Easy Milk Bread Rolls

Make Japanese style milk bread rolls with this easy milk bread roll recipe! These dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, moist, and just a touch sweet. They are perfect for your holiday dinner parties but also simple enough to make for an everyday meal.

Christmas is just around the corner and we're all busy planning if not already starting our holiday cooking. Kyong and I know that a meal isn't complete without beautiful dinner rolls to soak up all the flavorful gravy and sauces you made. So, we wanted to share this easy milk bread roll recipe that requires minimal ingredients but delivers maximum satisfaction, so that every last drop of your hard work can be savored!

If you liked this milk bread dinner roll recipe, you'll also love to try our cheesy garlic pull-apart bread (Christmas edition), Korean sausage bread, and Korean cream cheese garlic bread. They're all crowd pleasers and perfect for holiday gatherings or simple snacking.

Jump to:

• What is milk bread?
• Tangzhong: milk bread's secret ingredient
• The window pane test
• Alternative almost no-knead milk bread
• How to shape these milk bread rolls
• Make ahead
• How to store these milk bread rolls
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Feedback

What is milk bread?

Milk bread, like the average white bread is made of wheat flour. However, what makes the two difference is the addition of milk, fat (butter), and tangzhong. These three additions give milk bread a milkier, richer flavor and that springy, pillowy, soft texture we love in Asian breads.

Tangzhong: milk bread's secret ingredient

So, what makes milk bread so pillowy soft but still springy? The secret lies in tangzhong, a thick paste made by cooking a liquid with flour until gelatinized, about 65°C or 149°F. In the case of milk breads, milk and flour are cooked. Adding tangzhong to bread doughs allow the doughs to be high in hydration, without being a wet, sticky mess, which is what's needed if you want light, airy bread.

The window pane test

When making any kinds of bread, it is very important to knead the dough until it reaches the "window pane" stage before proofing. This ensures that the dough has enough gluten development to trap the carbon dioxide produced when the dough is proofing. Without adequate gluten formation, the dough will not be able to expand properly, resulting in a dense dough.

To check for the window pane stage, pinch off a small knob of dough, about a Tablespoon. Gently stretch the dough between your fore fingers and thumb until you're able to see silhouettes through the stretched dough. If the dough tears before you can see silhouettes through it, knead the dough in 2 to 4 minute increments and checking in between until the "window pane" consistency has been achieved.

Alternative almost no-knead milk bread

If you prefer making breads without a stand mixer or simply have the time, you'll love this alternative almost no knead method!

1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Give it a mix, then add the cooled tangzhong and milk with dissolved yeast. Mix the dough until no more dry flour is visible and the dough is cohesive. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm area.
2. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by pulling the edges toward the center to form a ball. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes in a warm area.
3. Once the 30 minutes are up, add the softened butter and work the butter into the dough. After all the butter has been absorbed, round up the dough and cover it. Let the dough proof in a warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes or 1 hour.
4. Punch the dough down and divide into 9 or 16 pieces, depending on if you want small or large rolls. Follow the recipe for the shaping and baking.

How to shape these milk bread rolls

1.After proofing the dough, deflate the dough and divide it 16 equal pieces for small rolls or 9 equal pieces for large rolls. Lightly grease a 9x9 square pan with butter or oil.

2. Working with one piece of dough at a time, knead the dough onto itself by pulling the edges of the dough toward the center. This will pop all the air bubbles in the dough and prevent uneven holes in the rolls.

3. Pinch and pull the piece of dough until it smooths out and forms into a round ball.

4. Arrange the milk bread roll in the square pan and repeat with remaining dough.

Make ahead

Holidays and dinner plans are already enough work. The great news is that both the tangzhong and these milk bread rolls are perfect for making ahead of time! The tangzhong can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Just let it cool it completely then cover and store in the fridge until you need it.

For the milk bread, let them slow proof in the fridge overnight after shaping them. Make sure to cover the rolls well so that the dough doesn't dry out. The rolls should be doubled or closed to doubled the next day. Just let them come to temperature on your countertop while you preheat the oven before applying egg wash and baking.

How to store these milk bread rolls

Not gonna to lie, these milk bread dinner rolls taste the best the day of. But the great thing about milk breads is that it has a longer shelf life than other homemade breads. So as long it is tightly wrapped and stored in an airtight container, it'll stay good at room temperature for up to 1 week. Otherwise, you can refrigerate it up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.

Happy baking!
Mei ❤️

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📖 Recipe