Since we haven’t been allowed to travel, we have to bring the delicious food from around the world into our bellies by creating them ourselves!
If you haven’t heard about Hokkaido Milk Bread, get ready to be satisfied! Hokkaido is an island in Japan and is this island is actually known for its dairy products. Hokkaido produces more than 50% of Japan’s dairy products.
What is Hokkaido Milk Bread?
So you might be wondering, why is Hokkaido milk bread so special? It looks like any other loaf of bread! The main difference between a regular loaf of bread to Hokkaido milk bread is that there is a secret ingredient: the Tang Zhong Roux. When you make this roux and incorporate it into the recipe, it creates a beautiful fluffy, light and moist bread. Regular bread dries out pretty quickly when you make it yourself but since the Hokkaido Milk Bread has the roux, it actually keeps the bread from drying out. The roux is made out of flour, water and milk which thickens and gelatinised. This gelatinised starch keeps the moisture trapped inside the bread instead of escaping out. Science!
Is Hokkaido Milk Bread Healthy?
This milk bread recipe doesn’t have a lot of added sugar in it. However, it doesn’t have a lot of nutrients. Even though it is delicious and really hits the spot when you crave carbs, this bread should be added to any balance meal! But having a slice on its own is not going to make you unhealthy, so eat and enjoy!
Can you Freeze Hokkaido Milk Bread?
If you are looking to prep a few loaves of bread ahead of time and want to find a way to freeze it, the easiest way is to freeze it before baking. Two ways you can do this, once you create the initial dough, you can freeze the whole dough ball in an air tight bag and keep it in the freezer for a few months. When you are ready to bake, you can defrost it and roll the dough out, do the second proofing and bake. The second way you can freeze the bread is to follow all the steps up until baking and freeze the dough inside the bread pan. When you are ready to bake, take the whole loaf out and defrost, then follow the step to bake. Just remember that the consistency of the bread might be slightly different since freezing bread can change the composition slightly. But don’t worry, it will be just as delicious!
How to Make Hokkaido Milk Bread?
The recipe is very simple and very much like any other bread recipe. The main difference as we talked about is the Tang Zhong Roux that you make first. Otherwise, the ingredients and method is very simple and straight forward.
Hokkaido Milk Bread
Ingredients
For the Tang Zhong Roux
- 2 TBSP all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
For the Dough
- Tang Zhong Roux
- 1/2 cup warmed whole milk
- 1 package of active dry yeast (8 gram)
- 1 TBSP white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 TBSP milk powder
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 TBSP soften unsalted butter
Instructions
For the Tang Zhong Roux
- In a small sauce pan, add water, milk and flour on medium heat
- Whisk mixture until thicken, immediately turn off heat to avoid burning
- Set aside to cool
For the Dough
- In a large bowl or mixer, add warmed milk, yeast, and sugar
- Let sit for 10 minutes for the yeast to start bubbling
- Add tang zhong roux, egg, salt, milk powder, flour and mix thoroughly
- Add butter and knead dough until dough ball forms (Knead for about 5 minutes)
- Let proof in a warm place for an hour, covered
- After an hour of proofing, take dough ball and divide it into 4 equal pieces
- Roll each piece out to a square, approx 5×5 inches
- Fold two corners to touch in the middle, then roll from end to end (refer to picture for this step)
- Place inside bread pan
- Repeat for the rest of the 3 dough balls
- Let rise again covered in a warm place for another hour
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Brush the top of the bread dough with milk
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes
If you have tried making this recipe, comment below and let me know! Or tag me on social media @joyceofcooking !
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