Super Soft Milk Bread Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour
You are going to fall in love with this super soft Japanese milk bread made with fresh milled flour! It’s easier than you think, and your family will go crazy for it every time you make it.
I’ve been working on getting that pillow-soft, melt-in-your-mouth homemade bread for a while now, and when I perfected my recipe, I knew I had to share with you all.
Japanese Milk Bread, sometimes known as Shokupan, Asian Milk Bread, or Hokkaido Milk Bread, is the ultimate in soft, fluffy loaves like the store-bought stuff you loved as a kid. Yes, it is possible to achieve that iconic cloud-like texture using fresh milled wheat flour at home!
Let’s break it down step-by-step so you can bake the best bread of your life, right in your own kitchen.
Looking for other fresh milled bread recipes? Try making Dinner Rolls, Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia, Hawaiian Rolls, or Sourdough Pretzel Buns. If you are just getting started with whole grains, give our Fresh Milled Flour Beginner’s Guide a read or learn more about the best grains to use at home!
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Why You’ll Love This Fluffy Milk Bread
Cotton-Soft, Cloud-Like Texture: Bunny Bread, anyone? This bread is known for its dreamy texture, thanks to the Tangzhong method. You get softness without sacrificing structure and flavor.
Whole Wheat Twist: Freshly milled flour is rich in nutrients and flavor, but it can be tricky to make into softer breads. Not this one! All the nutrients and all the fluff without your slices tearing.
Slightly Sweet: This bread is barely sweet with a buttery flavor; just enough to make it feel like an indulgent treat.
Perfect for the Family: No complaining about the whole wheat taste or texture here. This bread is my kids’ favorite recipe I have ever made, hands down.
What Is Japanese Milk Bread?
Shokupan is Japan’s signature sandwich bread. It’s soft, slightly sweet, and incredibly tender—perfect for toast, sandwiches, or snacking straight from the loaf. Unlike traditional white breads, Japanese Milk Bread is an enriched dough that uses a cooked flour paste (Tangzhong) or scalded flour (Yudane) to lock in moisture and improve softness.
We use Tangzhong in our recipe. It is a roux made by cooking flour and water (or milk) together before adding it to the dough. This dough enhancer helps the bread retain moisture and stay soft longer. This is especially useful with fresh milled flour and whole wheat, as they can tend to be tough or hearty if you don’t get the hydration right.
Fresh milled flour tends to absorb more water and can be denser. Tangzhong offsets that by gelatinizing the starch, leading to a more hydrated, pliable dough.
Super Soft Milk Bread Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour
Tools
- Grain Mill
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Fork or Whisk
- Stand Mixer with dough hook or large mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Kitchen Scale
- Rolling Pin
- Loaf pan (an XL pullman, or two 9×5” pans work great)
- Cooking Thermometer (optional but helpful)
- Dough Scraper
- Lint-free towel or plastic wrap for proofing
- Butter and Rice Flour for pan(s)
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Hard White Wheat
- 1 Cup (227g) Water, warm
Dough
- 3 Cups (585g) Hard White Wheat
- 1⅞ Cups (428g) Milk, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (6g) Maple Syrup
- 2¼ teaspoons (17g) Salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons (12g) Active Dry Yeast
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
In a small bowl, combine warm water and flour, whisking together with a fork. Microwave for 20 seconds, then whisk together again. Repeat 2 more times until you have a smooth, thick paste. I use the microwave because it’s quick and fewer dishes, but you can make it in a saucepan*.
Using a spatula, spread the paste on the bottom of your bowl of a stand mixer to cool for about 10 minutes.
Autolyse (saltolyse)
To your cooled Tangzhong, add maple syrup and milk and whisk together. A few small lumps may remain. Add fresh milled flour and salt, mixing into a shaggy dough. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes.
Knead
Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, mix in softened butter until mostly combined, then sprinkle yeast over the top of the dough and continue kneading for 5-10 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test, and the dough bounces off the sides of the bowl.
First Rise
Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes or until doubled in size. Grease and flour pan(s).
Shape the Dough
Dump bread dough onto a lightly floured surface (or greased), divide it into 4 equal pieces, and shape into balls to create a little tension. Cover with a tea towel and let rest 15 minutes.
On lightly greased surface, roll out each dough ball into a rectangle about 7″x12″. Fold each side in and then roll up. Pinch the seam closed. Repeat for each dough ball.
Arrange each dough roll seam side down in the pan side-by-side.
Second Rise
Cover and let rise again until the dough has risen and passes the poke test. This will take about 30–60 minutes, depending on your kitchen temperature.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the interior temperature of the bread is between 200-205 degrees.
Cool
Immediately remove from the pan. I like to let my bread cool on its side on a wire cooling rack to prevent caving in. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- *To make Tangzhong on the stove, in a small saucepan whisk together flour and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens into a pudding-like paste (about 3–5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- I use a large 16″ pullman loaf pan, but you can use two loaf pans (don’t stuff it all into one loaf pan or you’ll have an exploding Greek column bread!)
