Japanese Milk Bread

In a small saucepan, whisk together 25g bread flour and 50ml water until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine 180ml water, 3g instant yeast, 30g sugar, and 8g skim milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Add the cooled tangzhong and 15g melted butter. Mix well.

Add 250g bread flour and 4g salt to the wet ingredients. Mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Then, perform the first fold by folding the dough from bottom to top about 30 times. Let it rest again.

After resting, perform the second fold by hand about 30 times. The dough should become smoother and more elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball, lightly dust with flour, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours).

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and let them rest, covered with a damp cloth, for 10 minutes.

Flatten each dough ball into a rectangle. Fold it into thirds, then roll it up from one end to form a log. Place the logs seam-side down in a greased loaf pan.

Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and let the dough rise until it reaches about 70% full in the pan (about 45 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Place the lid on the loaf pan and bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Tap the pan to remove the bread. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.