No-knead Hokkaido Style Milk Bread

A very easy way to make a good loaf of Hokkaido Milk Bread. Traditional tangzhong roux method is a quite tedious process. You will have to incorporate chilled butter into the dough with your hands and keep kneading until the dough passes the ‘Windowpane Test”. This recipe requires no dough kneading, instead you just mix all the ingredients with a spatula and place the mixing bowl in the fridge overnight. The loaf still turns out light, fluffy and can be easily pull apart. It’s good enough to eat plain and even better in sandwiches, but in my opinion, it’s best when toasted.

Makes 1 loaf (by using a 9inch X 5inch loaf pan)

400g all-purpose flour中筋面粉
50g butter, melted and cool off
60g white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
150g full-cream milk, lukewarm (40C/80F)
2 large eggs, beaten (save a ½ tablespoon for egg wash)

Place the butter in a bowl. Put in the mircrowave over low power for about 30 seconds. Place all the dry ingredients of all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add into melted butter, lukewarm full cream milk and beaten eggs. Combine above dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix well until no dry flour is seen.

2. Cover the mixing bowl and leave it in the room temperature until the dough size is doubled. Place covered mixing bowl in fridge overnight.

3. Remove the dough from fridge. Lightly dust your workspace. Cut the dough into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough pieces with kitchen towel and let them rest for about 30 minutes.

4. Pick a piece. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a long oval piece. Pick one end of the oval and roll it up towards the other end to make a roll. Use your hand to press down the roll a bit so the roll stays tight. Repeat the process with the rest two dough pieces. Use butter to grease your loaf pan or place a parchment paper into the loaf pan. Place the three rolls into the loaf pan.

5. Cover the loaf pan with kitchen towel. Leave the dough rest for about 2 hours or till the dough size is about doubled. Brush the dough with egg wash.