Easy Milk Bread (No Tangzhong Method)
Make soft, fluffy milk bread without the tangzhong method! This easy Japanese milk bread recipe uses simple ingredients like heavy cream to create a tender, buttery loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches, toast, or enjoying fresh.
If you’ve ever walked into a Korean or Japanese bakery, you know the magic of Asian milk bread—soft, fluffy, and irresistibly buttery. It’s no surprise this Japanese-style bread has become one of the most beloved Asian bakery classics, with people raving about its melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Milk bread is known for its pillowy softness and rich flavor, making it a must-try for anyone who loves homemade bread recipes. But here’s the best part: you don’t need the extra step of making tangzhong—a flour paste commonly used in traditional milk bread recipes. Instead, this no tangzhong milk bread recipe delivers the same tender, fluffy results with less effort.
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After years of experimenting with different techniques, I’ve perfected a foolproof way to make Japanese milk bread that’s incredibly easy yet achieves bakery-quality results. This recipe is perfect for both experienced bakers and beginners, so whether you’re an expert or just starting your bread-making journey, you can bake this soft milk bread with confidence.
Ready to impress your family and friends with the ultimate homemade milk bread? This easy recipe will skip the tangzhong but keeps all the flavor and texture you love.
What is milk bread?
Milk bread is a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet bread that originated in Japan. It is a staple in many Asian bakeries and is loved for its tender texture and rich, buttery flavor.
Often called Japanese milk bread, shokupan or Hokkaido milk bread, this type of bread stands out because of its light and airy structure, making it perfect for sandwiches, toast, or eating on its own.
What makes milk bread unique is its high hydration dough and the use of milk, which gives it a moist and soft crumb. Traditionally, many recipes include a technique called tangzhong, a cooked flour paste, to achieve its signature texture. However, milk bread can also be made without tangzhong, as in this recipe, while still retaining its trademark softness and fluffiness.
Why You’ll Love This No Tangzhong Milk Bread Recipe
This easy no tangzhong milk bread recipe is perfect for anyone who wants soft, fluffy bread without extra steps. By using heavy whipping cream and a simplified method, you can enjoy the same tender, moist crumb as traditional Japanese milk bread—all without the tangzhong paste.
Here’s why this recipe stands out:
- No tangzhong required: Skip the extra step! Heavy whipping cream creates the same soft and fluffy texture.
- No dough enhancer needed: Achieve perfect results naturally, without additives.
- Quick and simple: This method is easier and faster than traditional tangzhong recipes.
- Incredible texture: The bread is feathery, tender, and melts in your mouth.
- Delicious flavor: Every bite is filled with a rich, milky taste you’ll love.
- Stays fresh longer: This bread stays soft and fresh for up to 5 days.
Key Ingredients for No Tangzhong Milk Bread
To make this easy no tangzhong milk bread, you’ll need a few essential ingredients that come together to create its signature soft, fluffy texture and rich flavor. Here’s a breakdown of each ingredient and its role:
- Bread flour: High in gluten, it’s essential for the soft, stringy crumb that makes milk bread so unique.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the flavor.
- Egg: Use a large egg for richness and structure.
- Instant yeast: Perfect for quick and easy bread-making. If using active yeast, proof it in warm milk first before mixing it into the dough.
- Dry milk powder: A must-have for that rich, creamy milk flavor and softer texture. Don’t skip this!
- Milk: Whole milk works best, but reduced-fat milk (at least 2%) can be used as a substitute.
- Heavy cream or whipping cream: Adds fat for moisture and enhances the bread’s milky taste.
Pullman Loaf Pan
A Pullman loaf pan is the key to achieving the classic square shape and professional look of Japanese milk bread. With its straight sides, it ensures even baking and helps create a thinner, delicate crust. This pan is ideal for making compact, uniform slices perfect for sandwiches or toast.
While the lid is typically used to produce a flat, square loaf, you can also bake without it if you prefer a traditional rounded top. Personally, I love baking my milk bread without the lid to achieve beautifully rounded mounds on top.
