I have been meaning to try this bread, but dieting has been delaying it. DH really likes soft bread, & I had read before that this was like that. Glad to hear you confirm that, although I don't know if he will like it sweeter. I may try it this weekend, the kids will be home to help eat it. It really looks good.

Annie, i tried the KAF milk bread rolls recipe last year. Made them a couple of times. I really liked the flavor and texture.They were dense but very soft. The first time, I made them with all white flour. But the next two times, I subbed somewhere between 1/3 - 1/2 of white whole wheat flour. They came out fine, although I did have to add some extra moisture to make up for the whole wheat.

I think the technique is interesting, and I'd like to try it with other bread recipes. I looked online and found a formula of sorts for adapting the tangzhong technique to other recipes. Supposedly the roux keeps the bread softer & moister.

So it's 4 real small loaves in one regular sized loaf pan?

I've seen that kind of bread posted here before a couple of years ago. I thought it would be something interesting to try and you confirmed it, Annie.

I was surprised that I couldn't actually find a recipe at KA Flour. Almost all of my loaf bread that I have made recently has been with the tangzhong, milk approach. Annie: I was certainly under the impression that the loaf shaping was supposed to be done by placing the individual rolled sections cross ways, so that the ends of each roll faced each other. My recipe only requires two sections rather than four. It does give an interesting look, but I don't bother any more and just shape normally.

My recipe also uses only one egg per loaf, so it certainly isn't eggy, but it certainly would be more buttery if I added as much butter as suggested (4T or 1/2 stick), I usually make three loaves with a stick. I have also been using honey rather than sugar, because I have a big bottle. I suspect that the honey may be responsible for keeping the loaf fresh for quite a few days.

Annie, I remembered that I actually took a picture of the whole wheat rolls. As I said, I only used 1/3 - 1/2 white whole wheat flour, but I felt better knowing there was some whole grain in the rolls. I mixed the dough in my bread machine and kept checking during the kneading to make sure that the dough had enough liquid and was soft enough. I know I added some additional liquid to compensate for the whole wheat flour. Here's a picture. The rolls are light in color because I used white whole wheat flour rather than regular whole wheat.

annie: I see that I was wrong about how the rolled dough was set in the pan since it was so long since actually following the recipe. The pair was laid out as you did. I just thought that four rolls was a bit much. I have checked, and see that my source was from the NY Times here.

Yes, the recipe is for fluffy white bread; and for me, it gives perfect sandwich slices. I have recently been adding a fourth to a third of whole wheat or oatmeal. With oatmeal, I have found the loaves to still be light, but no longer airy; that is, the normal little holes are now filled.

Thanks for posting this. I can't wait to make this, once I eat food again (the post new year diets). I've always like the bread at the local Japanese bakery but I've never attempted to replicate the rolls.

Shambo, those look really good, and I have white whole wheat flour too.

Chas, I'll have to try the oatmeal addition too. I still am not sure why a loaf can't just be shaped normally, if it's required for the texture of the loaf or if it's just traditional, like the braiding of challah.

Gooster, hopefully you can eat food again soon! This is a good bread, although I still think I'd make it into cinnamon rolls or another sweet roll the next time, the dough just seems like the right flavor and texture for that application.

Annie

So sorry you had to go through some dental work that has slowed you down a bit, Annie. Hope you're feeling better soon.

I made Japanese milk bread a couple of years ago and every one loved it. The recipe I used didn't come from King Arthur's website. I haven't been doing any baking or really not much of anything since they put DH in Hospice away from home, but your reminder of how good this bread is makes me think I need to make some.

Madonna

Madonna, this is the last day of my "soft diet", but I can't open my mouth really wide yet. I tried some crackers, but the hard edges still hurt, so it'll be a couple more days. My dentist says I heal faster than anyone he's ever seen, so I'll be eating everything soon enough. In the meantime, I'm considering it as a weight loss tool, LOL.

Hugs to you and your DH, I think of you often.

Annie

@madonna hugs to you as well.

@annie1992 I plan too. You might try making cream buns. These are custard filled milk buns. I've also seen the bakery make savory buns like bacon and eggs.

Gooster, I've had the cream buns and love them. The thing I really like about Japanese pastries is that they're not overly sweet. Bacon and egg filled buns sounds good too.

Annie, Leave it to you to be productive in a debilitating situation!

I made rolls today using oatmeal; a recipe from Taste of Home.

I read this recipe Annie, and now I have to look for dried milk. I did buy a box of potato flakes one time, to make rolls from. Apparently they make light, fluffy rolls too. So that means 2 things to have in the cupboard. I'm sure I can buy powdered milk at the Bulk Barn.

Now, Jasdip, I'm going to confess. I made a second batch, and I had no dry milk. I left it out. It still turned out fine. It didn't seem quite as light, but that could be a lot of other things. Anyway, go for it without the powdered milk, it's still really good.

Annie

Thank you Annie!!! I was even thinking of using the potato flakes. I did buy them to make rolls, so I could use them in your recipe.

Annie, I tried the Japanese Milk bread this weekend, it really went over well. Personally, I preferred my regular bread recipe, but I think that is just a matter of taste. I do think these would make wonderful sweet rolls.

That bread looks delicious. I haven't baked bread in a long time. We just haven't had enough winter, and I haven't had time, but I will save the recipe and give it a try one of these days. Maybe we'll have winter in March. (I don't like to bake when it's warm outside.)

Sally

Nancy, I really prefer my regular bread recipe for most applications, this is just too soft and squishy, and too sweet for savory applications, IMO. It makes awesome French toast, though, and I'm definitely going to try making it into sweet rolls (which might then become French Toast, LOL).

Sally, I hope you get some baking weather. It's lovely here right now, hovering around 40, the sun is shining. But it's supposed to drop in temperature at the end of the week, down to 8 or 10 below zero on Friday and Saturday night, then back up in the 30s for next week. I have Red Cow due to calve any time in the next couple of weeks, let's hope it's in the next couple of days or that she waits until next week. Somehow, though, I know she won't, she'll have that baby in the middle of the night on the coldest day of the year. And, in spite of my worrying, it'll be fine, she'll take good care of it and life will go on, LOL.

Annie

Too soft & squishy was the problem I had with the milk bread. Though it tastes good, the texture reminded me too much of what I remember Wonder Bread being like...so I've only made it the one time.

I shaped it like a conventional loaf and didn't fiddle around making the cutesy mini loaves in one pan. Worked just fine for those who were wondering.

Yeah, Annie, you have a bit too much winter for me! I like winter, definitely more than we've had this year, but I have no interest in temps below zero. I'd certainly be baking up a storm, though, if we did.

Sally