Milk Bread Rolls

These soft and pillowy pull-apart milk bread rolls rely on a smart trick called tangzhong to help them stay fresh for longer—if they last that long.

By
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo's recipes, writing, and food styling can be found on King Arthur Baking, Food Network, Delish, Food52, and more. She collaborated on the cookbook Delish Vegan Dinners and trained at Gramercy Tavern and Untitled at the Whitney Museum.
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Updated November 08, 2023
Myo Quinn
Milk Bread Rolls in a Basket

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Growing up, milk bread was simply bread or ppang in Korean. It was our family’s everyday bread that we ate in all forms: rolls, filled with sweet black beans, vanilla custard, and whipped cream, and loaves sliced for sandwiches. I considered all other store- or bakery-bought breads fancy. 

That speaks to the ease of making these milk bread rolls. The ingredients are dumped into a stand mixer, which then does all the hard work. You do have to make tangzhong—the secret to lasting softness—but that’s simply boiling flour and milk into a paste. Don’t be surprised if your family asks for these rolls for every dinner.

Milk Bread Rolls in Baking Pan

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

What Is Milk Bread? 

Milk bread, known as shokupan in Japan, is a super soft and airy everyday bread. It has a milky not-too-sweet flavor and a feathery texture that tears into wispy strands when pulled apart. It’s considered an enriched dough—rich with eggs, butter, and milk. Unlike challah, brioche, and babka, milk bread is enriched with mostly milk and not too many eggs or too much butter. This gives it a delicate crust and a creamy flavor.

What Is Tangzhong?

Think of tangzhong as a dough improver. It’s a Chinese technique where flour and a liquid—I use milk, but water works too—are cooked to create a paste that is added to the dough. It helps the bread stay tender and fresher for longer. It won’t dry out as quickly as most breads, if it lasts at all. 

Not all milk bread recipes require tangzhong; this one does. Sometimes a similar method called yudane is used. It’s a Japanese technique that calls for mixing flour with a hot liquid. In both cases, the purpose is the same: the starch in the flour swells and traps in moisture. All this means is that the bread can retain its moisture for longer. 

Milk Bread Rolls Torn Apart

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

One Important Tip for Making Milk Bread Rolls 

You’ll be a pro at making these milk bread rolls after just one try. I sure felt that way! Until then, I recommend bringing out your kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. It’s a simple recipe, but if you inadvertently add too much flour or too little milk, you’ll end up with dry rolls. After a few bakes, you’ll get an instinct for how the dough should feel and look. And then you can measure by volume—you’ll know when you need a little extra flour or milk.

Can I Use Gluten-Free Flour? 

I tested the recipe using King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour with little success. The rolls turned out very dense and rubbery. I’d love to hear—comment below!—if you find success using other brands of gluten-free flour. 

Milk Bread Rolls on a Piece of Parchment Paper with Some Rolls Torn Off, Surrounded by a Glass of Milk and a Saucer with Butter

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Go Ahead. Fill Up on Dinner Rolls.

Milk Bread Rolls

Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Rise Time 2 hrs 15 mins
Total Time 3 hrs
Servings 9 servings
Yield 9 rolls

Do you ever say, “I’m just not a baker!” and your dinner rolls turn out dense and dry? It’s not you. It’s your measuring cup! Here is a guide on how to accurately measure ingredients for baking. Or even better: invest in a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients—our favorite one costs about $25.

In a cinch, you could use all-purpose flour. It’ll still be tasty, but denser and not as feathery. My kids still snarfed them down. 

Ingredients

For the tangzhong

  • 1/4 cup (30g) bread flour

  • 2/3 cup (160g) whole milk 

For the dough

  • 1/2 cup (120g) whole milk, cold

  • 1 large egg, cold

  • 3 cups (360g) bread flour

  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar

  • 2 teaspoons (9g) active dry yeast or instant yeast

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (57g), softened, plus more for bowl and pan

For the egg wash

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon water

Special Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook attachment

Method

  1. Make the tangzhong: 

    In a small saucepan, add the flour and milk, and whisk until no lumps remain. Set it over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and looks like smooth mashed potatoes, about 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

    Use a rubber spatula to scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

    Tip

    You can make tangzhong up to 1 day ahead. Keep it tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use—no need to reheat or bring it to room temp.

    Milk and Flour Whisked Together in Sauce Pan to Make Tangzhong for Milk Bread Rolls

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Tangzhong Whisked over Stove for Milk Bread Rolls Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  2. Add remaining dough ingredients: 

    To the tangzhong, add the cold milk, egg, flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and butter. The cold milk and egg will cool down the hot tangzhong, so you don’t need to cool it down before adding the ingredients. You don’t need to stir the ingredients together before kneading.

    Mixer Bowl with Butter, Yeast, Sugar, and Flour

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  3. Knead the dough: 

    Knead the dough on medium speed—that’s a #4 on my KitchenAid—for no less than 10 minutes, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and it’s no longer sticky. Resist the temptation to add more flour even if the dough initially looks too wet. It will become stiff, smooth, and wrap itself around the hook after it’s kneaded.

    Milk Bread Roll Dough Mixed Together in Stand Mixer (Early Stages)

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Milk Bread Roll Dough Mixed Together in Stand Mixer (Dough Formed around Dough Hook)

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  4. Let the dough rise: 

    Use your hands to pull the dough off the hook, form it into a ball, and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until the dough doubles in size. 

    Overnight rise option: Right after you knead it, pop the bowl with the dough into the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake the rolls, proceed with the recipe.

    Milk Bread Roll Dough on the Counter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Milk Bread Roll Proofed in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the cake pan: 

    Lightly grease a 9-inch square cake pan with butter and line it with one 9x14-inch parchment paper. You’ll use the slings that come up two sides to pull the rolls out of the pan after they bake.

    Baking Pan Lined with Parchment Paper for Milk Bread Rolls

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  6. Shape the rolls:

    Punch the risen dough with your fist—it will deflate and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough onto a clean kitchen counter and divide it into 9 equal pieces—about 87 grams each. The dough won’t be sticky and will be easy to work with.

    To shape each roll: Flatten a piece of dough using the palm of your hands. Pull the outer edges up and over the center, all around. Pinch the pulled-up edges together and flip the dough over so that the smooth side is facing up. Cup your hands around it to shape it into a ball. Transfer it into the prepared cake pan and shape the remaining pieces. Distribute them evenly in the cake pan 3x3 with some room between each roll.

    Milk Bread Roll Dough Cut into Nine Pieces

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Milk Bread Rolls Formed into Balls

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Milk Bread Rolls Formed into a Ball

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  7. Let the dough rise, again: 

    Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The rolls will rise to touch each other, but not quite double in size.

    Milk Bread Roll Dough Rising in Baking Pan

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F:

    Place the oven rack in the center.

  9. Make the egg wash: 

    Whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash.

    Egg Wash Applied to Risen Milk Bread Rolls

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  10. Bake the rolls: 

    Bake the rolls until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. The rolls will dome and rise tall, about an inch past the top of the pan. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll in the middle of the pan should read 190°F or higher.

    Allow the rolls to cool slightly in the pan. Use the parchment paper sling to pull them out and serve warm. 

    Store leftovers in a zip top bag or a tightly lidded container for up to 4 days on your kitchen counter—they’ll remain soft and fluffy. It’s not magic, it’s the tangzhong! 

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Baked Milk Bread Rolls Resting on a Cooling Rack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Milk Bread Rolls

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
261 Calories
8g Fat
39g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 261
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 58mg 19%
Sodium 171mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 111mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.