Make Hokkaido style milk bread rolls with this simple recipe. These milk bread rolls are super soft, airy, moist, and slightly sweet. They’re very easy to put together and hold up well when made ahead. They’re perfect for your holiday dinner party and simple enough to make as an everyday recipe.
I had the softest bread when I was living in Japan, back when I was in school. Not just the freshly baked bread from the bakery, but even the mass-produced sliced white bread in Japan has a super fluffy and fine texture. You could easily smash a 1” (2 cm) thick piece of bread until paper-thin and it would still bounce back. My taste for milk bread heightened after I enjoyed it for two years in Japan. Fast forward to 10 years later, I still crave that soft bread slathered with a dollop of butter and jam.
Now that the weather has turned cold and the holiday season is around the corner, I want to bring these soft and fluffy bread rolls to your Thanksgiving dinner table. My goal was to develop a very easy recipe that requires minimal hands-on time and yields the best result. After much testing and refinement, my teammate Lilja and I finally settled on this easy milk bread roll recipe.
Why this recipe
- Easy ingredients. It’s likely that you have most of them in your pantry and you can find everything in regular grocery store.
- The recipe doesn’t require a starter (a.k.a Tangzhong). This makes the process easier.
- Let the mixer do all the work. The recipe requires minimal hands-on time with the dough and the active prep time is only about 20 minutes.
- Outstanding result with a soft, springy texture and tiny air bubbles.
- Foolproof process that any beginner baker can easily follow.
One word on the ingredients. We tested multiple formulas with different combinations such as milk, heavy cream etc. We finally settled on this one using condensed milk. It gives the bread a sweetness like the bread from an Asian bakery.
Cooking process
1. Prepare the dough – 1st rise
The recipe starts by activating the yeast. Even though you can get away without this step, I feel that it’s quite necessary to make sure your yeast is fresh and will work properly. So you don’t end up wasting a lot of time and ingredients with expired yeast.
Once you mix the ingredients together, let the dough mass sit for 20 minutes to let the yeast do its work.
Then knead it with a mixer until the dough is smooth. Once the dough is ready, it will be very wet and a bit sticky, but you should be able to handle it with your hands.
Rest the dough for about 1 hour.
3. Assemble – 2nd rise
The dough will double in size once rested, as well as become springy and less sticky. You’ll need to punch the dough to squeeze out the air, so the end result will have an even texture.
Divide the dough into nine even pieces. To ensure even baking and consistent size, you can measure out the dough balls with a scale.
Once you’ve placed the dough balls onto the baking sheet, let the dough rise again, for 35 to 45 minutes.
Then brush a very thin layer of milk onto the bread so it will yield a beautiful golden brown color after baking. We chose to use a milk wash instead of an egg wash, so the bread rolls’ outer texture would be similar to that of traditional dinner rolls.
4. Bake and serve
The rest is easy. Simply bake the milk bread rolls at 350° F (176° C) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
The dinner rolls will come out fluffy, airy, and slightly sweet. When you pull them apart, you’ll see the stringy texture with even, tiny air bubbles.
These milk bread rolls taste best when fresh. But the best part of this recipe is, you can store them at room temperature for a day and they will stay soft and moist.
You can store the bread in the freezer for longer storage, but it’s very unlikely they will last that long!
Afterthoughts
It’s true that it takes a bit of time and patience to make bread at home. But this recipe is so simple that it can totally become one of your everyday recipes. These rolls taste great by themselves, but you can use your favorite spread on them, such as butter, jam, or peanut butter.
The recipe is also perfect for the holiday season and any dinner party, because it requires very little active cooking time. You can prepare them in advance and they hold up well.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Serve these milk bread rolls with
- Duck de Marietta (The Best Slow Roast Duck)
- The Best Cantonese Roast Chicken
- Curried Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Instant Pot Pork Ribs (Chinese-Style)
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Sliders
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Easy Milk Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) bread flour
- 140 ml (1/2 cup ) whole milk , and extra for brushing onto the bread
- 7 g (1 packet / 2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 30 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 80 g (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1 large egg
Instructions
1st rise
- Add the milk into a small bowl and warm to approximately 100-110°F (38°C), about 30 seconds in the microwave. The milk should be warm, just a bit above body temperature. Add a pinch of sugar and the active dry yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes so the yeast will activate.
