Super Soft Bread
This Super Soft Bread is light, airy, tender, and fluffy, thanks to a quick and easy Japanese technique . Once you try it, this will be your go to recipe for white bread.
If you’re tired of eating bread from the grocery store that’s full of preservatives and not really fresh from day one, you should make this super soft and fluffy bread. It is irresistibly soft and delicious!
What makes this bread so soft and fluffy?
This super soft bread starts with a simple Tangzhong roux-like mixture that gets cooked, and added to the final dough. This technique results in bread that’s perfectly light and tender. I used this same method to make my Milk Bread Honey Buns.
Tangzhong is a Japanese technique of cooking a mixture of flour, water and milk to create a paste that is cooled and added to the bread dough. This process gelantanizes the starches to create extra tenderness in breads.
Ingredients for this recipe
Bread flour – Bread flour results in a chewy texture. You can use all-purpose if you prefer. However, it won’t have a slight chewiness to it.
Granulated sugar – The sugar adds a tiny bit of sweetness and helps to promote browning. However, it also helps to activate the yeast.
Yeast – You can use active dry or instant (rapid rise) yeast in this recipe. The purpose of blooming the yeast, is to make sure it’s still good. The yeast is used for the leavener in this recipe, instead of using baking powder or baking soda.
Salt – Salt enhances the other flavors in the bread.
Milk – This bread needs some liquid, and milk add to the tenderness of the bread.
Egg – The egg promotes a richer and softer texture.
Butter – Butter adds some flavor and richness to the bread. It also makes the bread lighter and fluffier.
How to make super soft bread
Make the Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, combine the bread flour and water.
- Whisk it with a fork until smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer, whisking frequently, until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Bloom the Yeast
- Add the warm milk, sugar and yeast to a small bowl, and lightly mix until all of the yeast is wet.
- Sit aside for 5 to 8 minutes until the yeast blooms. It should be foamy or bubbly.
Make the Dough
- Mix the dough: To the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the bread flour, yeast mixture, cooled tangzhong mixture, egg and salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-low speed until a sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop.
- Place the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook. Knead for about 10 minutes. The dough will stop clinging to the sides after about 1 minutes, but continue kneading for about 9 more minutes.
- Add the butter to the dough. Use your fingers to gently push it into the dough. Then fold the dough over the butter with your hand. Knead for about 1 minute until the butter is incorporated into the dough, and the dough is smooth again.
First Proof
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover it with a thin towel or plastic wrap and allow it to proof in a warm environment until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. To test it, poke your finger in the top to make an indent. If the indent springs back, it’s ready.
- Tip: If you have a proof selection button on your oven, turn it on and place the bowl in the oven to proof. If you don’t have a proof button, turn your oven on for about 30 to 45 seconds and turn it off. Then place the bowl in the oven. You can also leave the oven light on.
Shaping and Second Proof
- Punch down the dough to release air bubbles and transfer to a work surface. You can lightly flour surface it if you need to. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a long rectangle, 4 inches wide. Starting from a short side, roll each pice of dough tightly towards the other end to form a log, pinching the end into the dough log.
- Place the three logs, side by side, in a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. The ends of the logs should be facing the long sides of the pan. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to proof at room temperature for about 40 minutes.
Baking
- During the last 15 minutes, preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the egg wash: Whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top. It should also sound hollow if you flick the top with your finger.
Tips for this recipe
- Measure the flour correctly. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the flour. If you don’t, use a fork to aerate your container of flour, then use a spoon and spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Too much flour makes for dense dry bread.
- When making the Tangzhong, whisk together the flour, milk, and water first before placing over the heat.
- My tip for the rising…preheat an oven to 120 degrees and turn it off. Once you’re ready for the dough to rise, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and place in the lukewarm oven. By now the oven should easily be down to 90 degrees. I also turn on the oven light. The dough will rise very nicely in this environment.
- Make sure your dough has risen enough. Test it by lightly poking the top of the dough with your finger. If the indentation remains it has risen enough. If it disappears, it has not risen enough.
- For the dough, make sure the egg and butter are at room temperature. If the butter is cold, it will not incorporate into the dough. If it’s melted it will remain on the outside of the dough, making a wet sloppy dough, but it won’t incorporate into the dough.
Can I freeze this bread?
Certainly. You can freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it on a counter and use within one day. If warming in a microwave, wrap a couple slices at a time in a paper towel, and warm for a few seconds.
If you make this recipe, please comment below and rate it. I love getting your feedback!
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Print
Super Soft Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This bread is slightly chewy and extra soft, making it perfect for sandwiches, or slathering with your favorite jam. Save the leftovers for perfect french toast.
Ingredients
TANGZHONG
- 3 tablespoons bread flour
- 3/4 cup water
YEAST ACTIVATION (BLOOM)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
DOUGH
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- Yeast mixture (above)
- Tangzhong mixture (above)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
EGG WASH
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
TANGZHONG
- In a small saucepan, combine the bread flour and water. Whisk it with a fork until smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer, whisking frequently, until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
YEAST ACTIVATION (BLOOM)
- Add the warm milk, sugar and yeast to a small bowl, and lightly mix until all of the yeast is wet. Sit aside for 5 to 8 minutes until the yeast blooms. It should be foamy or bubbly.
DOUGH
- Mix the dough: To the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the bread flour, yeast mixture, cooled tangzhong mixture, egg and salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-low speed until a sticky dough forms.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop.
- Place the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook. Knead for about 10 minutes. The dough will stop clinging to the sides after about 1 minutes, but continue kneading for about 9 more minutes.
- Add the butter to the dough. Use your fingers to gently push it into the dough. Then fold the dough over the butter with your hand. Knead for about 1 minute until the butter is incorporated into the dough, and the dough is smooth again.
- First proof: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover it with a thin towel or plastic wrap and allow it to proof in a warm environment until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. To test it, poke your finger in the top to make an indent. If the indent springs back, it’s ready. Tip: If you have a proof selection button on your oven, turn it on and place the bowl in the oven to proof. If you don’t have a proof button, turn your oven on for about 30 to 45 seconds and turn it off. Then place the bowl in the oven. You can also leave the oven light on.
- Shaping and second proof: Punch down the dough to release air bubbles and transfer to a work surface. You can lightly flour surface it if you need to. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a long rectangle, 4 inches wide. Starting from a short side, roll each pice of dough tightly towards the other end to form a log, pinching the end into the dough log.
- Place the three logs, side by side, in a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. The ends of the logs should be facing the long sides of the pan. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to proof at room temperature for about 40 minutes.
- During the last 15 minutes, preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the egg wash: Whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top. It should also sound hollow if you flick the top with your finger.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan until it’s warm. Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to completely cool before slicing.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from easykitchenguide.