Japanese Milk Bread
The Best Bread I Have Ever Eaten
1 cup whole milk slightly warm (80º - 90ºF)
1 Table spoon Vanilla extract
¼ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg lightly beaten
3 ¼ cups bread flour sifted or whisked to aerate
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter room temperature cut in quarters
1. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to combine. Add condensed milk, vanilla, and egg
2. Sift salt, sugar, and flour together
3. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed add the dry ingredients to the mixer about a cup at a time allowing them to incorporate until the ingredients come together use a bowl scraper to clean the sides as needed
4. Increase speed to medium-low. Add the butter, a quarter at a time. kneading the dough until the butter is no longer visible then adding the next piece.
5. At this point turn the mixer to high and knead for 30 minutes
6. The dough will be slightly sticky and will likely stick to the bottom or the bowl, but should not stick to the sides. If it’s sticking to the sides, continue kneading for a bit longer. You can add more flour, up to ¼ cup, 1 tablespoons at a time, but do so sparingly and only if needed.
7. With lightly oiled hands so the dough doesn’t stick, shape the dough into a ball. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Place the dough in a bowl that’s been lightly greased, seam side down. Cover with warm moist kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size
8. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang, and set aside. If making rolls, line a 9x13-inch baking pan or muffin pan with parchment paper.
9. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 9in x9in square and cut into 3 even strips, roughly the same size. If making rolls, cut each strip in half length wise and each strip into 3 equally sized pieces for 12 rolls.
10. For a loaf roll each of the three strips of dough to make a circle about 3 inches thick on the side then set them in the loaf pan rolled edges to the pan sides packing them tightly together. For rolls roll each piece up in the same way placing then about an inch apart roll seam down on the sheet or in the muffin cup.
11. Bake in the 350-degree preheated oven 25-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and the top is a deep golden brown. For rolls, bake 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean and they are golden brown.
12. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Turn out to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.
Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer with a kneading hook my God have mercy on you the kneading times by hand are doubled and this is sticky dough so be warned.