Don’t have a Pullman pan? No problem! A standard 9×5-inch loaf pan works perfectly well and still delivers delicious results with this recipe. However, if you’re passionate about bread baking, investing in a Pullman loaf pan is a fantastic w
How to make Milk Bread (No Tangzhong Method)
Making the bread dough
1. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, egg, instant yeast, and dry milk powder. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
2. Add Dry Ingredients and Knead:
- Using a stand mixer: Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed (stir setting) for 12-15 minutes. The dough will be sticky. If needed, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour gradually, but avoid adding too much, as it can affect the fluffy texture.
- Kneading by hand: Knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough becomes soft, elastic, and no longer sticks to your hands.
3. Let the dough rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover it and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Divide and Rest: Divide the risen dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and let them rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten.
Rolling and Shaping the Bread Dough
5. Roll the Dough: Using a small rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a rectangle about 7-8 inches long. Flip the dough over so the smooth side faces down, which helps create a smooth crust.
6. Fold and Roll Tightly: Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter.
Rotate the dough 90° so the layered side faces you. Roll the dough tightly into a cylinder, pinching the seam to secure.
7. Place in Pan: Place the rolled dough, seam side down, into a greased loaf pan. Gently press down on the tops to even them out. Cover and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 40 minutes.
Egg wash and Bake
8. Egg Wash: Brush the tops of the risen dough with egg wash to give the bread a golden brown crust.
9. Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350˚F (175˚C) for 22-25 minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
Pro Tip: Finishing Touch
When the bread comes out of the oven, gently tap the pan on the counter to prevent the crust from sagging or wrinkling. Brush the tops with melted butter for a shiny finish. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
How to Serve Milk Bread
This soft and fluffy milk bread is incredibly versatile and tastes amazing no matter how you serve it. Here are some delicious ways to enjoy it:
- Fresh and Warm: The best way to enjoy milk bread is fresh out of the oven while it’s still warm and pillowy soft.
- With Butter and Jam: Slice or tear the bread, then spread with creamy butter and your favorite jam for a simple yet satisfying treat. Some also like to top it with fresh strawberry syrup.
- Toasted for Breakfast: Toast slices of milk bread for a crispy, golden crust and pair with coffee or tea. For something different, use it to make a Korean street toast—a savory and sweet egg sandwich that’s a popular breakfast option.
- Sandwich Base: Create the ultimate sandwich using milk bread. Its soft texture is perfect for holding fillings like ham and cheese, egg salad, or even classic PB&J.
Storage
Milk bread stays soft and moist for up to 3-5 days when kept at room temperature. Make sure to store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
For longer storage, wrap the bread securely in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. This helps preserve its soft texture and milky flavor.
When you’re ready to enjoy the bread, thaw it by removing it from the freezer and letting it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. To reheat, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the bread on a baking sheet and warm it for 8-10 minutes until it’s soft and fresh-tasting again.
Watch recipe video
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Easy Milk Bread (No Tangzhong Method)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) milk, lukewarm
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream, lukewarm
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp dry milk powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-1/4 cup (300 g) bread flour , + 2-3 tbsp extra if needed
- egg wash, for brushing
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) melted butter
Equipment
Instructions
- Using a mixing bowl from a stand mixer, mix together milk, cream, sugar, egg, instant yeast, powdered milk, and salt in a bowl. Add flour slowly and mix well to combine with wet ingredients using a wooden spoon.
- Using a dough hook, start kneading the dough on low(stir) setting for 12-15 minutes. If the dough seems too sticky, add 2-3 more tablespoon of flour as needed. Resist adding too much flour. The dough should be very sticky.
- Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface, knead with your palm of your hand for 30 seconds. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until double in volume; about 1 hr.
- Punch the dough to deflate. Turn it out on to a floured surface and knead for 30-60 seconds. Dived the dough into 3 equal portions. Shape each portion to a ball. Cover and let them rest for 15 minutes so that the gluten can relax.