- While the yeast activates, add the rest of the ingredients into your mixer bowl.
- Once the yeast is activated, you should see bubbles on the surface of the mixture. Pour it into the mixer bowl. Mix with a spatula until the dough just comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Install the dough hook on your mixer (I used a KitchenAid). Start at low speed, then gradually increase to setting 8 out of 10. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is very smooth. Stop the mixer in the middle and scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling a piece of it using both of your hands. It should stretch into a very thin and translucent sheet. The dough should be wet and a bit sticky.
- Grease a big bowl with a thin layer of oil. Place the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
2nd rise
- Line a 9” x 9” (23cm x 23 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- Punch the air out of the dough. Transfer it onto a lightly oiled working surface. Divide the dough into 9 even pieces by cutting it into 3 even strips, then further cutting each strip into 3 small pieces. Each piece of dough should weigh 68 to 70 grams.
- Shape the dough one piece at a time. Tuck the dough onto itself by pinching the dough from all sides into the center using your fingers, creating a round shape. Then roll the dough in a circular motion with your palm against the table, until it forms a round ball. Place the dough balls onto the parchment paper, evenly spaced, in a 3-by-3 array.
- Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap. Let rest again for another 35 to 45 minutes, until the size has doubled.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C) while resting the shaped bread rolls.
- Right before baking, gently brush a thin layer of milk onto the tops of the bread rolls.
- Bake the milk bread rolls on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top turns golden brown. You can also test the doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the middle of the center bun. It should register at least 190°F.
- Let the bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it onto a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store
- Once the milk bread rolls have cooled completely, you can store them in an airtight container on your kitchen counter for up to 2 days. The rolls will stay very soft at room temperature. You can also warm them up in the microwave it for 10 seconds or leave them in a 350° F (176° C) oven to warm up before serving.
- For longer storage, place the dinner rolls in a ziplock bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and store them in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, bake the rolls at 350° F (176° C) without thawing, until warm throughout, 10 minutes or so.
Nutrition
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
Is it sweeten condensed milk?
Hi Wendy, it is sweetened condensed milk. I just updated the recipe so now it’s more clear.
hello! i have a 20.3cm(L) x 20.3 cm(W) x 4.4cm(H) foil tray, will this recipe still work if i make it with that?
It is a little bit smaller than the ones I used but should be fine. The bread might rise a bit higher and the shape ended up taller.
Just wanna make sure, it uses Sweetened Condensed Milk?? Can’t wait to try these. Nothing better than hot bread and butter. 😋😋😋
I used sweetened condensed milk. Sorry for the confusion! Just updated the recipe and now it’s clear.
Hi Maggie, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe after many failed attempts at making Milk bread. I think my problem has been the temperature and place of which I allow my dough to rise. What is the idea temperature and place in your opinion? In the past I have preheated my oven to about 60-90deg Celsius (depending on the recipe) and everytime I get hard and stale like bread rolls. Would you have any advice on this? Thanks heaps! ^v^
Hi Bon, the room temperature for dough rise can be quite flexible, so it’s more about judging the dough and adjust the rising time accordingly. I think the best temperature of dough rising is 80°F to 90°F (26°C to 32°C). I made this dish in the winter (put the dough in the warmest spot in the room) so the room temp might be slightly lower but not by too much.
For baking, the temperature you used sound super low. I think 350°F (176°C) is the way to go.
Good luck and I hope this recipe works for you!
Hi,
Are these baked in a 9×13 or in a 9×9 or 8×8 square pan? In the photo the pan looks square, but in the directions it says to use a 9×13 pan.
Thanks!
