Cinnamon Swirl Milk Bread
(Makes 2 loaves)
Japanese milk bread is one of my favorite breads to make. The process is unique from other breads, starting with a flour paste and incorporating soft butter to make the dough as soft as a pillow. The dough is perfect on its own, but with the addition of a simple cinnamon sugar mixture, it’s heaven!
Ways to make this your own
Which milk to use?
Though the title says ‘milk bread’, I’ve used a variety of other milks when making this bread, all with success. My ‘go-to’ is oat milk. Using a plant-based milk does not change the magical texture of the bread.
Shape of the bread
I opted for a basic, cylindrical shape for this bread, as I found it the easiest way to get that beautiful cinnamon swirl. The world is your oyster in shaping your bread though. Have fun with it!
Other fillings
Sometimes, simplicity is best. At least, that’s what I told myself when using a simple cinnamon and sugar filling. Adding raisins is certainly a possibility, as is adding nutella, or another filling entirely.
A note of caution: the wetter your ingredients, the heavier your bread will be, meaning it will take longer to rise and might need a minute or two more in the oven.
Ingredients:
4 cups, plus 6 tbsp bread flour
1 cup water
1 cup cold milk (can be a plant-based alternative)
2 eggs
3 tsp active yeast
3/4 cup sugar, plus 4 tbsp
3 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened. Plus 2 tbsp melted
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Start with your flour paste. Add your water and 6 tbsp of bread flour into a small saucepan. Heat on the stove over medium heat, whisking all the while so there are no lumps. Let the mixture come to a soft boil, whisking all the while, until you have a smooth paste. Take off the heat.
Place your milk in a stand mixer. Add the eggs and flour paste. Add your yeast and the remaining 4 cups of bread flour. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, mix everything on low speed until the dough starts to come together, and the flour on the side of the mixture is fully incorporated into the dough. This typically takes a couple of minutes only. Turn off the stand mixer, and cover the bowl with a cloth to let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
**Note: You can do this by hand as well, but I highly recommend using a stand mixer, particularly when adding the butter in the next step.
After your dough has rested, add the sugar and salt. Turn the stand mixer onto low again, and slowly add the butter, piece by piece. Let the mixer knead the dough for 5 - 8 minutes, or until the butter is mostly incorporated into the dough. (The dough will be quite soft).
Place the dough on a lightly-floured board and knead for a minute, or until the dough is just a tad more solid and holds together. (It will be very soft). Place in a well-greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Leave to rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until it’s mostly doubled.
Once your bread has risen, mix 3/4 cup of sugar with the cinnamon, adding more as necessary.
Divide the dough in half. Taking one half, roll out into a long 20” by 6” inch rectangle. (This doesn’t have to be exact). Spread half of the cinnamon sugar filling on the dough. Then, roll the dough from the short end, until you’ve created a small, 6” log. Place in a greased bread pan. Repeat this process with the second piece of dough.
Once both are in their bread pans, cover again with a damp cloth and let rise until puffy (about 30min to an hour).
About 20 minutes before your second rise is finished, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for approximately 30 - 35 minutes, making sure to turn the pans halfway through baking.
Take out of the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes or so. After this, take the loaves out of the pans. (Careful as you take them out of the pans, as some of the sugar filling might have seeped out and stuck to the bottom). Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter on the stove. Then using a pastry brush or a spoon, brush all sides of the loaves with the butter for that nice shiny glaze.
Let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy toasted, with butter, or by itself!
