These milk bread are soft and fluffy rolls that are mildly sweet, making them versatile for pairing with your choice of jam, spreads or even with just a plain cup of coffee.
This milk bread had me at its deep golden top. It sparked my imagination of spreading butter lavishly over a soft crust and feeling in my mouth a sensation of warm, soft bread being moistened by a smear of softened fat.
Milk Bread
Milk bread has a mild taste and slight sweetness. Its simple profile makes it a perfect canvass for your choice of spread, be it fruit jam, cream cheese or whatever is your favorite. In my case, butter.
On most days though, I eat it plain. There is just something so satisfying about tasting the natural sweetness of bread and savoring its softness and fluffiness.
Pointers for Making Milk Bread
- Most traditional methods for making milk bread calls for a starter called a tangzhong. It is flour cooked together with water (and milk) to form a soft dough that is mixed with the rest of the ingredients. This recipe is a simpler but foolproof method of making milk bread and does not require the tangzhong.
- A stand mixer is employed here and it pretty much does all the job. Kneading using the dough hook takes about 15-18 minutes, and just like in the brioche recipe, my indication if the dough is ready is if the dough is gathered in the center of the bowl, and is slapping against the sides of the bowl (More about that in the process part later).
- The recipe is enough to make 2 sets of rolls in a round baking pan, and with 8 pieces of rolls in each. You can also make 2 loaves instead. Or like what I did, make one pan of rolls and one loaf. They stay soft for days as long as they are stored in covered containers. You can also microwave them for 15-20 seconds, and they will still be as amazing as if they were just out of the oven.
Milk Bread: The Process
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast and about 1 tsp of the sugar. Let stand until foamy. Add the warm milk, warm heavy cream, the egg, the remaining sugar and salt. With the dough hook attached, run the mixer at low speed just to incorporate the ingredients.
- With the mixer still running, add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, and beat until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. Add the remaining cup of flour and continue to beat until incorporated. Then slowly build up the speed to medium and mix the dough for about 8-12 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.
Proving the yeast (left) and mixing the dough (right).
- As the machine continues to run, you should see your dough starting to form in the center, and is clinging to the dough hook. A few minutes more and the dough is beginning to slap the sides of the bowl and making the slapping sound. If you are 10 minutes into the mixing and the dough seems like it is not coming together (still laying flat and shaggy in the bowl), sprinkle about a teaspoon or two of flour to the bowl. You can add up to 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Keep mixing until the dough is coming together in the center. You should hear the slapping sounds of the dough soon.
Stages of kneading the dough.
- Overall, the kneading should take like 8-12 minutes only. Longer than that, you might risk over kneading your dough. The dough is now ready for proofing. Its texture is still a little bit tacky when you poke it with your finger, but it has lost a lot of stickiness at this time. Gather the dough into a ball. Sprinkle a little amount of flour into the sides and base of the bowl and place the dough for proofing. (Or set the ball of dough in another bowl, if you prefer.)
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set this aside in a warm place for about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours. The dough should double in size. After the first rise, divide the dough into two equal portions.
The kneaded dough (before and after the first rise).
Shaping the Dough (3 ways)
- 16 pieces of milk buns. Divide each portion into 8 equal portions, for a total of 16. Roll each portion into a log of about 8-10 inches long. Roll the log into a coil, tucking the ends under the roll. Place each roll in the pan, giving them about an inch of space in between. Each 9 inch round pan can hold 8 pieces of rolls each.
- 2 large milk loaves. Divide each portion into three portions for a total of 6. With your palms or a rolling pin, roll each portion into a rough rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Roll each rectangle beginning on the short edge to form a cylinder. Repeat with the rest of the portions. Using two greased 9×5 inches loaf pan, arrange the cylinders next to each other, with three cylinders in each pan.
- Combination. Make buns with one half of the dough, then make a loaf with the other half. This is what I do!
6. Let this assembled dough rise for an hour. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and set them aside. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350 F. Make the egg wash by beating one egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the surface of the rolls with the egg wash.
The shaped milk bread dough before and after the second rise.
