If you’re a fan of soft, pillowy bread with a slightly sweet flavor, Japanese milk rolls are a must-try! These delicious rolls are known for their light, airy texture, achieved through a special technique called Tangzhong. This simple yet effective method involves creating a flour-water roux, which helps retain moisture in the dough, resulting in rolls that stay fresher and softer for even longer. In this post, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to make these irresistible milk rolls at home, with tips on perfecting the Tangzhong mixture for the best results. You can do this! We are so excited about these rolls.
Now, don’t let the additional steps of making the Tangzhong paste put you off from making these rolls. You don’t need anything fancy. If you are making these rolls by hand, a couple tools we highly recommend include the dough whisk and a high-heat spatula. Both of these have become essentials in our kitchen, especially around the Holidays when we do a lot of baking. But all the other things you need, we guarantee you already have.
And the ingredients? So simple! Yeast, water, milk, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and butter. That’s it! This recipe will blow you away and you will be ruined for almost all other types of dinner rolls. You combine the Tangzhong paste, cook it on the stove until it thickens, and then transfer it to another bowl to let it cool slightly before adding it to your bread mixture. It’s a little bit of a wetter dough, and that’s good!
It creates the most incredible texture once baked. And once you have them portioned out and shaped we like to bake them on a prepped parchment sheet. Tip! Place the rolls so they are touching! The bake on these is pure perfection, and if the dough is touching it will keep the sides pillowy soft, everyone’s favorite part of the roll. And while we insist you must eat them warm, they will still stay soft and fresh if you decide to bake them early and eat them in a day or two. But just beware, if they are left on the counter, people will eat them all! Seriously. We can’t wait for you to try out these Japanese Milk Rolls.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine yeast and water. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add milk, water, and flour. Whisk together well, stirring constantly. Once it starts to thicken, be careful because it can happen quickly, remove from heat and continue to stir to form a thick paste. Transfer to a small bowl to slightly cool. To the yeast mixture, add flour, milk, sugar, salt, and 2 eggs (one at a time until incorporated). Add in the Tangzhong mixture and mix on low until the dough comes together. If the dough is too wet, add flour. If it’s too dry, add milk. With the mixer on low, add a Tbsp of butter. Mix until fully incorporated. Repeat one tablespoon at a time with remaining butter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Prepare a pan with nonstick cooking spray. When ready, punch the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces (try for about 3 ounces each). Working one at a time, push down slightly (but firmly and evenly) on the dough sections and roll the ball under your palm in a circular motion. Use the cupped sides of your hands to keep the dough centered in your palm. Eventually, dough will come together and most of the lines and folds should incorporate, forming a smooth dough ball. Add the rolls to the prepared pan, spaced apart. Cover and allow to rise again until doubled (about 30-45 minutes). Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, add 1-2 eggs and water and whisk vigorously until combined and smooth. Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake until the tops are golden brown (about 20-25 minutes) and internal temperature reaches approximately 190°F. Enjoy warm!Japanese Milk Rolls
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