Hi Jenny, I used a 9×9 square pan. Sorry for the confusion! I just updated the recipe to reflect the correct pan size.
Hello Maggie,
New to your site and loving it already. Going to try your pea shoots recipe tonight!
Question: Can these rolls be made without a stand mixer?
Hi Matt, it’s going to be so much easier to make this recipe with a stand mixer. You can knead the dough without the mixer for sure, but it’s hard if you do not have bread-making experience. The dough is very wet. If you knead them on a surface, you need to grease the surface and use a dough scraper to fold the wet mass at the beginning until it develops gluten and possible to knead by hand. You also need to work with the dough with speed, since the dough will be very runny and sticky to handle.
Hi, I’m sorry but may I know how many grams is one tablespoon butter?
It should be about 14 grams.
I give this a 5 ⭐️. Firts time I tried your recipe and it went very well. Thank you for sharing your recipe 😌
Hi there,
After kneading on the stand mixer for 10 mins my dough was only slightly sticky, not wet. Should I add more liquid to it?
I did the reverse and mixed the flour and other ingredients into the yeast mixture. Could that be the reason why my dough was on the. Drye dryer side?
The slightly sticky dough is actually the correct texture. The dough is not very wet when the kneading is done. If you’ve knead the dough in the mixer for a full 10 minutes, you shouldn’t add more liquid at that stage and should just go ahead and bake the bread.
Excellent bread rolls. First rise went nowhere. After an hour and a half, I went ahead with shaping and the second rise. After another 90 minutes, I baked. They turned out soft and fluffy. I usually prefer the tangzhong method for all types of bread, but sometimes I just don’t want that extra step. These are excellent without it. Great smeared with sweetened condensed milk ….and sometimes a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Maggie, this recipe is a winner, producing yummy rolls with a feathery soft interior and a delicately crunchy crust. Because I was out of regular milk, I substituted condensed milk, and I also used instant yeast and Caputo 00 Chef’s flour. I pulled them from the oven at 22 minutes, at which point they were nicely browned. I increased the dough weight to 80 grams, rolled the dough pieces into cylinders, and used a Wilton non-stick pan with openings for 8 mini breads. I think the condensed milk helped give the rolls a nice challah-like texture. You are quite right, by the way. They will all be gone by the end of the day tomorrow!
Hi Maggie!
Thanks for sharing your yummy milk bread recipe. It was easy to follow and it’s yummy
Hi! Do you think I would possibly be able to fill these buns with a savoury filling like a take on a Char Sui style bun?
Yes, definitely!
Freaking delicious rolls! This is an easy must try recipe. I was looking for an milk roll recipe that didn’t require me to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients I’d only use once. I did use a scale to measure everything and it made a huge difference. I didn’t have whole milk so I used 2% plus a little half and half mixed in. Also, the recipe said to mix from low to high using the dough hook for 10 minutes which I didn’t do. I used a KitchenAid mixer on the 2 setting for 2 minutes and the 4 setting for 1 additional minute. It looked like it was mixed just enough. I made a double batch and baked all 18 rolls in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper. Baked for 28 mins and they came out perfect. Thank you Maggie!!!
Such a hit. They are super soft and the house smells amazing
Hi can I use all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes you can. The texture of the bread will come out a bit different but it should work.
perfect…
If I made a double batch do I need to increase the rising time too?
Hi Gin, the rising time might increase a little bit but shouldn’t be doubled. Also your room temperature matters. So the best way is to check on the dough until the size doubles.
Shld the dough is still sticky can I add some flour?
It is a soft dough and a bit sticky after kneading, but shouldn’t be too sticky.
Def five star 😊
Hello Maggie, I’m so looking forward to try your recipe, looks amazing!! I have one issue though.. How long should I knead it since I don’t have a mixing bowl? Thanks
You need to hand knead the dough for quite a while, starting from 10 minutes but probably longer. To test the dough, you should able to stretch the dough into a semi transparent sheet without it breaking apart when it’s ready.