7. Bake the rolls for 23-25 minutes. The top should be deeply golden and a thermometer should read 200 F. Do not over bake them for they will dry out fast. Then, enjoy the fruit of your not-so-hard labor. Your bread is now ready for glazing, for slathering with spread, or simply pick one out right there and feel the fluffiness of each bite.
Simple glaze: Mix 3 teaspoons of sugar with 2 teaspoons hot water. Stir mixture until sugar is dissolved. Brush over the bread surface.
Enjoy!
Want more bread? Check these out:
- Buttery Sugar Buns
- Garlic Herb Bread
- Austrian Buchtel ( Sweet Mini Buns)
- Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Icing
- Ham and Cheese Rolls
- Chocolate Hazelnut Rolls
- Japanese Milk Buns
- Coconut Buns with Milky Sweet Filling
Milk Bread
These milk bread are soft and fluffy rolls that are mildly sweet, making them versatile for pairing with your choice of jam, spreads or even with just a plain cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 F)
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
Sweet Glaze
- 2 tsp water
- 3 tsp sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast and about 1 tsp of the sugar. Let stand until foamy. Add the warm milk, warm heavy cream, the egg, the remaining sugar and salt. With the dough hook attached, run the mixer at low speed just to incorporate the ingredients.
- With the mixer still running, add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, and beat until the dough gathers into a shaggy mass. Add the remaining cup of flour and continue to beat until incorporated. Then slowly build up the speed to medium and mix the dough for about 8-12 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.
- You will see the dough starting to gather into the center and attaching itself into the dough hook. If your dough looks like it is not coming together after 5 minutes of mixing, sprinkle a little amount of flour (about half a teaspoon at a time) into the bowl and continue mixing. You can add up to two tablespoons of flour and you should soon see the dough starting to gather in the center of the bowl. As you approach the 12 minutes mark, you should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl as it clings to the dough hook. This is a good sign that your dough is ready for proofing.
- Gather the dough into a ball, sprinkle a little bit of flour into a bowl, and place the ball of dough inside it. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set it on a warm place for one hour to one hour and a half, until the size of the dough is doubled. Meanwhile, Grease two 9 inch round cake pans. After the dough has risen, return it into the mixer with the dough hook and mix on medium for 5 more minutes.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. I usually cut the dough in half, then cut each portion in half again, and so on until I yield 16 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a log of about 8-10 inches in size, then twist each log into a coil. Tuck the ends underneath. Place each assembled dough inside the round pans, giving about an inch of space between each roll. Each 9 inch round cake pan should have 8 rolls each. Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size, about an hour or so.
- Alternatively, you can make two loaves by dividing the dough into 2 portions, then divide each portion into 3 portions for a total of six. Roll each portion into a rough rectangle, then roll it into a cylinder starting on the short edge. Arrange 3 cylinders of dough in each pan. (See photos in the post)
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Make the egg wash by lightly beating one egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the surface of the rolls with the egg wash without letting the fluid drip to the sides. Bake in a 350 F oven for 23-25 minutes or until rolls are deeply golden on top. A thermometer should read 200 F. Once it reaches that mark, the bread is done. For loaves, bake it for 3-5 minutes more. To make the glaze, mix three teaspoons of sugar with two teaspoons hot water, stir it until the sugar is dissolved, and brush over the bread.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Woks of Life.
This recipe is originally published in February 2018. It is now updated with new photos and an improved recipe.
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Just made today and yummy…I took half the batch and added garlic powder and Italian seasonings….yum. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks, Carla! Sounds like a yummy version!
Hi Sanna, I have 2 questions…can this dough be used to make cinnamon rolls & also could some herbs & garlic be added to make garlic herb bread? For the cinnamon bread I just wondered if rolling the dough would make any difference…then for the garlic herb I am wondering if adding that would hurt the dough. I’m not really new to baking, it’s just been many moons since I’ve really baked any. I appreciate your help & advice! Thanks so much!
Hello Vicky! Yes, you can use this dough to make both Cinnamon rolls and garlic herb bread!
So glad I found your website, I made the milk rolls couple nights ago and everyone loved them!! This was my first time making breads/rolls of any kind and the pictures really helped! Thank you
Hello Tanvi! I am so glad you liked them!