- Roll each dough ball into 7-8-inch long with a small rolling pin. Then flip the dough to the other side so that the smooth surface will face down. Fold it into thirds and rotate 90˚ degree so that the layered side is facing toward you. Start rolling the dough tightly and pinch the seam together to secure.
- Place the dough in a greased loaf pan. Press down the top with your hand gently. Cover and let it rise again until double in volume, about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350˚F. When the dough is risen, brush the top with egg wash and bake for 22-25 minutes. If the top crust gets brown too quickly, loosely tent with a piece of foil.
- When the bread comes out of oven, tap it on the countertop once to shock. That will prevent the bread top from sagging down and wrinkle. Then brush with melted butter immediately. Take the bread out of pan and cool it on a wired rack.
Followed and doubled the recipe. The loaves of bread were beautiful and have the perfectly soft milk bread texture. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Hi Holly
I wanted to thank you for giving me the recipe for a larger loaf of bread. However, I found that you need to have six small rolls to put inside the 13 x 4 Pullman pan. And that it takes only 30 minutes to do the second rise, if you are using the top on the pan. And 45 minutes to bake. I also have a question can you make cinnamon rolls out of the bread recipe? Recipe is so good.
This milk bread recipe works great with cinnamon rolls. Hope you enjoy it!
This bread is delicious. It’s soft and taste great. I only have one problem and that is I want to make this bread in a 13×4 Pullman pan and I don’t know how to double the recipe. Can you please help me and tell me how I can do that?
Thank you
Hi Pamela,
This recipe is for one 1 lb loaf, and you can easily double it if you’re using a 13×4 inch pan, which is suitable for a 2 lb loaf. Here’s the adjusted recipe for a double batch:
1 cup milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 1/2 tsp instant yeast
5 tbsp milk powder
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour (plus an extra 3-5 tbsp if needed)
egg wash for brushing
4 tbsp melted butter
Follow the same instructions as for the single batch. Hope this helps!
Do I use the basic setting on the bread machine to do all the kneading and baking ?
I personally have not tried using a bread machine for this recipe, but it should work on the regular setting, just as it would for other types of bread.
It’s a bit sweet for me. I’d rather eliminate the sugar, or reduce it to a tablespoon.
Dough cycle on a bread machine worked for me. That cycle does the mixing and first rise (bulk fermentation). I then took it out of the bread machine and followed step 4 and onwards. If you want to use the bread machine to bake for you as well, which I wouldn’t recommend because it’ll lose its shape, then I’d use the sweet or white cycle. Just remember to take your paddle out on the bottom before baking. This is a GREAT recipe. I have used it multiple times, delicious!
Can I leave out the milk powder? What will it change?
I highly recommend adding the milk powder, as it not only enhances the milk flavor but also aids in the rising of the bread dough.
Can you add raisins to the bread?
Of course. It will be very tasty milk bread with raisins.
Can this recipe be doubled without changing any of the amounts? Just multiply all ingredients by ×2?
Thank you
If you want to double the recipe for milk bread, it should work fine. However, it’s a good idea to start with slightly less liquid and adjust as needed while kneading the dough. Keep in mind that the dough may be on the sticky side, but this stickiness should subside after rising. Hope this helps. Thanks!
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe which I am in the process of making. Unfortunately it came out really liquid and I had to add tons of flour🤷
Could you please advise on this, I understand that maybe the flour is different but I didn’t expect the dough to come out very liquid. I used bread flour and Canadian flour which is very high in gluten.
Thank you very much.
Costanza
Hi Costanza
Can you double check the amount of flour and liquid you used just to make sure? The dough is on the sticky side, but shouldn’t be like a liquid you are mentioning.
Was the melted butter just for greasing? Not for the dough?
Hi Yuri
Melted butter is for brushing the top of bread right after it comes out of oven. You don’t need it in the dough. Hope this helps. Thanks.
Hmm, have a recipe for that doesn’t need a mixer?
You can knead this dough by hand. It will be on the sticky side but it will hold its shape as you knead. Add a little more flour if needed.
Thanks. Just not a fan of kneading. Like the no mess approach.