Please help me! The flavor is great, but the rolls are too moist in the middle although I checked the temperature. Should I have made a larger (smaller rolls) quantity than 12?
Hi Shelia, I think using a longer baking time will solve the issue. The temperature method might not be super reliable sometimes and I do combine with observing the bottom of the bread.
Hi!
Did you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
Hi Lily, this recipe calls unsalted butter.
Would this recipe work with a hand held mixer or bread machine instead of a stand mixer? If so, which would be better?
Brianna, I have never tried either but I think a bread machine will work better. Once you finished kneading in the bread machine, check the dough by stretching it. It’s ready if the dough can form a thin semi-transparent sheet without breaking apart. Then you can let it rise at room temperature and bake in the oven according to the recipe.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Hi, what can I substitute for sweetened condensed milk? Could I just use regular milk + sugar?
Hi Sophie, if you don’t have condensed milk, maybe you can try this recipe (without the topping): https://omnivorescookbook.com/pineapple-buns/
The texture of the buns is very soft and quite similar to the milk bread.
What do I do if my dough is not to the consistency you mention after kneading in a KitchenAid mixer for 12 minutes? It still looks wet and sticky. Doesn’t stretch out like you described.
Hi there, let me tell you this recipe is a winner.
My family is obsessed with these buns and it comes out perfect every time I make it and it’s so easy and simple to make.
I’m just wondering though if it’s possible to make a loaf and if it is how long do you reckon it will take in the oven?
You can definitely make it into a loaf if you know how to shape it and bake it. However if you’re not familiar with the process I wouldn’t recommend you to do so. Shaping a loaf requires a different process than the small rolls, and it might not rise well if you shape it wrong.
I think the baking time might be around 25 to 30 minutes, but you should able to tell by observing the top of the bread.
I made these amazing rolls over the weekend. They were too good to last a night. My family ate rhem all at a go!. Now i am here going to do it again and honestly i have to double the recipe ! Yummy soft and just like the bread i used to enjoy in Asia
Hi Maggie, I’m excited to try making these bread rolls. I’m not sure if I am overthinking but is the pinch of sugar in the recipe for activating the yeast separate from the 30g sugar listed under the ingredients list?
Hi Carl, good question! The pinch of sugar doesn’t matter too much either way but I always used a pinch from the 30g sugar I’ve weighed.
We love this bread. It truly tastes like the bread we grew up with, sweet and airy. My husband and I grew up in Asia and have been looking for this kind of bread. Your recipe is great for a beginner baker like me, so easy to follow and the pictures help a lot. Will be making this bread again for sure.
I’ve had failure after failure with bread but this was amazing and it’s so yummy!! I don’t write recipe reviews but I’m so happy with the bread. I used a bread machine to knead–i feel like the paddel like attachment makes a difference when mixing. It’ll be sticky (stuck quite a bit to my hands without dipping my hands in water) even when shaping but no extra flour needed. Love it when a bread recipe tells me exactly how much flour to use. MAKE THIS BREAD.
Simple and delicious
Can I make this as a bun and put kaya as filling? Can I double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan? Will the baking time be the same of there’s a filling and if it’s baked in a 9×13 pan? Thanks!
I’m pretty sure you can stuff the bun with whatever filling you want. I’ve tried with char siu filling before and it worked out beautifully.
And yes, you can double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan. As for the baking time, it might potentially need shorter time (15 mins or so) but you need to observe the buns to make sure. My oven is wonky and sometimes the temperature goes high, so the 20 mins baking time might work for you.
Thank you! Made this today and it was great! Baked it at 20 minutes.
Can I use this recipe to make hotdog buns/rolls like in Chinese bakeries?
Ok…..am i the only one whos dough was never wet OR sticky at ANY stage???? Haha
I did everything to the tee….was kinda worried….
Still…..went forward with the process….
But baked them in a bunt tin….
The result…..delicious fluffy rolls….my 12 year old requested them and it looks like it will become a regular thing….