Hi Sanna,
I tried your roll, they’re awesome! Im a new baker and im curious why you did not add butter to the dough? Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Hi Welch! I am so glad you liked this recipe. Some of my dough uses butter, some don’t. You can brush these rolls with melted butter after baking, if you like 🙂 There are also quite a few dough recipes on the site that has butter, you can try those too! Happy bread baking!
Hi, these buns look amazing! I was just wondering if you knew how I could make it with dry yeast.
Hi Riley! I use dry yeast (active dry yeast ) for this one.
This was THEE BEST BREAD I have ever made thus far. Thank you so much!!! Will add it to my upcoming blog!!!
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi do you have to proof the yeast I’m just getting started on making rolls and From other recipes it calls for letting the yeast foam before adding to the other ingredients
Hello Cyndi! You can proof the yeast first in warm milk. I don’t do that for this recipe but it turns out fine Thank you! You can always proof your yeast to make sure it is still good and active.
Hey my husband is coming home from deployment and I wanted to make them ahead of time could I freeze the rolls after making them?
Hello Karen! I don’t really recommend freezing this one as I have not tried it yet. What you can do is once you shape them, put the pans in the fridge overnight, covered with plastic wrap. The following morning, take them out, let them rise and bake
Could you feeeze these?
Hi Kendra! I do not recommend freezing these after they are baked. they are best eaten within a span of 2-3 days 🙂
Can you freeze them after making the dough? My husband comes home from deployment it I wanted to make them the night ahead.
Hello Karen! I don’t really recommend freezing this one as I have not tried it yet. What you can do is once you shape them, put the pans in the fridge overnight, covered with plastic wrap. The following morning, take them out, let them rise and bake 🙂
Sanna, I half the recipe and put it in the bread maker, it comes out beautiful! Thank you for the recipe! I’ve made it several times!
Thank you so much Twila! I appreciate that! I am glad to know it worked out on a breadmaker.
I have tried dozens of recipes for dinner rolls, looking for the ultimate in soft, fluffy and tasty. These were the winner for sure!! I’ve made them several times now, they are consistently the best bread to ever come out of my kitchen. Thank you so much for sharing!
That is really great to hear! I appreciate you coming back for this feedback. Thank you very much!
Hi Sanna,
Have you ever tried this recipe in a bread machine?
My son just brought me one for my birthday, and I’m finding the recipes that are in the booklet that cane with it quite heavy.
I imagine it’s fine to adapt it to a machine but I thought I’d ask your advice.
Thank you, Naomi
Hello Naomi! I honestly have not tried bread machine yet 🙂 but I don’t see why you can’t adapt this recipe to be made in the bread machine. I do believe it is possible. Please let me know how it turns out:) Good luck and thank you so much!
Hi Sanna, can I freeze these as I won’t be able eat two pans in 3 days? Any other idea on how to preserve them for longer? Maybe keep half of the unrisen dough in the fridge for two days? Appreciate your feedback and thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jenny! You can freeze them after baking for up to 2-3 weeks. Or after the first rise, Divide the dough in half. Make the rolls for the other half as usual and keep the other half in the fridge for up two days. When ready to bake, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Shape and let rise again. Bake as usual. I suggest this method rather than freezing them. Happy Baking!
Hi. Can i make half of the recipe. I mean can i cut the recipe in half?
Hi Mimo. I have not tried cutting the recipe in half because the measurements will be tricky. I always do the full recipe. The buns will be gone quick, anyways 🙂
Can it be made in a Dutch oven ?
Hi Amy! Unfortunately, I have not tried it using a dutch oven. Sorry! I hope you still try to make this.
Hi all. I could not not to try these magnificent great looking “eat me” buns. And they came out of the oven a few minutes ago….every one took a bite and u could see how the look on their faces changed….as in a dream…and I think…enough said!!!.
Don’t miss it…make it.
Hello, Hilik! Thank you. I am so glad you enjoyed them.
Hi. Made it and it was amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe xx
Thank you so much, Badriya! It means a lot to me!
Stunning, they look so golden and perfect! I can just imagine how divine they make your house smell while they are baking.
Thanks, Ruby! The aroma is just so wonderful! How are you?
