Hi hello I’m back!

It’s way too late to say happy new year, so I’ll just get to it. I mentioned at the end of last year that for the past several months, I’ve refocused my creative efforts on things other than the blog. It makes me sad, but the ending credits will start rolling soon, and with them the closure that there are other things to work on.

That said, I still need a place to keep my recipes intact and remember wtf I be making, soooooooo here we are. Let’s talk about milk bread.

Milk bread is by far the most superior bread in all the land. It’s ridiculously soft and fluffy and more versatile than you think. Growing up, milk bread toast was one of my favorite things to order at the Hong Kong dessert cafes in San Mateo. Topped with ice cream, Nutella, condensed milk, and sometimes all three (!), it’s a teenage girl’s dream (and secretly still my dream but I don’t have the metabolism to eat that kind of decadence everyday).

Since we’re all working from home indefinitely because of #coronavirus, I’ve been tweaking and tweaking until I finally created the Hokkaido milk bread rolls of my teenage dreams. A lot of rolls were tested and eaten in the process, but the result is a solid recipe that I can share with y’all.

A few notes about these Hokkaido milk bread rolls:

Make sure your yeast is fresh and active or it won’t work. Using the technique I describe in the recipe, you’ll be able to find out and work accordingly.
Chill your dough overnight for maximum gluten development, aka more chew, which I know you want.
Don’t add more flour to the dough unless you really can’t work with it. More flour = dry ass bread.
I honestly fill my rolls which whatever leftovers I have in the apartment. This time, it was leftover pâte de pistache from Paris. But cinnamon/sugar, Nutella, chocolate chips—it’s all fair game.

Hokkaido Milk Bread Rolls with Pistachio, Cardamom, and Honey

Created by Shikha on March 10, 2020

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Ingredients

For tangzhong:

20 grams (2 Tbsp) bread flour
75 grams (1/3 cup) water

For milk bread rolls:

115 grams (1/2 cup) whole milk
30 grams (~3 Tbsp) granulated sugar
5 grams (1.5 tsp) rapid rise yeast
320 grams (2.25 cups) bread flour
3 grams (1 tsp) salt
40 grams (5 Tbsp) milk powder
1 egg, room temp
28 grams (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temp

For filling:

43 grams (3 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons pistachio paste (can replace with marzipan or any other nut paste)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

For egg wash:

1 egg
Splash of milk

To serve:

Your favorite honey

Instructions

For tangzhong:

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour and water and heat over medium-low. Whisk constantly until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and has a thick, porridge-like consistency, which should take 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

For bread:

In a small bowl, microwave the milk in 10-second bursts until it is around 110 degrees F; it should feel a little warmer than room temperature but shouldn't burn you in any way. Whisk in the sugar and yeast and let sit for 5-7 minutes until little bubbles form. If nothing forms, your yeast is dead and you'll need to get fresh yeast and start over.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add bread flour, salt, milk powder, egg, and butter. Mix briefly for 30 seconds. Add in cooled tangzhong and milk-yeast mixture. With the mixer on low, mix for 5-7 minutes until the dough comes together into a smooth, elastic ball. You may have to hold the bowl in place so it doesn't fly off; the dough gets thick and can dislodge it! (If you don't have a stand mixer, do this by hand in a large bowl. You should need for 10-15 minutes to get the dough to the same, smooth-elastic state.)
Grease a large bowl. Shape dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:

Preheat oven to its lowest setting (on mine it's 170 degrees F). Grease a 9" cake pan and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough and punch it down.
Roll out dough into a 12" x 8" rectangle. Dough will be tough, but resist adding any more flour unless it is really sticky. Just work those arm muscles.
Brush melted butter over the dough, going all the way to the ends. Next, spread pistachio paste evenly over dough. Finish by sprinkling the cardamom evenly. Roll rectangle tightly and place seam side down.
Use a serrated knife to gently slice into 12 rolls. Don't push down too hard or else you'll mess up the shape. Place into prepared pan.
Cover pan with a towel and place in the preheated oven. Turn off oven immediately, and let dough rise for 1 hour, til doubled in size.

For egg wash:

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and splash of milk.
Once dough has risen, remove from oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush egg wash over the dough. Return to oven once it's ready and bake for 20-23 minutes, until the tops are golden brown; when it's done, the bread will sound hollow when tapped.
Let cool for a few minutes before pulling out rolls. Sprinkle each roll with honey before serving.