Looks spectacular in the bunt shape!
One of the best ever bread recipies we have ever used – thank you for sharing it.
Can you freeze pre baking and bake before serving?
Hi Lily, I’ve never tried freezing the dough before baking but I’m afraid the freezing might affect the dough to rise. I recommend to bake them fresh and store. The baked bread freeze very well and it tastes fresh after reheating.
Yes. After the first rise, shape your rolls and place on a silpat or lightly oiled parchment and freeze until solid. Remove from sheet and store frozen in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, remove rolls from bag, place in baking dish and allow to thaw, once thawed, rolls will begin to rise. Proceed with recipe as directed. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! This is super helpful information 🙂
First time ever making rolls and I love this recipe! I was nervous about trying it and they came out great! My family are them up and enjoyed them so much. I will be makig these for Thanksgiving!
easy to follow recipe for a delicious roll this will be a regular in the house now
I just tried this recipe. I was so happy. First time to make bread. My teens love it. I made the recipe 2x yesteday. And its so easy. Just used the all purpose flour. And its already good. How much more if I used the bread flour? Thanks for sharing the recipe. It takes long time for the process but only 20 minutes to bake.
Hi! Can i replace active dry yeast with instant? If so, whats the measurment? Thank you in advance!
I’ve never tried it personally but I think you can. Replace the 2 teaspoons active dry yeast with 2 1/2 teaspoon instant. Do not dissolve the instant yeast in the water. You should mix it directly into the dry ingredients.
I made this without a mixer and it turned out great! I had to knead by hand for a little bit longer, maybe 5-7 minutes more than indicated. I used an 8×8 in pan. Then in our fan-assisted oven, it was golden brown by around 18 minutes. This will be a regular feature in our home for sure.
First time for me to bake bread and this was perfect! Thank you! Had to look for a video on how to knead though 😊
The best and easy recipe! Very impressed with the results!
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for omitting or substituting the egg? My children both have egg allergies, but I really want to try this recipe! Thank you!
Hi Megan, I’ve never tried myself but I think you can use flaxseed egg to replace the egg in this recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/
There are many other egg replacement recipes out there but many of them have a strong taste that do not suit this bread. I think the flaxseed method is the best bet.
I made these rolls and they came out perfect!
Just wondering if it’s possible to leave it in the fridge overnight after the first rise and let it rise the second time the day after?
Hi Joanne, I never tried letting the bread rise overnight in the fridge, but I think it should work.
Just wondering if anyone has made these with whole lactose free milk? I’m severely lactose intolerant, even the smallest amount of milk causes me problems! Thank you in advance for any help!
I have not tried making this with lactose free milk but I think it will work out just fine.
I make these with almond milk and they’re perfect!
Very delicious, sweet, and fluffy as a cloud!
I am super happy with the outcome, thank you for this great recipe!
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for the recipe. My girl loves this. But I’m just wondering is there a way to ensure the top of the bun is not so burnt? I baked mine at 175 degrees celcius for 20mins the first time, it was burnt on top but really soft and nice inside. Second time I reduced the temp and reduced the time … it turns out the base of the bread is uncooked. 🙁 So third time, I tried this recipe again 170 degrees for 20mins… and top isn’t the nice golden brown as I expect. Is it too much milk wash?
Thank you!
I wonder if it’s because the heating element of your oven is on the top or the upper heating element is hotter than the lower one.
My oven is the opposite. Sometimes the buns will turn out a bit burned on the bottom while the top is undercooked.
If that’s the case, next time you can try baking at 175 degree at a lower level. That might able to fix the issue.
I have been looking for a recipe that seemed easy enough for me to try. I have now made this recipe twice and love it. My family loves them fresh out the oven! I am going to attempt then for Thanksgiving and double the recipe. Wish me luck!
Maggie, did you use active dry yeast or rapid rise?
I used active dry yeast.
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was amazing! Soft and fluffy and just lightly sweet. Perfect!