Thank you for answering my questions! I have made these twice and are my favorite for giving someone because they look so pretty and are so fluffy. I sub a honey butter glaze over sugar. I have a kitchen aide and it does all the work for me. The highest speed I put it on is 4 but I try to keep it on 2.
Hi Chelsea! Thank you for your feedback. I am sO glad that you enjoyed the recipe. This is my fave too!
I have a Kitchen Aide stand mixer and it says not to go over 6 min I believe, so just wanting to avoid over kneading. Previously, I start hearing the slapping sound after about 2 minutes, but your your recipe calls for about 15 minutes of kneading. Thanks for your help!
Hi Chelsea! If the dough is smooth and can stretch thinly, then it is good. I don’t have a Kitchen Aide, and maybe the mixing speed differs from mine. ( I use Oster) The slapping sound is a good indication that the dough is ready. Just look for other signs like the smoothness and stretchiness. good luck and thank you so much!
Also, for medium speed, the dial is somewhere between 4-6.
So excited, amateur bread baker here. When you say to put the mixer on medium speed, do you mean 5? My handbook for mixer says “kneading is at level 2”. Also, do you think half and half would be ok to substitute?
Hello Chelsea, It will be best to use level 2 so to follow the mixer guidelines for the particular brand you use. 🙂 I have not tried using half and half in place of the heavy cream, but I am thinking that it should be fine 🙂
Please keep me posted. 🙂
i use fresh yeast should i just acticate with the warm milk and a bit of sugar or mix all toghether
Hi Dorothy! I have not made this with fresh yeast so I cannot guarantee the results. However, to activate fresh yeast, you need the warm milk and just a bit of the sugar.
Can this be made as a loaf instead of rolls?
Hi Kathleen, I personally haven’t tried making this into a loaf, but I am seeing It is totally okay to do so 🙂 Let me know how it goes:)
Hi!! This looks amazing!! I was wondering if I can half the recipe???
Hi Josie! Thank you! Yes you can half the recipe if you prefer. Happy baking! I hope you enjoy these!
These rolls look irresistible! The tops are so glossy and shiny! Love them. I never thought of adding milk to the egg wash – I’m definitely going to use this idea! And this bread is on my to bake list (actually, it’s been on it for a little while since I first saw the recipe on pinterest last month)
They are amazing, Julia! 🙂 You will love them!
I can see I will have to make this recipe. It looks fabulous with that golden glow from the egg wash. Making your own bread just fills your house with such great aromas.
Thanks, Mark! You will love this!
Have you ever made these with gluten free flour?
Hi Kim! Unfortunately,I have not tried them with gluten free flour so I can’t be sure of the results. Please let me know if I can help in any way, and I would also be more than happy to know the result if you try it with GF flour. Thanks!
This may sound like a stupid question but what s “heavy cream” – do u mean whipping cream? or half-and-half or something entirely different?? Many tks.
Hi Helen! I am sorry, I should have been more specific. It is whipping cream. I used 35% fat. Happy Baking! Thanks!
Many tks for getting back to me. You have wonderful recipes.
Have a great day!
No problem and thank you too!
Hi there, this looks amazing and would love to try it. Can I use instant yeast? I live in South Africa and don’t think active yeast is available. Also, no thermometer. How will I know when 115deg is reached after warming the milk. I have a meat thermometer? Would that help!
Hello there, Trudy! Thank you for your question. The meat thermometer would work fine. Generally, the rule is for the milk to not be lukewarm or hot but somewhere in the middle. A thermometer will work just to be sure of the temperature. But then, since you are using instant yeast, you can add the yeast straight to the dough and you don’t need to warm the milk. Just follow the recipe exactly, just omit the warming of the milk part. Active dry yeasts work best when dissolved in warm liquid while instant yeasts can actually be added straight to the dough. Hope that helps and let me know how they turn out!
I made this yesterday and it was absolutely fabulous – and enjoyed and loved by my neighbours too! I also live in South Africa and used instand yeast. Thank you for this recipe – will be making it again and again!!
I am so happy you loved this Thea!
I do not have one of those fancy mixers can you still make it without out them
Hi Nina,
Yes, you can still knead it by hand. You just have to look for the signs of an adequately kneaded dough. It should be smooth, shiny and can stretch thinly.
Good luck and keep me posted!