Japanese Milk Bread Rolls (Shokupan Rolls)

Name: Japanese Milk Bread Rolls (Shokupan Rolls)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 3 tbsp bread flour; 1/2 cup water; 1 cup warm milk; 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast; 1/4 cup sugar; 3 1/2 cups bread flour; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 3 tbsp softened butter

12 servings45 min prep20 min cookMedium

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Japanese Milk Bread Rolls (Shokupan Rolls)

Story updated September 18, 2026

Milk bread rolls use the same tangzhong (water-roux) technique found in Japanese shokupan, a method that gained wider recognition for producing extra-soft, pillowy bread by pre-cooking a portion of flour with liquid before mixing the rest of the dough.

Ingredients

Scale:· 12 servings

3 tbsp bread flour
1/2 cup water
1 cup warm milk
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp softened butter

Instructions

1Whisk 3 tbsp flour with water in a small pot; cook over low heat, stirring, until thick (tangzhong). Cool.
2Stir yeast and sugar into warm milk; let sit until foamy.
3Combine tangzhong, yeast mixture, bread flour, and salt; knead 5 minutes.
4Add softened butter and knead 8-10 more minutes until smooth and elastic.
5Let rise 1 hour, until doubled.
6Shape into 12 rolls, let rise 30-40 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…