Like
First ever bread attempt and these came out wicked! Thanks, family were impressed that they weren’t from a kit 😁
I discovered this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and have already made them 4 times! They’re easy and delicious, and store well.
Absolutely delicious. The best bread I have ever made. Love it. I made the same one earlier from a different lady and I kneaded it by hand and my dough came out heavy and hard to knead. I had to throw away. Not sure what I did wrong. But I search for the same recipe to make it on my Kitchenaid and I found this one and decided to try again. Finally succeeded!! I will definitely doing it again. Thanks. You receive was easy to follow.
Hi, thank you for the recipe. This is my first time baking bread. I forgot to let the dough mixture rest prior to kneading the bread. Will this cause any problem? Can I fix the dough by resting longer? Or do I need to toss the dough? Thanks for your time.
I think it should be fine. You might need to let the dough rest a bit longer but it really depends on things like room temperature etc. It’s good as long as the size doubles.
wow
I made the mistake i used all purpose flour ! What is the result!
I think it should be fine. The ratio will be a bit off so it will result in a different texture but should still be a soft bread.
I Maggie, my dough was really oily and wouldn’t rise (my room temperature is around 26). I am wondering what I did wrong which resulted in a failed dough? Thanks!
Hey! I’m originally from Michigan, and moved to Kentucky, but here we don’t have wonderful Chinese restaurants on every corner! I’ve been looking for a recipe that resembles the dinner roles that the Chinese restaurants would serve with your soup while waiting for your meal, and can’t find one anywhere! Is there anyway you would know if this is something similar to what they make?
I think this one is pretty close 🙂
Maggie – I am very upset! I have third-degree burns on my tongue because these rolls came out looking so beautiful from my oven, I could not wait for it to cool down!!! But it was worth it!!! Wow! I was a little nervous because I used my breadmaker to do all the hard work up to the point of putting them in the pan. The second rise didn’t double in size even though I waited a couple of hours so I was contemplating throwing out the dough. I decided to bake them anyway and oh my goodness! I’m so glad I didn’t toss it out! These are amazing! They come out so beautiful, I will definitely use them as gifts…if I can keep myself from eating them first! THANK YOU!
This was definitely not a wet, sticky dough. Just a big lump. Not sure what I did wrong! I was very careful with the measurements.
Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry to hear the dough didn’t come out as expected.
May I ask if you used the cup measurement or the gram measurement? I always recommend grams measurement when possible, because it’s much more accurate.
The other cause might be the type of flour you use. Depending on the brand and the environment you work in, flour absorb liquid differently. IF the dough does not come together or too wet, the best is to add extra flour to the mixer, a tablespoon at a time, so it will come together enough to work with.
Thanks for this recipe! So good! Will a similar weight work if I choose to use whole wheat flour?
I’ve never used whole wheat flour in this recipe so I’m not 100% sure.
Whole wheat flour absorbs water in a different rate and it contains more protein. I think you will need to use more water if using whole wheat. Or use 50% whole wheat and 50% whole wheat pastry flour to balance it out.
Such a simple yet delicious recipe. A huge hit with the family. It’s delicious even eaten plain.
I think is the first recipe ever that I made and it looks like the picture. The flavour is even better. If I could give it more stars I would. Would it be possible to use less butter? Thank you for sharing!
The bread is a favorite of everybody🤗
Amazing and easy!
When I measure 2.5 cups, it came to 400g. Can you confirm is it 300g or 2.5 cup?
You should use 300 g (I always use grams in baking because it’s more accurate)
I’ve made your milk bread recipe 6 times already. Our family loves it so much, esp with butter and jam. Sometimes we can’t even wait for it to fully cool before eating. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is super soft. It reminds me of the bread I used to eat growing up, after coming home from school.
This recipe is amazing! I made it a couple of times already and it turned out great every time. Thanks for sharing this.
I really want to try this – however I don’t have a mixer so will need to work it by hand… how hard will that be given it’s meant to be a wet and sticky dough?
