Here is a soft, fluffy, cloud-like Japanese Milk Bun recipe — these are similar to Hokkaido milk bread rolls and use the famous tangzhong method for incredible softness and long shelf life. ☁️🍞✨
🍶 Japanese Milk Buns (Soft, Fluffy, and Ultra Tender)
Makes 12 buns
⭐ Tangzhong (the secret paste!)
Tangzhong keeps the buns soft for days.
Ingredients for Tangzhong
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3 tbsp bread flour
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½ cup milk
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½ cup water
Make the Tangzhong
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In a small saucepan, whisk flour + milk + water until smooth.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a pudding-like paste.
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Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
🍞 Dough Ingredients
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½ cup warm milk
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2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
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⅓ cup sugar
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1 large egg
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¼ cup softened butter
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3½ cups bread flour
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1 tsp salt
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All the cooled tangzhong
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Activate the yeast
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Mix warm milk + sugar + yeast.
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Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2️⃣ Make the dough
Into a mixing bowl (stand mixer ideal), add:
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flour
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salt
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egg
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tangzhong
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yeast mixture
Mix until combined, then add butter and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but not wet.
3️⃣ First rise
Place dough in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled.
4️⃣ Shape the buns
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Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
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Shape into tight balls (pull edges under for smooth tops).
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Place in a greased or parchment-lined 9×13 pan or spaced on a baking sheet.
5️⃣ Second rise
Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes, until puffy.
6️⃣ Bake
Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg + splash milk) for shine.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes, until lightly golden.
7️⃣ Finish
Brush warm buns with melted butter for extra softness.
☁️ Texture Notes
Japanese Milk Buns are:
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Super soft
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Light and pillowy
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Slightly sweet
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Perfect for sliders, breakfast, or eating plain
Thanks to the tangzhong, they stay fresh 3–4 days without drying out.
✨ Variations
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Matcha Buns: add 1–2 tbsp matcha to the flour
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Chocolate Buns: fill with chocolate squares before baking
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Custard Cream Buns: pipe custard inside after baking
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Garlic Butter Milk Buns: brush with garlic butter and parsley
If you’d like, I can also give you:
🥯 Japanese milk bread loaf (Shokupan)
🧁 Sweet cream-filled buns
🥨 Tangzhong brioche
Just tell me!
