Sweet Japanese Milk Buns

Asian have different types of food which having almost the same taste with different name. for example, Japanese milk buns is a kind of bread with many flavors inside of it or even with a plain taste. There is a simple way to create this bread without special stuff needed, you may add only butter inside. Japanese people love to eat this bread every day, they may also add some kind of jam inside of it.

What are Japanese Milk Buns?

The name of Japanese milk buns is a term used to call this bread by tourist in Japan. However, people also may know this bread as Hokkaido buns which is very tasty and smooth texture inside. This bun having different characteristic than other type of bread, you can taste melting texture inside your mouth. Once you take some bite, it may bring you to the memories of Asia with this bread texture.

How to Make the Dough?

The dough has a special part for having a tasty bread, and people usually called this dough as tangzhong or a starter. There are many ingredients need to add inside the dough including water, milk, and flour that should be cooked together. Even if it is simple, once you wanted to create a paste of the dough, you need to make sure about the consistency.

Ingredient needed:

• Milk.
• Water.
• Milk powder.
• Skim powder milk.
• Flour.

How to make:

1. Mixing process

To create the best dough, you need to add flour inside of the medium size bowl. People might have different needs for having several portions of the milk buns. That is why, you need to add the flour as much as you need and pour all of the milk inside. Once you think it is enough, add some water to make the dough more fluid. Make sure if the dough is not too soft or hard for having the best result.

1. Adding flavor

Some people may have different taste for having Japanese milk buns receipt, including for having a specific texture they wanted. The dough can be as plain as other simple bread, even if you may want to add salt or sugar inside. If you choose to have a specific taste, it would be better if you add some salt and sugar as you need to create a tasty dough.

1. Time to cook

For having the best result, it would be better if you are using a big wooden spoon to moisturize the dough. Thus, the texture would not be change once it come to the oven, you may also kneading the dough for about 15 to 20 minutes to finalize. 

The Best Characteristic of the Dough

1. For having the best or silky dough, you need to wait until it comes smoother than before. If it is still a bit shaggy, it would be better if you take some times to wait.
2. The dough would turn into an elastic and stretchy once it comes to the best texture. Try to use a window pane method for better result.
3. To check if the dough is smoot enough, poke your finger into the dough as you can identify if it is good enough.

How to Make Japanese Milk Buns?

Ingredients needed:

• Creating the starter:

• 3 tablespoons of water.
• 2 tablespoons of all purposes flour.
• 3 tablespoons of whole milk.

• Creating the dough:

• 1 tablespoon salt.
• 1 egg.
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast.
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (already melted).
• 2 tablespoons whole milk powder.
• ¼ cup sugar.
• Add ½ cup warm whole milk around 105-115 F.

Instruction to cook:

• For the starter

Take a small pot, pour every ingredient inside and stir together the milk, water, and flour. Wait until it gets lump as you are also need to cook the starter in a low heat. Once you cook the ingredient, stir them smoothly until it gets thicker just like a paste. If you finish with the process and it comes smoother, transfer them into a small bowl and let cool.

• For the dough:

1. Combine the starter with all the dough ingredient inside a large mixing bowl for having a lot of space. Then, try to use a big wooden spoon that can help you to stir easier, wait until it gets dry and moistened. If the dough has turned into a shaggy mass or gathered together, try to turn it over or transfer them into a floured surface.
2. For having the best texture, you need to knead the dough until it comes smoother, soft, or even elastic. This process may take around 15 to 20 minutes for the best result.
3. Once you done with the step above, shape the dough as you wanted but it is recommended if you shaped them into a ball. Put them all into a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl.
4. Let them to get rise for about 60 to 90 minutes to wait until they get puffy. You may divide the dough into several portions as you wanted, shape them again and greased into 9-inch baking pan. You need to cover the dough again and let them rise for 50 more minutes.
5. To get them cook, preheat the oven with 350 F.
6. Make sure if the dough would not get stick into the baking pan, you can brush the pan with milk and bake at 350 F. It may take 15 to 17 minutes, and the color will be turned into golden.
7. Serve the Japanese milk buns once it still warm. Let them stay and covered inside the container, preferable to place at room temperature as it will stand for 2 days.

Japanese Milk Buns Nutrition Facts

Eating the Japanese milk buns every day would be beneficial to your health, which include a lot of nutrition in every bite. However, you may also want to add different taste and put some jam inside for having better flavor. Thus, people in Asia really love to eat this kind of bread and usually eat them for breakfast. No wonder if the bread become so popular with a simple step to create.