Hokkaido Milk Bread

In a small saucepan, whisk together the plain flour, milk, and water until no lumps remain. Place over low heat and warm while stirring constantly.

Cook, whisking continuously, for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture transforms into a thick, glossy paste resembling pudding (around 65 °C). This is your tangzhong - a starch base that locks moisture into the bread.

Transfer the tangzhong to a shallow bowl, press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and leave to cool to room temperature, ideally for about 20 minutes.

Gently warm the milk for the dough to a lukewarm temperature of around 35 °C. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the plain flour, sugar, dried yeast, and the cooled tangzhong.

Pour in the warm milk, add the beaten egg, and begin kneading with the dough hook on low speed for about 4 minutes, until the ingredients come together into a rough dough.

Add the salt and gradually incorporate the softened butter, one cube at a time. Continue kneading on medium speed for another 10-12 minutes, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and elastic - a windowpane test should show the dough stretching thin without tearing.

Turn the dough out into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth or cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place for approximately 60-90 minutes, until doubled in size.

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently deflate it, and divide into three equal portions of approximately 220 g each. Round each portion into a ball and leave to rest for 10 minutes, covered with a cloth.

Roll each piece out with a rolling pin into an oval roughly 25 × 12 cm. Fold both long sides inward like an envelope, then roll up from the shorter end into a tight log.

Place the three logs seam-side down, side by side, into a buttered loaf tin approximately 25 × 11 cm. Cover loosely and leave to rise for a further 45-60 minutes, until the dough reaches about 1 cm below the top of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top/bottom heat). Beat the egg with the milk and carefully brush the risen loaf with a thin layer of egg wash to give it a glossy golden crust.

Place the tin in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bread is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If it starts to brown too quickly after 20 minutes, cover the top loosely with foil.

Turn the finished loaf out of the tin immediately after removing it from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, allowing the crumb to set and preventing a gummy texture.

Slice the cooled bread with a sharp serrated knife into slices about 1.5-2 cm thick. The characteristic fibrous structure will be beautifully visible - the crumb can be pulled apart into silky strands.

Serve with butter, fruit jam, or honey, or use as a base for delicate sandwiches. For breakfast, it is also excellent lightly toasted and spread with salted butter.