Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread

Ingredients (base sauce):

• 45 gr Water

• 45 gr Milk

• 20 gr white or bread flour

• 30 gr Cold milk (will be added separately

• 1 Eggs

Ingredients (bread)

• 350 gr white or bread flour

• 50 gr Sugar

• 1 tsp. Salt

• 1 tbsp. Dry yeast

• 60 gr melted Butter

Important! Rest time makes all the difference, don’t skip or rush!

In a pan add 45gr water, 45gr Milk, 20gr flour - on low heat whisk together until there are no lumps and it’s combined. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts thickening (takes about 30 seconds to a minute)

Kill the heat, add additional cold milk, let cool down completely and add 1 egg and whisk together until combined - set aside

Mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add base sauce you just prepared and put on low speed, add melted butter. After about 30 seconds turn on to medium speed and let it kneed for 8 minutes - dough will come out smooth

Remove from the mixer, turn into a ball, spread some oil in the mixer bowl and add the dough back in to rest. Make sure you coat the top of the dough with some oil as well so it doesn’t dry up. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 1.5 - 2 hours (depending on how cold it is). It should increase in size but not double.

After the first rest, cut the dough into 6 pieces, roll into equal balls and place in a baking pan , cover with a damp towel and let rest for another 1 hour!

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees , add egg wash on the bread and place in the oven - check after 15 minutes, if the dough gets a little too burnt , take a tin foil and place it on top of the bread for the remaining 15 minutes.

Optional - in a small bowl melt some butter and add finely chopped garlic and parsley, mix together and spread on top of the warm bread