Description
This Soft and Fluffy Milk Bread is everything I want in a loaf: tender, buttery, and light as air. It’s the kind of easy recipe that delivers bakery-level results right from your kitchen. Whether you’re after a quick breakfast idea, a cozy dinner side, or a healthy snack upgrade, this soft milk bread brings home the comfort. Great for French toast, sandwiches, or just tearing apart and eating warm. A go-to in my collection of easy recipes and food ideas.
Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons bread flour (for tangzhong)
1/2 cup whole milk (for tangzhong)
1/2 cup warm whole milk (for dough)
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Instructions
1. In a saucepan, whisk 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup milk over medium heat until it thickens into a smooth paste (tangzhong). Let cool.
2. In a bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add cooled tangzhong, warm milk, and egg. Mix until shaggy.
3. Add butter and knead dough until smooth and elastic (10–12 minutes).
4. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
5. Punch down and divide into 4. Roll each into a log and place in buttered loaf pan.
6. Cover and let rise again until dough rises 1 inch above pan.
7. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
8. Brush top with butter and cool before slicing.
Notes
Use bread flour for the best chewy yet soft texture.
Let the tangzhong cool to avoid killing the yeast.
Slice and freeze for easy toastable pieces later.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: milk bread, fluffy bread, easy bread, tangzhong, Japanese bread