixture into the flour and knead for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Gradually add the melted butter and continue kneading. Knead for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Stretch a small piece from the dough. When you stretch it thin enough to see the light or your fingers through it, and without tearing, stop the kneading. This is called the Windowpane test.
Step 5
Spray some oil into a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the dough for one and a half to two hours.
SHAPING AND FORMING THE DOUGH
Step 1
Make four equal balls. Roll out the dough to 8 to 9 inches. You can use your hand instead of a rolling pin.
Step 2
Fold the top to the center, then the bottom over the top fold. Rotate the folded dough to 90°and roll it up. Pinch to seal the seam.
Step 3
Place the rolled dough into the loaf seam side down. Cover the loaf pan and let the dough rise again for 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 4
Make an egg wash by beating an egg with two tablespoons of water. Lightly brush the dough and then place the loaf pan in the oven.
Step 5
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then cool on a wire rack.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST JAPANESE MILK BREAD
- Do not add the yeast to the dough enhancer while it’s hot. Make sure the enhancer is warm.
- Use the spoon and level when measuring the all-purpose or bread flour.
- You can knead the dough with your hands, but it will take longer (around 12 to 14 minutes) to pass the Windowpane test and develop gluten. It’s best to use a stand mixer. Windowpane is when you stretch the dough, and it stretches thin. You can see the light through it without it tearing. The more you knead the dough, the stretchier it gets. I showed this in the video tutorial.
- Be gentle when handling the dough while shaping it. Avoid tearing the dough.
- If you are using bread flour, you might need a rolling pin to roll the dough, but with all-purpose flour, you can spread and shape the dough with your hand, as shown in the video.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between Japanese Milk Bread and Brioche?
Both are soft, enriched breads, but brioche generally contains considerably more butter and eggs, making it richer and more buttery. Japanese milk bread is lighter and has a soft, fluffy crumb, especially when made using the Tangzhong method.
Why Is My Japanese Milk Bread Dense?
Dense milk bread can happen when the dough hasn’t been kneaded enough to develop the gluten, the yeast isn’t active, or the dough hasn’t had enough time to rise.
Use the windowpane test described above to check the dough after kneading, and let the dough rise until properly proofed rather than relying only on the clock.
Can I Knead Japanese Milk Bread by Hand?
Yes. The dough is soft and can feel sticky, so kneading by hand will take longer than using a stand mixer. It may take around 12 to 14 minutes to develop enough gluten to pass the windowpane test.
Can I Refrigerate the Dough Overnight?
Yes. After kneading, place the dough in a large covered container and refrigerate it overnight for the first rise. The dough will expand, so make sure the container has plenty of room.
The next day, continue with shaping and the second rise before baking.
How Do I Know When Milk Bread Is Fully Baked?
The loaf should be beautifully golden and sound hollow when gently tapped. After baking, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
What Can I Make With Japanese Milk Bread?
Japanese milk bread is excellent for sandwiches, toast, and French toast. You can also use the dough to make soft buns.
Ways to Enjoy Japanese Milk Bread
Japanese milk bread has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that makes it useful for both sweet and savory dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Toast it and serve with butter and jam.
- Use it as soft sandwich bread.
- Make French toast—the thick, fluffy slices work beautifully for it.
- Turn leftover slices into bread pudding.
- Spread it with Nutella or another favorite spread.
- Use the dough to make soft burger or sandwich buns.
How to Store Japanese Milk Bread
OLet the milk bread cool completely before storing it. Place it in an airtight bag or container and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, slice the loaf and freeze it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Freezing individual slices also makes it easy to take out only what you need.
More Bread Recipes to Try
Easy Japanese Milk Bread Recipe
This easy Japanese milk bread recipe makes a soft, fluffy, slightly sweet loaf using the Tangzhong method. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or enjoying on its own.
For the Tangzhong (starter)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose or bread flour
For the Dough
- ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups flour all-purpose or bread flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
To make the Tangzhong (Dough Enhancer)
-
Off the heat and in a small saucepan, add the flour and half a cup of milk. Whisk until you see no lumps.
-
Turn on the heat to medium and keep stirring or whisking until you get a pudding-like consistency.
-
Turn off the heat, pour another half cup of milk into the flour and milk mixture, and keep on whisking to prevent creating lumps.
-
Make sure the mixture is warm and not hot. Add the sugar, yeast, and whisk well, then add the egg and whisk until combined.
To make the dough
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Attach the dough hook attachment to a stand mixer, add the flour and salt to the stand mixer’s bowl, mix them well, and then pour the Tangzhong.
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Run the stand mixer and knead. When the dough is almost formed, pour in the melted butter.
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Knead for 10 minutes, then take a piece from the dough and stretch it between your fingers. Stop kneading if you pull the dough enough to see your fingers under it without tearing.
-
Knead the dough gently for a few seconds.
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Spray some oil into a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the dough and keep it in a warm place for one and a half to two hours.
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Press the dough to remove the extra air and knead gently for a few seconds.
Shaping the dough
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Make four equal balls. I used the fourth ball to form small buns, but you can use a bigger loaf pan to use all four balls.
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If you want to bake the four balls in one loaf pan, grease an 8 x 12-inch loaf pan. If you want to keep the fourth ball to form small buns, go for a 4.5 x 8.5-inch loaf pan.
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Roll out the dough to 8 to 9 inches. As shown in the video, you can use a rolling pin or, better, use your hand.
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Fold the top to the center, then the bottom over the top fold.
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Rotate the folded dough to 90°and roll it up.
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Pinch to seal the seam. Place the rolled dough into the loaf seam side down. Do the same with the rest of the balls you formed earlier.
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Cover the loaf pan and let the dough rise again for 30 to 40 minutes.
Baking the Japanese milk bread
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Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
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Make an egg wash by beating an egg with two tablespoons of water. Lightly brush the dough and then place the loaf pan in the oven.
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until it’s golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
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Remove the bread from the pan and cool it on a wire rack.
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For more flavor, I sometimes brush the top of the bread with butter after taking it out of the oven, but that’s an optional step.
- As I mentioned in the post, I used all-purpose flour to make this milk bread. You can use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour without changing the measurements.
- When you make the Tangzhong, ensure the mixture is warm and not hot before adding the yeast, or the dough won’t rise.
- It is best to use whole milk, but you can go for coconut milk.
- If the dough is still wet, lightly dust the working surface with flour when rolling out the dough.
- Do the Windowpane test. I wrote more about it under Tips. It will be a guide to fluffy milk bread.
- Proofing the dough: If the kitchen is cold, wrap the bowl with thick towels.
- This recipe makes one large loaf of milk bread, one medium size, and three buns.
- If you want to make buns out of the dough, it usually takes 12 to 14 minutes in the oven using the same temperature I have mentioned in the recipe.
- Use half the amount of salt if you are using salted butter.
Serving: 1 Slice | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg
