About These Soft and Fluffy Milk Bread Rolls
These milk bread rolls are super soft and fluffy, thanks to the popular Asian technique of tangzhong. The technique involves pre-cooking some of the recipe’s flour and milk to make a roux beforehand. This roux pre-gelatinizes the flour’s starches and increases their ability to retain liquid—so when added to the dough, it leads to incredibly pillowy bread rolls that stay fresh and moist for days!
For more fun and delicious bread roll recipes on Hummingbird High, check out my Bread Recipes archive! Popular recipes include these Salted Honey Parker House Rolls.
The recipe is adapted from Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired By Chinese Bakeries. One of my favorite food bloggers, Kristina Cho of Eat Cho Food, recently published a cookbook dedicated to Asian-style baking. I don’t consider myself an expert on milk bread at all, so I decided to use Kristina’s milk bread base recipe to make these milk bread rolls. Her recipe did not disappoint—the milk bread rolls were super light, soft, and fluffy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make these milk bread rolls, here’s everything you need to make the recipe:
- whole milk
- bread flour
- active dry yeast
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
- large eggs
- unsalted butter
- flaky sea salt
And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:
Common Ingredient Substitutions For The Recipe
Here are common substitutions for the ingredients in the recipe:
- Whole Milk. Whole milk in the recipe can be substituted with low-fat or skim milk, as well as whatever plant-based alternative dairy milk you prefer. Just note that if you use a milk with a “strong” flavor like coconut, soy, or oat, you’ll be able to taste it in the rolls, too.
- Bread Flour. In a pinch, you can substitute the bread flour in the recipe with the same amount of all-purpose flour. However, your rolls likely won’t be as soft and chewy as the original recipe.
- Active Dry Yeast. You can use the same amount of instant yeast instead of active dry yeast. However, you’ll need to activate it in a different way—instant yeast is typically activated at higher temperatures and mixed in with the recipe’s dry ingredients.
- Kosher Salt. Kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes—learn more in this post! But if you don’t have any, you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with half its amount in table salt.
- Unsalted Butter. You can substitute the unsalted butter with salted butter without any noticeable difference in taste.
How To Make The Recipe
Here are the basic steps to make these milk bread rolls from scratch:
- Prep the ingredients. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
- Make the tangzhong. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
- Make the dough. (Work Time: 15 minutes)
- Proof the dough. (Proof Time: Overnight)
I instruct you to proof the dough overnight in the fridge; however, check out the next section on how to make these rolls all in one day! - The next day, shape the dough into rolls. (Work Time: 15 minutes)
- Proof the rolls while you preheat the oven. (Proof Time: 1 hour)
- Make the eggwash and brush it onto the rolls. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
- Bake the rolls. (Bake Time: 28 minutes)
Best Recipe Tips
Tips On How To Make The Recipe Fit Your Schedule
Best Ingredient Tip
- Make sure to pay attention to the ingredients and the temperatures they’re listed at in the recipe. Yeast is a living thing and you can easily kill it by mixing it in water that’s too hot. You want the temperature to be similar to that of a warm bath and no more.
Tips About Changing The Recipe’s Serving Size
Get the Recipe:
Soft and Fluffy Milk Bread Rolls Recipe
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 28 minutes
Total: 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls
These soft and fluffy milk bread rolls are made with the tangzhong method (which instructs you to make a roux for the dough), creating extra soft buns.
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First, make the tangzhong. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and flour for the tangzhong. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately scrape the paste into a small bowl and cool on a wire rack for at least 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the dough.
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Activate the yeast for the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until bubbly and foamy, while you prep the other ingredients.
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Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, and egg for the dough. Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and a slightly shaggy dough forms.With the mixer on low, add the tangzhong and milk and mix on low until completely shaggy. Add the butter one piece at a time, adding the next piece only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Once all the butter is combined, increase the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until tacky and slightly sticky.
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Proof the dough overnight. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough once or twice into a rough ball. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to remove any excess dough. Spray the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
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Shape the dough and proof again. Once the dough has doubled overnight, lightly spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Uncover the dough and discard the plastic wrap. Punch down the dough and tip it onto a floured counter.Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 2 ounces (57 grams) each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place in the prepared baking pan, arranging the balls in three rows of four. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature.
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Meanwhile, prep the oven. About 30 minutes into the second rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and milk for the egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush the top and sides of each roll with the egg wash. Garnish the top of each roll with flaky salt.
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Bake the rolls. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the tops of each roll are golden brown. An instant thermometer inserted into the center of roll should read 200°F.
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Serve and store. Serve immediately. The rolls can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
