The details

Easy Cardamom Milk Bread is made in the spirit of traditional Japanese Shokupan, with a milky and enriched dough which rises into a happy little pillow. The dough is divided, rolled up, and baked in a loaf pan. The result is a lightly sweetened, ever-so-fluffy bread, delicately flavored with warm cardamom. When it’s done, creates three mini loaves which you can pull apart in a very satisfying manner (see below pic for proof). It is so easy, no fuss, and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.

I love to eat this milk bread on its own, warm out of the oven. It’s also great with honey cinnamon butter (2 tbsp salted butter, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp cinnamon mushed together) or toasted to make THE world’s greatest cinnamon toast. Everyone in my house has become addicted to this milk bread, and soon you will be too!

About milk bread

Milk bread (also called Shokupan) is a lightly sweetened and very very fluffy Japanese white bread. It’s basically the Japanese version of Wonderbread and is used for sandwiches, etc. A larger number of Asian-American chefs have brought Shokupan into the mainstream food scene in the US, and I totally get the hype! It’s like eating a pillow. Read more about the milk bread obsessi on here.

Traditional Shokupan recipes call for a tangzhong method in which flour, water, and milk are cooked together on the stove top as a base for the bread. This method often makes breads more moist for longer, and it’s a great tool or process to borrow from. In this recipe, we skip the tangzhong for ease and go straight to mixing and kneading. The result is still indisputably moist and soft. Further, this recipe proofs in the fridge overnight which creates some pretty developed gluten and a nice stretchy mouthfeel. Call this recipe a shortcut, but it’s definitely in the spirit of honoring traditional Shokupan.

This recipe was adapted from Bake with Paws’ Easy Shokupan. If you’re going to make this recipe, I highly recommend you visit her site and take a look at her process pictures for folding and shaping the dough. They helped me so much in creating a successful loaf on my first bake! My recipe has been tweaked in ingredients for flavor, but maintains the same process and texture.

The process

Here’s the short version of our process for Easy Cardamom Milk Bread.

Bloom your yeast with sugar and milk.
Add flour, spices, salt and water. Knead to form a ball.
Add a couple tablespoons of water. Continue to knead until the dough forms a nice springy ball.
Cover and proof in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, divide the dough into 3 pieces.
Shape those pieces into little jelly rolls for the pan.
Place the rolls in the pan, and proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours. (See my Tips + Tricks page for notes on how to proof).
Bake up your Cardamom Milk Bread! Enjoy all the pokable fluffiness.

Check out the video below for all the steps in the process!

Bake to this music

Easy Cardamom Milk Bread

Print Recipe

Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

2/3 cups whole milk, warmed
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup water, room temp
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 egg whisked for egg wash

Instructions

Bloom your yeast. In a large mixing bowl, combine warmed milk, active dry yeast, and sugar. Stir to combine and cover with a kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes. When you uncover it, it should be frothy.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine bread flour, salt, and spices. Add this mixture to the frothy yeast mixture. Add water. Stir around with the bread hook attachment of a stand mixer (or with a spatula if kneading by hand). Once it begins to come together, knead on medium for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball, with the stand mixer. If kneading by hand, plan for 5ish minutes of vigorous kneading.
Add your room temperature butter in 2 chunks. Continue to knead the dough with the mixer on medium for 10 minutes (or by hand for 20). When ready, the dough will form a cohesive ball and bounce back readily when poked.
Shape your dough into a ball and place in an oiled, large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place the covered bowl in the fridge to proof overnight, 8-12 hours.
Prepare a loaf pan with baking spray and/or parchment paper.
In the morning, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Using a dough cutter, divide the dough into 3 equally sized pieces. Shape into balls and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Take each ball of dough and roll out until about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Fold one side of the dough across the circle, followed by the other, creating a long vertical piece (like folding an omelette). Using a rolling pin, continue to roll the vertical rectangle out horizontally until it is as wide as your loaf pan. Starting at the top of the rectangle, roll it downwards until it is a round little jelly roll. Place it in the center of your loaf pan. Repeat with the other two dough pieces and place them on either side in the pan.
Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and allow to proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until it doubles in size and is very pillowy.
Preheat your oven to 350 for 15-30 minutes. Brush your risen dough with egg wash. Bake the bread in the middle rack of your oven for 25-30 minutes. When it is done, it will be significantly taller and golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack. Enjoy warm or room temperature. I like to top this milk bread with honey-cinnamon compound butter. Bread keeps well for several days in an airtight container.

Author: Caroline Crockett
Category: bread