I like the texture of Hawaiian rolls but not the sugar. I found this recipe, tried it yesterday, and am happy to report it’s exactly that: Hawaiian roll like texture with a fraction of sweetness.
I did a little bit of research and I’m guessing that what we view as “Hawaiian rolls” was probably a modification of the Japanese milk bread to begin with. This bread, known as Hokkaido milk bread, was created in Japan using tang zhong, a traditional Chinese starter for buns, which utilizes milk or water mixed with a small amount of flour. Surprisingly, this recipe doesn’t add flour to the milk, and now I am wondering if that should’ve been a thing.
A note: they are baking this at 350 for 20 minutes. My baking time had to be adjusted to 30 minutes. I think that the house might have been a bit too cold and my second proofing didn’t go as well, so the bread was slightly denser. Or maybe it’s my oven.
I was going to take pretty pictures for you, but once the bread was sampled, it was immediately declared the best bread I ever made, and I only got this pic before it got eaten.
Japanese milk bread makes me long for the sugar toast (https://cookpad.com/recipe/1042722) in the bakeries there. It should be so simple to make, if only I had the right milk bread. I think another similar milk bread recipe from this YouTube channel looks about right (https://youtu.be/8jeaPL73sUU). Maybe I’ll finally make some of my own before going back to Japan for work (12/2 with much trepidation), so thanks for the inspiration!
I find the bread standard to be good in Japan. Even the average bakery croissant is flakier and crisper than the slightly doughy thing I find at American groceries. Maybe a dinner roll in croissant shape?
Hoping Japan can keep numbers low through the winter and you can enjoy all the wonderful seasonal foods.
Totally trying this! I love new bread recipes to try.
This recipe doesn’t have a Tangzhong roux (milk and flour heated and let cool before adding) which will keep the bread moist.
This recipe works well either using a stand mixer or bread machine on dough cycle. Have used this dough as bread, rolls, cinnamon buns and stick buns.
Recently got a new oven with a proofing setting but before that would always proof in the oven with the light on especially on cold days.
https://www.thelittleepicurean.com/2015/05/japanese-milk-bread.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvmHqkvhzuA
Another one for you to try.
Yes! I love Hawaiian roll texture and could not replicate at home! I must try this!
Thank you!!!!!
The bread looks delicious, so I really want to make it right now, and the recipe seems simple enough, however I would like to take a moment and point out the comments on the video. They just made my day
Another good way to proof dough is to run your dryer on high for a few minutes utes, turn it off and place the pan(s) of dough inside and shut the door. The dryer warmth works nicely and frees up the oven while the dough is rising.
Actually, ‘Hawaiian’ bread is Portuguese sweet bread. Very sad when King’s sold out to that mainland bakery. And yes, it not only has sugar in it, but a good one has potato, too.
I’d call the response you got a win, picture or no.
As a child I lived on Hokkaido for a couple of years. We lived in Chitose. Father was U. S. Army. I remember a few things, but not much about the food. I would love to try this bread.
First of all thanks for the recipe. I am a big fan of King Arthur Flour too! They are also happy to help you with baking questions.
To proof bread I just heat a cup of water in the microwave to boiling and then place my bread into the warm moist microwave. Simple and most people have a microwave.
Thank you so much for sharing!
THANK YOU! I’ve never made bread before and was looking for a good recipe ????
Bread and dip are my “will eat everything in the house” foods. Right now I’m actually losing weight for the first time in 20 years, so….*sigh*….no bread. But please don’t delete this post! One day I’ll be at goal weight and I’ll come back. Looks so good!!
Or for me to who should be loosing weight but is baking more since I’m home all day even though working, and can take the time to let it rise multiple times!!! Usually takes too long during the week for me!!
Quarantine bread weight gain ????and other baking lol
Elevation can also impact baking. So someone baking at a higher elevation than someone at sea level will have different results. So it was probably also a factor, on top of the recent Texas cold snap.
This is true! Hawaiian bread isn’t Hawaiian. But the concept is a mix of many different cultures taken to an extreme level from plantation days. There was a lot of Japanese influence on the plantations. Then the Filipino and Polynesian cultures made changes and made their own versions. (I am a Kama aina haole (sp) who lives on Oahu and who’s husband is a trained chef who is actually working as a pool guy, but who has lots of irrelevant facts regarding local food!)
yum yum.
syd1@mac.com
House Andrews Cook Book! How wonderful to have all the yummy recipes you have in your books! Have a separate section for each! Just for fun?
Oooh! I’ve done milk bread before, but only once. I love it for how soft and fluffy it is!
This looks amazing! I’m definitely going to give it a try! Thanks!!