I have no cream, is it ok to use all milk will it come out the same, thanks much in advance, just waiting to see before I do another batch,
You will need extra fat to make the bread extra tender and soft. So I highly recommend adding the cream.
I have to say I have made this bread a dozen times and this last time was perfection, I posted on FB, which I never do for food items, and gave your Pinterest recipe that I have saved to mine to 6 people. Quick question the rise this this time was like the yeast was on steroids, I ran out of bread flour and wanted to make two loaves, so I used maybe 2 cups and the rest I used hi Gluten, could this be why I had so much over spring which I never get, running out gave me a loaf that was amazing, and the dough to work with was fantastic, what do you think thanks much
Hi Ileen
I am so glad you like my bread recipe.
Yes, high gluten flour tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour so it effect the rising faster.
Thanks.
Can you make this in not the 3 sections, love the bread, made a dozen times. I think without separations would be better for sandwiches
Yes, you can roll the dough into a large single section without dividing into 3 small sections. Just make a large flat square dough and roll it up to fit into your pan.
Glad to hear you like this bread. Thanks.
Hi..what do I do if I want to substitute for the egg? Thanks
Hi Jayanti
Try with 1/4 cup of mashed banana or sweet condensed milk per egg. Hope it works out for you.
This is a great recipe, I do it on the dough cycle in my bread machine. Just add the ingredients in the order that you normally would for a bread machine. I prefer to use active dry yeast which needs to proof first in the warm liquid and sugar but I did try with the instant yeast and it worked out too.
So happy to hear it worked out great for you with a bread machine. Thank you for the comment.
Hi, may I replace heavy cream with non-diary whipping cream?
Yes, it should work fine.
Did you use a lid for your Pullman loaf pan?
No, I didn’t.
Could this be made in a breadmachine??
I haven’t tried in a bread machine, but I think it will work. Let me know how it turns out.
I made the dough in the bread machine then rolled it by hand and rose it in a pullman. I think the powdered milk is essential. But the cream can be replaced with 60g of melted butter.
This is actually the first bread I’ve ever made (besides things like banana bread ahaha) and it turned out perfectly! I’m soooo happy, thank you for the easy to follow instructions 🙂
I didn’t have any bread flour and neither did my local Target, so I just used all purpose flour and kneaded a bit longer to really get the gluten activated. It worked great!
So glad to hear this bread turned out well for you. It is, indeed, an easy recipe and the outcome is very satisfying. I make it quite often when I am in the mood for feather light white bread.
How can I make this by hand kneading….I do not have a mixer
Hi Marva
Try kneading the dough by hand for 7-8 minutes. The dough is on the sticky side. You can add a little more flour as you knead but not too much. You can grease your hand with a little bit of oil if the dough sticks too much to your hand. Hope this helps.
Hi Holly,
Thanks for sharing your recopie. I love in Australia and they don’t sell heavy whipping cream. Either thickened cream or fresh cream/double cream. Any advice on that?
Hi Sophie
I would choose double cream. Although double cream has higher fat content than heavy/whipping cream, it should work with this recipe. Use the same amount.
Hope you succeed and let me know how it turns out.
Hi, Holly! If I wanted to make this bread square with the Pullman lid (like for sando), do I still follow the same directions? Thanks!
I think it will work but the bread might be slightly compressed with a lid on. I would try first to see how it turns out. If it gets too dense, try with a little less dough next time. It is a really easy yet fluffy milk bread recipe and I was very happy for the outcome. Good luck! Thanks.
Ohhh what a wonderful recipe. Every Day I eat a bread :).
I’m a little confused. In your description you say “whipped cream” but in your recipe it says “heavy whipping cream lukewarm”. Should the cream be whipped first before using?
Sorry to confuse you. It should be just un-whipped heavy whipping cream. Make sure to warm it slightly.
Can you substitute anything for whipping cream? I don’t keep that on hand.
You can try with milk and melted butter mixture, about 4 tbsp milk + 1.5 tbsp butter.
This is gorgeous! Love the texture of it — so light and fluffy. Really terrific recipe — thanks.
It turned out so soft and airy…perfect!