It is possible but very hard because the dough is so wet and you will probably need to knead with a dough scraper.
Thank you, I’ll use my scraper and I’ll let you know how it goes! I make sourdough by hand every week so fingers crossed that’ll help! 🤞🏼
I enjoy your webpage less and less now that when I first received it. There are far too many ads which are distracting. If this continues you can take me off your mailing list
What changes should be made for high altitude if any? Thanks!
I’m afraid I don’t have a great answer because I’m not familiar with high altitude baking. Here is some adjustments you might need to make depending on your altitude: https://www.wheatmontana.com/content/high-altitude-baking-how-make-your-recipes-work-mountains
Thanks! For approximately 7000 ft above sea level it takes approximately 4 tablespoons more milk and a lot more rise time. My first batch was a flop but the second with more milk and rise time was excellent! It took nearly 3 hours for the first rise and an hour and a half for the second before baking (dough left in the oven with the light on which is approximately 80 degrees F). Thanks for an awesome recipe and hopefully this will be of help to others in higher elevations!!!
So happy to hear it worked out eventually! Thanks so much for sharing your notes and I’m sure it will help the others for high altitude cooking 🙂
Mine keeps coming out dry, not the stretchy translucent you talk about and I noticed in the comments that you suggest using grams. I started looking up the equivalent and I believe that the 80g (1/4 C) sweetened condensed milk should in fact be 1/2 C – I’m almost positive that’s why mine is too dry. Other than that, love this recipe! Thanks!
these are amazing!!! came out so soft and fluffy. they remind me of school lunch rolls in the best way possible lol
First time to bake this and it came out just like your photos and just as you described it.. Thank you.
My family and I love these rolls!
hi! just a quick question. for the sweetened condemsed milk will that be added with the rest of the ingredients while kneading or is that for the topping before baking the bread? thanks!
The condensed milk need to be added to the dough – it’s a part of the liquid ingredient.
Fantastic recipe! I’ve found it really foolproof and I’ve played about with fillings/toppings all to great success (both sweet and savoury! I made some into cheesy garlic rolls (added mozzarella, cheddar, garlic and herbs inside, then brushed with garlic butter where still hot), and made some sweet ones with crème pat and fruit on top, all absolutely delicious. Also doubled the recommended size and used for burger buns with a few sesame seeds on top.
My go to bread recipe! Sooo good!!!
I loved this so easy and didnt last more than a few hours . absolutely delish .
This recipe is fantastic! Super easy to make and they came out great… family loved them! I didn’t have parchment so I just buttered and floured the pan and that worked out fine.
Will definitely be making these again!
Hi Maggie. I love this recipe so much and have baked the rolls at least 10 times now. Just wondering, is it alright to add more condense milk or will that spoil the recipe? Am wanting them to be on the sweeter side at times when i’m craving sweet stuff!
I wouldn’t add more condense milk because it affect the dough to rise. If you prefer a sweeter bread, I would brush some syrup (can be maple syrup if you like the taste, or other type of syrup) on top of the buns. Also, if you like the taste of condensed milk, you can add a drizzle to the buns before serving. It tastes very good 🙂
Egg allergy here, used a “chia egg” and came out delicious!!! They had the chia that you can see but the taste was still very good.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I love the rolls light and silky. I did miss the travel to Japan.
This recipe is awesome!! however, my bread has more of a crispy outer surface instead of a soft milkbread, but it actually makes the bread taste better!!
If using the conversion scale on the recipe to increase or decrease the number of rolls, please note that the measurements in the parenthesis are not correct. The cups & spoon measurements do not change at all so you will need to use the weight measurements if you want the recipe to be accurate. 🙁
Great recipe! My wife just baked this. Very soft in texture. Nice crust on top. Easy to make. I ate 3 in no time. It’s better than the ones at Texas Roadhouse.
