Mother of All Milk Bread

MAKES 1 LOAF OR 12 BUNS

For the Tangzhong

• 100g (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons)milk

• 20g (2 tablespoons) bread flour

For the Milk Bread

• 125g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) warm (110°F) milk

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus a pinch

  Mooncakes and Milk Bread Kristina Cho

• 335g (2 2/3 cups) bread flour, plus more for work surface

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1 large egg

• 55g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

• 1 teaspoon canola or other neutral-flavored oil, for bowl

For the Egg Wash

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the flour and milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the paste into a small bowl, scraping the sides of the saucepan with a flexible spatula; let cool until warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Texture should resemble mashed potatoes.

Make the milk bread: In a clean or new small sauce pan, scald the milk over medium heat, bringing the milk to a gentle simmer(watch carefully as milk tends to boil over). Pour milk into a small bowl and cool until warm to the touch (about 110°F). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar, and set aside until the surface of the mixture is foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the sugar, flour, salt, and egg. Add the tangzhong and milk and mix on low until shaggy. Add the softened butter one piece at a time, mixing until fully incorporated before adding the next. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until it is tacky and slightly sticky, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking, pinch and pull the ends of the dough to form a smooth ball.

Coat a large mixing bowl with the 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the dough to the bowl, gently turning it to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size, about 2 hours (or place in the refrigerator to proof for at least8hours or overnight).

Transfer the proofed dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down the dough to deflate it. Pinch and pull the ends of the dough to form a smooth ball.

To Make a Classic Three-Segment Loaf

Line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (If baking in a pullman pan there’s no need to line with parchment paper.) Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth ball. Roll out a piece of dough into a 5 x 8-inch oval. Fold the long edges of the dough over by 1/2 inch and then roll into a 4-inch log, starting at one of the short ends. Place the dough seam-side down, in the loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining two pieces of dough, placing them side by side in the pan. Cover the pan loosely with a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to proof in a warm spot until it reaches just above the rim of the pan (or just below the rim for a pullman pan), 60 to 90 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg and heavy cream in a small bowl. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash. (Omit the egg wash if using a pullman pan.) Bake on the center rack of the oven until the top is golden brown, 30 to 33 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the edges of the parchment paper to help lift the bread from the pan, then transfer to the rack to cool completely.

To Make Milk Bread Buns (great for cheeseburgers and sandwiches)

Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions with a bench scraper (for accuracy, weigh with a digital scale if you have one). Form each piece into a smooth ball. Place the dough balls on the baking sheets, spacing at least 3 inches apart, and cover loosely with a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg and heavy cream in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and bake until the tops are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping Options: furikake, everything bagel seasoning, black pepper, sesame seeds, shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese

VARIATIONS

Whole-Wheat Milk Bread: Reduce bread flour to 250g (2 cups) and add 85g (2/3 cup) whole-wheat flour.

Chocolate Milk Bread: Add 16g (3 tablespoons) cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.

Note:
Kneading by hand: A heavily enriched dough, like this one, will naturally be on the stickier side. Using an electric stand mixer for kneading will be a lot easier, but it is not impossible to knead this dough by hand. All you need is an extra 1/4 cup of bread flour on standby.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the tangzhong, milk/yeast mixture, egg, and softened butter. Using a flexible spatula, mix everything together to form a shaggy dough. Start kneading with your hands until you have a smooth dough ball, 13 to 15 minutes. Have an extra 1/4 cup of bread flour off on the side to lightly dust the dough and the work surface whenever you find the dough too sticky to work with. Try not to use more than a 1/4 cup of extra flour, though, to prevent the bread from being too dry.

Excerpted from Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho. Copyright 2021 by Kristina Cho. Photographs copyright Kristina Cho. Used by permission of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.

When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!