Japanese Milk Bread Rolls

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5 from 3 votes

These Japanese Milk Bread Rolls are made with an enriched white bread recipe. They're soft and slightly sweet and perfect for serving with soups and stews, at Thanksgiving dinner, or as a sandwich bread.

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Additional Time

3 hrs

Total Time

5 hrs

Servings: 16 rolls

Calories: 222 kcal

Course: Bread

Cuisine: International

Ingredients

Tangzhong (roux starter)

⅓ cup bread flour 45 grams
½ cup milk plus more as needed, whole; 120 ml
½ cup water

Dough

4 ⅔ cup bread flour plus more as needed, 600 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 egg large
roux starter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing the pan and brushing, if desired

Instructions

Tangzhong (roux starter)

Cup of Yum

In a small pot, combine the flour, milk, and water. Over low heat, whisk until smooth and continue stirring until the whisk leaves a clear, thick track at the bottom of the pot.
Remove the roux from the heat and scrape it into a glass measuring cup to stop the cooking. If you are not using it right away, cover the starter with plastic wrap, pressing down the wrap onto the surface of the roux to prevent a skin from forming and let cool.

Dough

In the bowl of a mixer, use the paddle to combine the flour, sugar, and yeast and mix on low speed briefly. Add the salt and mix for about 10 seconds.
Add the egg and the starter. Mix on low speed. When the dough starts to come together, switch to the dough hook. (If the dough doesn't come together, add an additional tablespoon of milk at a time).
Increase the speed to medium and add the butter, one or two small cubes at a time. It should take a few minutes to finish adding the butter. Knead for about five to seven minutes more, adding flour as necessary if the dough sticks to the bottom of the mixer. At the end of kneading, the dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky.
Shape the dough into a boule, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one and a half to two hours.
Lightly grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
Divide the dough in half, and place one half into a bowl and cover it with plastic.
Divide the remaining dough into eighths, and roll each portion into a ball (see the link below and in the main post for how to shape dinner rolls). Place the bread rolls in one cake pan so they are equally spaced and not touching. Repeat with the second half of the dough and second cake pan.
Cover the cake pans with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise again in a warm, draft-free location until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush with a tablespoon of melted butter, if you like, then bake for about 18 to 20 minutes until lightly browned and the internal temperature is 190°F.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This recipe will make 16 dinner rolls or one loaf of Japanese milk bread and 8 dinner rolls.
This video is a great example of how to shape dinner rolls.
To make a sandwich loaf, grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan, and increase the baking time to 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Calories 222kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Trans Fat 0.2g (10%) Cholesterol 37mg (12%) Sodium 304mg (13%) Potassium 76mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 220IU (4%) Vitamin C 0.01mg (0%) Calcium 21mg (2%) Iron 0.5mg (3%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 rolls

Amount Per Serving

Calories 222

% Daily Value*

Calories	222kcal	11%
Carbohydrates	33g	11%
Protein	6g	12%
Fat	7g	11%
Saturated Fat	4g	20%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	2g	10%
Trans Fat	0.2g	10%
Cholesterol	37mg	12%
Sodium	304mg	13%
Potassium	76mg	2%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	4g	8%
Vitamin A	220IU	4%
Vitamin C	0.01mg	0%
Calcium	21mg	2%
Iron	0.5mg	3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.