When trying recipes on different websites I usually like to try and make them once or twice before leaving a review. I’ve now made these bread rolls twice, they are very easy to make. And they turned out delicious each time. My friends and family liked them so I will continue using this recipe and I would recommend it for others especially if they’re new to baking bread and rolls since the recipe is so easy and quick.
If I wanted to make this into a regular loaf of bread, how would that effect the baking time?
I’m trying these out but I wonder if glass or metal is better for baking these?
I’m confused by the 2 milks. Do I combine the 2 milks before h then heat or is the condense milk only for brushing the dough before baking? Also, is the butter to be melted or just room temperature? Thank you.
Hi Lisa, you should only heat up the regular milk and use it to activate the yeast. The condensed milk (no heating needed) will be added into the mixing bowl, along with the other ingredients.
To brush the dough before baking, you will use regular milk. The butter needed to be melted.
So easy to follow and forgiving! I used 2% milk
instead of whole milk, and added 50-100g more flour since the dough was really hard to handle for me and they came out super fluffy still. Will try with less flour per the instructions and see how they turn out next time. Made a plain batch, and one with pandan extract. Will try adding chocolate chips next time
This recipe was easy and the rolls came out perfect! I will be making them for every occasion!
Its a decent recipe. My first time making bun. Butttttt… my new KA mixer broke down bcos i follow your direction to knead at 8/10 of the speed! When i took it up to KA customer service, they say i should never knead at more than 2! Maggie Chu… tell me you did knead at 8 and your KA is fine!
This recipe is really easy and yield delicious buns. I do have one question thi, did u really knead your dough at speed 8? I am very new at baking bread and just got my KA. It broke down kneading at speed 8 (gradually increasing speed from 1-8 within 4-5 mins, at 8 for not even 3-4 minutes and it died on me). Technician says the worm gear broke and KA customer service highlighted that KA stand mixer should never knead above 2…i am very devastated despite my lovely delicious bun thats loved by my toddlers… they are asking me everyday for it!!!!!!
I did knead it at speed 8, and the KA was quite loud. After a while, I noticed that the instructions said you cannot exceed speed 2! These days I usually use knead my dough at speed 6, and it has been working well. I do think speed 8 is too much (sorry if your machine was broken because of it), but speed 2 is definitely not enough for many bread recipes I’ve been making… If you think 6 is still risky, I think 4 is a better compromise, but you need to knead the dough longer.
I love this recipe I’ve made it multiple times and I work at kayne prime in Nashville and I made them to test for our new menu item.for moto and it was approved but we are going to put jam and cool whip in the middle for the birthday and anniversary desserts. I’m excited
Followed instructions to the t, I can’t believe how incredibly soft these roles are, I think these are the softest I’ve ever had in my entire life. I see the purpose of the parchment papers to help pull them out, I made the mistake of not using any and three of them broke off, we just ate those first 😂
Delicious!! I made these rolls to serve with pulled pork, but it has since become a favorite for lunches, snacks, and dinners. Thank you!!
Is the sweetened condensed milk supposed to be added with the yeast or the whole milk? if so where does the whole milk come in?
Have made these twice now. They’re my husband’s favorite rolls! Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe. I have made it twice, once by grams and once by cups.
I recommend any baking recipe to go by grams. That is how I did it the first time and it was fabulous.
If you don’t have a scale, I would spend $20 and get one. But if you don’t have the money, please start with two cups of flour (spooned and leveled) and see what you get. I made the recipe by cups and used the full amount of flour and got a thick, dry dough. I restarted and used 2 cups of flour to start. The dough was a bit too wet and I added two heaping spoonfuls of flour, and that was enough.
I hope everyone tries this recipe – if you like Japanese milk bread, you will love this.
This recipe is great. I did 2 batches, the first would not rise even though the yeast developed. The 2nd batch I added half a package of yeast more. They are amazing. Remind me of the consistency of Kings Hawaiian rolls. I also made my own sweetened condensed milk.
What type of yeast did you use in this recipe?
I used active dry yeast in this recipe. (Just updated the recipe for clarification)