Soft Sandwich Milk Bread (source)

This recipe is based on Japanese milk bread. Imagine if Wonder Bread was actually good -- dense, soft, and flavorful.

The secret is the use of tangzhong, which is made by combining flour and water and heating it until it goes through a sort of phase change and ends up thick like pudding. It locks the moisture in and helps the bread last longer and stay extra soft.

The original recipe was for a Pullman pan, but I've decided to make normal loaves from it, so I tweaked it to just work with our regular bread pans at home.

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) bread flour

Dough

  • 1 cup (240 ml) half & half
  • 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (14g or 2 packets) active dry yeast
  • 650g (5 cups) bread flour
  • 62g (1/2 cup) milk powder
  • 2 tsp (15 g) salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 tbsp (56 g or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Dough (Alternate Rye Version)

  • 1 cup (240 ml) half & half
  • 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (14g or 2 packets) active dry yeast
  • 390g (3 cups) bread flour
  • 260g (2 cups) rye flour
  • 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
  • 62g (1/2 cup) milk powder
  • 2 tsp (15 g) salt
  • 1 tsp (scant) allspice
  • 1 tsp (scant) mace
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 tbsp (56 g or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Directions

Tangzhong

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the water and bread flour for the tangzhong. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds, stirring in-between, until it is suddenly the texture of pudding.

Leave it to cool in the refrigerator while working on the rest of the recipe.

Awaken the Yeast

  1. Warm the half & half to about 110°F. (Slightly warm to the touch.)
  2. Stir together the warm half & half, sugar and yeast.
  3. Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.

Start the Dough

  1. In a stand mixer bowl, briefly stir together the bread flour, milk powder and salt to combine evenly. If making the rye variant, add the allspice, mace, and caraway as well.
  2. Add the eggs, the yeast mixture, and the cooled tangzhong.
  3. Stir until the flour has been incorporated and everything comes together to form a shaggy dough.
  4. Using a stand mixer, knead the dough with the dough hook attachment on low speed (setting #1) for a minute or two to bring the ingredients together.
  5. Increase to medium-low speed (setting #2) and knead for up to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it passes the window test, it's ready.
  6. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time and knead on low speed (setting #1), making sure it's fully incorporated before adding the next.
  7. When finished adding the butter, increase speed to medium-low (setting #2) and knead for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic and glossy.
  8. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour or until double in size.
  9. Grease two bread pans.
  10. Remove the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide the dough into 6 equal parts, shaping them into smooth balls.
  11. Cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest for about 10 minutes.
  12. Roll out a rested dough ball into an oval about 9-inches wide. (Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin as needed.)
  13. Fold the sides into the middle resulting in 3 layers.
  14. Flatten the dough with the rolling pin, then roll the dough into a snug cylinder.
  15. Pinch the seams and place seam side down into one of the loaf pans.
  16. Repeat steps 12-15 with the remaining five dough balls, placing three cylinders of dough per loaf pan.
  17. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour, until about double in volume and ready to bake.

The dough is ready to bake when:

  • The top of the dough has risen about three-quarters of the way to the top of the pan.
  • If you lightly poke the dough, the indentation left by your finger slowly bounces back only half-way.

30 minutes through the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Baking

Make sure your oven is preheated to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown with an internal temperature of 190°F (88°C).

Remove the bread from the pans immediately after taking them out of the oven.

Cool your Soft Sandwich Milk Bread completely before slicing. (I know, I'm sorry.)