- I butter and flour my pan before adding dough for easy release.
- You can also make this recipe using the Yudane method instead of Tangzhong.
- Be careful not to overproof, or the bread may sink in while cooling.
- Use a serrated bread knife to cut slices, cutting slowly with very little downward pressure.
Storage Tips
We store our bread on the counter in a glass cake stand, which helps keep it fresh without trapping too much moisture or drying out. It doesn’t last much longer than a couple of days here, but it should be good for up to 4-5 days.
This bread freezes well, too! Just make sure it’s fully cooled before wrapping in plastic wrap and putting it into a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter, don’t leave in a sealed bag to thaw, or you may get soggy bread.
How to Serve Fresh Milled Milk Bread
This bread is tasty all on its own, or just slathered with butter. It’s also great for toast, french toast (seriously, this is the one), grilled cheese (umm, 100%), sandwiches, garlic bread, or texas toast!
Variations to Try Next Time
- Try using Hard Red or switching up the whole grain combinations
- Mini Loaves: Perfect for gifting or freezing— bake rolled dough in mini loaf pans.
- Try making milk bread dinner rolls! Baking time should be adjusted.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Why Is My Milk Bread Dense? Make sure to use Tangzhong (or Yudane), autolyse, and knead thoroughly. Don’t skimp on the rise time either. Also, double-check your flour hydration if using a different wheat.
The Crust Is Too Hard. The crust will soften as it cools, but you can lightly brush the top with butter before baking or while it’s still warm to soften the crust.
Fresh milled flour makes the best milk bread and is a joy to bake—and even more delightful to eat! With a little patience and the magic of Tangzhong, even freshly milled flour transforms into a soft, tender loaf. Whether you’re new to milling or a seasoned baker, this recipe brings the best of both worlds to your table and your belly.
Super Soft Milk Bread Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour
Learn how to make soft and fluffy Japanese milk bread using fresh milled flour. Step-by-step pictures for a perfectly soft loaf every time!
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Hard White Wheat
- 1 Cup (227g) Water, warm
Dough
- 3 Cups (585g) Hard White Wheat
- 1⅞ Cups (428g) Milk, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoons (6g) Maple Syrup
- 2¼ teaspoons (17g) Salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons (12g) Active Dry Yeast
Instructions
- In a small bowl, make the Tangzhong by combining warm water and flour, and whisk together with a fork. Microwave for 20 seconds, then whisk together again. Repeat 2 more times until you have a smooth, thick paste. I use the microwave because it's quick and fewer dishes, but you can make it in a saucepan*.
- Using a spatula, spread the paste on the bottom of your bowl of a stand mixer to cool for about 10 minutes.
- To your cooled Tangzhong, add maple syrup and milk and whisk together. A few small lumps may remain. Add fresh milled flour and salt, mixing into a shaggy dough. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes.
- Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, mix in softened butter until mostly combined, then sprinkle yeast over the top of the dough and continue kneading for 5-10 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test, and the dough bounces off the sides of the bowl.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes or until doubled in size. Grease and flour pan(s).
- Dump bread dough onto a lightly floured surface (or greased), divide it into 4 equal pieces, and shape into balls to create a little tension. Cover with a tea towel and let rest 15 minutes.
- On lightly greased surface, roll out each dough ball into a rectangle about 7"x12". Fold each side in and then roll up. Pinch the seam closed. Repeat for each dough ball.
- Arrange each dough roll seam side down in the pan side-by-side.
- Cover and let rise again until the dough has risen and passes the poke test. This will take about 30–60 minutes, depending on your kitchen temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the interior temperature of the bread is between 200-205 degrees.
- Immediately remove from the pan. I like to let my bread cool on its side on a wire cooling rack to prevent caving in. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- *To make Tangzhong on the stove, in a small saucepan whisk together flour and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens into a pudding-like paste (about 3–5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- I use a large 16" pullman loaf pan, but you can use two loaf pans (don't stuff it all into one loaf pan or you'll have an exploding Greek column bread!)
- I butter and flour my pan before adding dough for easy release.
- You can also make this recipe using the Yudane method instead of Tangzhong.
- Be careful not to overproof, or the bread may sink in while cooling.
- Use a serrated bread knife to cut slices, cutting slowly with very little downward pressure.
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1 SliceAmount Per Serving Calories 134Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 4mgSodium 19mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 5g
*This has not been evaluated by the FDA
FAQs
Technically yes, but it won’t be nearly as soft and have that fluffy texture. Tangzhong (or other dough improver like Yudane) is key to that classic pillowy texture.
Hard white wheat gives the best texture for this bread.
It should just about double in size and feel slightly springy when gently pressed, but an indent should be visible.
This usually means it over-proofed. Keep an eye on that second rise.