My Yemeni kitchen on YouTube!
My husband is from Egypt and he found these… so easy to alter The recipient too!! He likes them with more sugar, several times I completely forgot the eggs and they came out fine so now I don’t use them except to brush before baking, lol.
I also started brushing them with jam or Nutella inside the before rolling it up and that comes out great too! Love all the bread on her YouTube site… and some of the other recipes too
https://youtu.be/vqraRU6dHqw
Thank you!! I’m excited to try this. My son loves Hawaiian rolls.
in my house, no pics would have been taken, other than as piles of crumbs.
I tried a loaf of Japanese milk bread at the local farmer’s market. I thought it was pretty good. The recipe I read was more work than I was willing to do in the heat of the Texas summer, so maybe I will try a recipe in the winter.
Thanks for the recipe. It looks yummy ????
Thank you!
I love milk bread, so fluffy! I was just thinking about making some tomorrow when I have the time. I’ve seen people use it for making cinnamon rolls too, though I haven’t tried that myself.
I’ve bought milk bread from a bakery inside an Asian food store. It was like white bread on steroids. I grew up eating whole wheat, so white bread seems processed to me, milk bread even more so. So white and soft and fluffy and processed. Processed to an almost ominous degree.
I’ve heard that the difference in milk bread between here and japan comes down to the mineral composition of the water.
https://www.tressandwich.com/eng/page/about
Need some yeast then I’m trying this recipe, thanks!
This is exactly the recipe my German grandmother did all her life – what I do every now and then. Sometimes we divide the dough into 4 strings and braid them. Just like Challah. Which tells you at the same time, in Germany this kind of bread is a breakfast treat and often eaten with butter and every possible kind of confiture. Or even Nutella
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I think the Hawaiian sweet bread is actually a variation of Portuguese sweet bread, which is a variation of the French brioche. I agree that it’s too sweet, so I like it with less sugar too.
Your break looks delicious, and I’m also a big fan of Hokkaido milk bread. During the beginning of the pandemic, I started baking a lot. For me, depression=baking. It’s just soothing and the smell of bread makes me happy,
In the subject of sugar in bread, Ireland has ruled the Subway bread has too much sugar in it to be called bread. It’s something like five times as much. They can still sell it but I don’t think it can be called bread, just food. My apologies if this has had been mentioned already.
I tried this recipe and it turn out really good. Thanks ????
I tried out the recipe yesterday and it came out AMAZING. This is definitely going to be made many more times! Also, the smell of the baking bread reminded me of senorita rolls – looked up the dough recipe and it’s almost exactly the same!! You just make a spread of sugary butter to go inside the rolls and make them smaller. We plan to try that using this recipe as well. Thanks for sharing!!
I love milk bread. I love sourdough bread too. And have a lovely quarantine-bread-making routine now. I imagine there is now a world full of bread-makers. It makes the world a better place when we can all come together on a subject, yes?
I come from Belfast and on a Monday you couldn’t buy a ‘plain’ loaf as the bakers didn’t work on a Sunday, you could only get a milk loaf. Thanks for the reminder!
Right when the bread was done, if there were any notes I missed them and couldn’t get the video to show without the timer and blah and blah…
Does it need to sit? Most bread I make needs to sit at least half an hour after cooking before the texture comes together. I either rewarm (rolls) or toast (sandwiches and big loaves) it for eating. This looks like they popped it out of the oven and straight out of the pan into mouth.
Yours also doesn’t look as shiny. Did you leave off the egg wash (I’m generally not a fan)?
If it hasn’t already been suggested, you can proof it in the Instant Pot which keeps a constant temp for dough to rise. I put parchment paper inside liner of IP then the dough so I don’t have to clean it after and use the paper when I roll out on counter to keep cleaning counter to minimum.
Love your books! ????
(I’m fasting and every time I come to the blog to see if IA have posted anything new, the picture of yummy, scrumptious milk bread sends my salivary glands into overdrive!! ????)
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/japanese-milk-bread-rolls-recipe
Have made that recipe a couple times and its great without any modifications! Especially when I mix the dough in my kitchenaid until it passes the windowpane test.
Love to see you are making milk bread as well! It’s fantastic
I also hate the sugar in them maybe ill try it.
I tried it, since I love Hawaiian sweet rolls but am trying to cut down on sugar. Mine were more dense than in the video (probably an altitude thing, I’m in CO), but it was absolutely amazing when sliced, toasted, and eaten with butter and jam. Thanks for sharing!
That looks delicious. Do you have the recipe?
I’m seeing the comment section of the YouTube video linked here. I wonder if you guys know who Oikawa is.