Uber Soft Milk Loaf – Whip It UP!

Uber Soft Milk Loaf

This loaf boasts an incredibly tender and milky crumb that has been enriched with double milk — full cream and milk powder. This technique developed by Adeline also ensures there’s a spring in each slice. Texture-wise, it resembles shokupan (also known as Hokkaido milk bread) a popular Japanese milk bread employing a proven Asian baking technique using a leaven called tangzhong. This recipe is simpler, sans the tangzhong, yet has a crumb that rivals the much–loved shokupan. In essence, it is a classic bread that many of us grew up with, made into sandwiches with a host of assorted fillings.

Total Time: 2½ hours

Difficulty: 2/5

Cost: S$3.00

Yields: 1 loaf

A: Bread Dough

300g bread flour
225g full-cream fresh milk
10g milk powder
40g sugar
3g instant yeast
3g salt

30g butter

B: Egg Wash

1 egg, whisked up with a fork


DIRECTIONS: 

  1. In a stand mixer attached with a dough hook, combine all ingredients except for butter. Knead on medium speed for 3 ½ minutes until it comes together in a ball of dough.

2. Add butter. Knead until it is fully incorporated into the dough, approximately 3½ minutes.

3. Pause to do a windowpane test. Pinch a small piece of dough — using both your thumbs and index fingers, gently stretch dough in opposite directions.

If you can stretch the dough to resemble a windowpane without it breaking or tearing, the gluten is sufficiently developed. If not, continue to knead another 3-5 minutes and do another windowpane test.

4. Place dough in a deep bowl that has been greased with some oil. Rest in a warm place (turned off oven with a bowl of hot boiling water placed on oven floor) for 30-45 minutes.

5. Shape dough. Prepare a Pullman baking tin.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Place it seal side down, side by side into the baking tin.

Alternatively, shape it into a single dough.

Cover with a moist kitchen towel. Let it rest in a warm place for 45 minutes-1 hour until dough reaches 90% of tin capacity, a few inches below the rim.

6. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 180°C for at least 15 minutes.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush top of loaf with an even coating of egg wash.

8. Bake loaf for 30-45 minutes until crust turns golden brown. Allow loaf to completely cool down for a minimum of 1 hour before slicing (See TIP).

The crumb is especially light and fluffy and is best consumed within 3 days.

As you pull buns apart, notice the delicate gluten strands.

PHOTOS: Adeline Song Jun Ling

TIP: Full cream milk replaces water for a burnished crust and delicately tender crumb with a fine grain and velvety texture. Sugar and butterfat lends this bread a longer shelf life. It yields a taller and fuller loaf owing to a greater capacity to retain gas.


TECHNIQUE: Once bread is taken out from the oven, place it on a wire rack to completely cool down. This allows air to circulate around the loaf allowing the cooking process to come to a halt. Slicing into bread while it is still hot will cause crumb to become gummy.

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