Why is bread in Japan so good? This is why it’s so soft & milky
Ever wondered how Japanese bread is so soft and milky?
The secret ingredient is “tangzhong,” which means “water roux” in Chinese. This mixture adds moisture to bread dough and gives it that light and airy texture. The yudane style makes the bread smooth soft and fluffy because boiling gelatinated starch keeps moisture inside the bread.
Japanese bread has a mochi-like texture and has a pillowy texture.
Milk bread tastes best on the day it’s made and when it’s still hot. Spread butter and your favourite jam and spread it with butter.
It has a beautiful toast and produces a great breakfast bread. Also a good sandwich bread.
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for freeIn this post we'll cover:
What is TangZhong?
TangZhong is the term given to the semi-cooked water/ flour mix when it is heated up to 165oF/74oC reminiscent of pudding.
The gelatinized starch has a tendency to retain moisture thus making the bread even more soft and fluffy. That way of farming is not very familiar to those living in the western United States where bread is an important food.
Archaeology and ancient history suggest that bread was eaten since around 30,000 years. There is extensive evidence of bread making in ancient Egypt and the Middle East long ago.
Fast forward to the present and the whole bread making technique is in various ways improvised from one place or another in every continent.
Why is Japanese bread so fluffy?
The Yudane method leaves the bread pillowy soft and fluffy and keeps the bread dry easily. The gelatinized starch heated in the dough keeps the flour moisture in the bread.
Japanese bread has a mochi-like texture and has a pillowy feel and smooth texture. Usually, such a study is called Yud.
Why are Asian breads softer than European breads?
Fat and sugar and a Japanese flour named Tangzhong have a huge difference in bread texture. The recipe is based upon a recipe developed in Japan.
The Japanese-style dough is a Japanese version of the pastry crust.
Shokupan is a crisp and delicious white bread that you can buy in Japan. They are fluffy and moist incredibly long. Unlike ordinary bread thanks to the Yudane method. They look really soft.
What is the Yudane Method?
Yudane is achieved by stirring bread flour with hot boiling water. The gelated starch helps the starch to absorb water more efficiently and increase its sweetness to the point that it absorbs it.
With hot boiling water, the yeast is gelatinous creating a soft, moist, and more sweet bread lasting longer.
Japanese Snack Bread
The distinguished style of bread started with the famed bakery Kimuraya in the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo in 1874. In 1869 Former samurai Kojiyama Yasub opened the shop with his son in the vicinity today at Shinbashi.
He added sweet bean paste to bread rolls to create the now-ubiquitous Japanese bean bun anpan. After the introduction of anpan, snack bread rapidly diversified Japan.
It was only then that he started selling the first loaf, which he was served in 1917 and was soon replaced with soft biscuits and cookies made from scratch. Some believe they had influence on Indian food and culture.
Japanese milk bread
Japanese milk bread is probably the lighter, fluffier and tender bread you would ever encounter. It can be an ideal everyday bread from sandwiches to toast and is absolutely worth trying!
It’s all you could find if you’re in Japan but when it’s such nice soft and light bread doesn’t matter as much.
These methods might appear a little unusual but the combination of this rather less unusual approach and ingredients makes this bread perfectly light and soft.
This loaf is excellent for daily usage as well as perfectly breaded toasties. This blog may contain sponsored links so you can earn money based on sales.
Shokupan – Japanese milk bread loaf
Shokupan is soft and fluffy white bread that you’ll find in Japan. They’re extremely soft and retain moisture for longer than ordinary bread due to the Yudane system.
They maintain moisture for a longer period of time than normal bread because the recipe is made under the Yaidan method.
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
