Cashew Free Classic Milk Bread

Total time3 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time35 min

4.6

(8)

Soft, pillowy, and impossibly tender, this Japanese-style milk bread is the kind of loaf that makes you want to clear your whole afternoon just to sit with a warm slice. The secret is the tangzhong — a simple cooked paste of bread flour and milk that gets folded into the dough and keeps the crumb feather-light and moist for days. Every ingredient here is straightforward dairy and pantry staples, so there's no need to scan labels or worry about hidden tree nut oils sneaking into your bake. The butter gets worked in gradually during kneading, giving the finished loaf that signature rich, brioche-adjacent flavor without any of the density. Four dough logs nestled side by side in the pan create those gorgeous pull-apart sections that make slicing feel almost optional. Whether you're toasting it for breakfast, building a sandwich, or just eating it plain off the cooling rack, this loaf delivers every single time.

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the tangzhong

3 tbsp bread flour
½ cup whole milk

For the dough

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
¼ cup warm whole milk (about 110°f / 43°c)
2 ½ cups bread flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine salt
1 large egg
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

For the egg wash

1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1
Make the tangzhong: whisk together the 3 tbsp bread flour and 1/2 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a smooth, pudding-like paste and leaves a trail when you drag a spatula across the bottom, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2
Combine the yeast and 1/4 cup warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5–10 minutes.

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