japanese milk bread

mix 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1/2 cup water into a pot

heat up mixture on a stove over low heat for ~5 minutes or until it becomes slightly thick but still pourable

set aside starter in a separate bowl let it sit until cooled to room temperature

add 2 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, ~2 teaspoon active dry yeast, and 1 teaspoon salt into the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

add 1 egg, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1/2 starter and let the stand mixer run on low speed (~2) for ~5 minutes

add in 4 tablespoon softened butter and let the stand mixer run on low speed (~2) for ~11 minutes or until the dough is smooth and sticky

butter a bowl

transfer dough to buttered bowl, cover it, and let it sit for ~60 minutes or until it has risen to roughly double its size

butter another bowl

punch, split in half, and separate dough into the two bowls, cover them, and let them sit for ~15 minutes

preheat the oven to 350°f

lightly coat all sides of a loaf pan with butter

roll each dough ball into a log (see below) and place them side-by-side in the loaf pan

bake for ~35-40 minutes

let bread cool in pan for ~10 minutes

transfer bread to wire rack to cool for ~1 hour