Chinese Milk Bread Recipes

HOKKAIDO MILK BREAD

Steps:

• Make the tangzhong by heating up milk in a small pot. Stir in bread flour until a thick paste forms. Pour paste into a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg; mix well.
• Place flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a spatula or by hand. Pour in tangzhong mixture. Stir well with a spatula until no dry spots remain. Gather dough in the middle of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Add salt to the dough and knead until incorporated. Repeat with sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Add butter; keep kneading until evenly incorporated and dough is smooth.
• Form dough into a ball and place into a well oiled bowl. Turn dough to grease on all sides. Let proof at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and deflate it. Press gently into a rectangle; roll up into a cylinder and transfer to a loaf pan. Let loaf proof until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place loaf pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

MILK BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select regular white bread cycle; press Start.

CHINESE MILK BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk the 2 tablespoons (18 g) bread flour with 1/2 cup cold water in a medium saucepan until no lumps remain. Cook, whisking constantly over medium heat until thickened and opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer bowl and let cool slightly. Add the 1/2 cup milk and whisk by hand until the mixture is broken up in small pieces. Whisk in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit until foamy on the surface, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease a large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. Grease a 9-inch nonstick springform or cake pan with 3-inch-high sides using another 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
• Top the yeast mixture with the following ingredients in this order: 1 of the eggs, the dry milk powder, remaining 2 cups (240 g) bread flour, the cake flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on low speed until all the flour is moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and passes the window pane test, about 10 minutes (see Cook's Note); scrape down the bowl halfway through. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter on medium-low speed until absorbed. Repeat, adding 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is smooth, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a tight ball by pulling the edges of the dough toward the center. Toss in the prepared bowl to coat with butter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Reserve plastic wrap.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and flatten to deflate it. Divide into 8 equal pieces, each about 90 g. Flatten 1 piece into a 3-inch disk and gather all the edges to meet at the center. Flip over and roll into a ball on a work surface, cupping the top of the dough with one hand, until the ball is completely smooth. Repeat with the remaining pieces and transfer all the balls to the prepared pan. Cover with the reserved plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and the buns completely cover the bottom of the pan, about 35 minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until no streaks of egg white remain and set aside. Brush onto each bun. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the hot water with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is slightly dissolved. Brush onto the tops of the buns when they're done baking and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the pan, release the buns from the springform or cake pan and let cool on a wire rack until still slightly warm. Enjoy the soft and sweet buns.
• The buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.

CHINESE STEAMED BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over a mixture of 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour and leave for around 15-30 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining water/ milk, flour, salt, sugar, pepper (if using) and oil.
• Mix everything to a dough.
• Turn it on to a floured work surface and knead it until it is smooth.
• Return it to the bowl, cover it and leave it in a warm place for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until it has tripled in size.
• Punch down the dough with the back of your fist to flatten on a floured board.
• Sprinkle the baking powder over and knead for a few minutes.
• Shape the dough into 24 rolls.
• Keep each ball on a wax paper and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
• You can place these balls on individual pieces of wax paper so you can use these to place in the steamer too for easier handling.
• Bring water in the bottom of a steamer to a boil first.
• Then place the rolls in the steamer, leaving a 1-inch gap between them.
• Cook in batches if need be.
• Cook them for 10-15 minutes, or until they are firm and cooked through.
• Do not turn the heat off before you lift the lid of the steamer as this causes blistering on the surface of the rolls.
• Serve them hot.