I started testing this recipe because I wanted a really fluffy chocolate milk bread for chocolate maritozzo—but it wasn’t as easy as I thought. Even with tangzhong, the milk bread could still turn firm and dry once chilled, especially when the dough contains cocoa powder. By my third test (I did four tests in total), I finally figured out the ratio to extend that soft, fresh texture for longer. And I cannot wait to share it here with you. This might just be the fluffiest chocolate milk bread you’ll ever have.
You might also like Ube Bagel or Ube Semla.
Jump to:
What is Tang Zhong (湯種)?
Tangzhong is a technique where you cook a small portion of flour and liquid (the ratio I use here is 1:5 ) into a paste before adding it to your dough. This step gelatinizes the starch, so it can hold more water. That extra moisture is what gives the bread that super soft, fluffy texture. It also helps the bread stay soft longer even after chilling.
Ingredients of Chocolate Milk Bread
- Bread Flour - High-gluten bread flour builds a stronger gluten network that can hold more water, which helps achieve the texture of bounciness we need here. I like to use the bread flour from King Arthur Baking.
- Milk - Whole milk ideally, but you can also use 2%, plant-based milk or even water.I tried using both water and milk, and both work.
- Granulated Sugar - Sugar is one of the key ingredients to keep the bread soft even after being chilled. You can definitely substitute it with honey for even more tender texture.
- Cocoa Powder - I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder here cause I like a deeper chocolate flavor. Cocoa Berry’s Extra Brute is what I use. I also recommend using this one if you prefer smaller package.
- Instant Yeast - I use instant yeast. You can also use active dry yeast or fresh yeast.
- Salt - Salt is very important for bread. It tightens the gluten, controls yeast, and keeps the dough from getting too loose.
- Egg Yolk - Egg yolk adds richness and tenderness, giving the bread a softer texture.
- Butter - Fat slows down water loss, so I add a bit more butter than what I normally use in shokupan. Also keep the butter cold until the dough is ready for butter.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to cook Tang Zhong?
Mix the flour with cold milk, and cook over medium-low heat until it gets thick. Stop the cooking once it reaches 149°F. Cover the tang zhong with plastic wrap touching the surface. Cool it completely before using. Even better if you can prepare the tang zhong one day before, and let the starch fully hydrates overnight.
How to make Chocolate Milk Bread?
Put all the ingredients of dough, except for butter, in the mixing bowl.
Mix slowly for 3 minutes. Turn the speed up to medium high, and mix for 10 minutes or until the dough no longer stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add the cold butter.
Keep mixing on medium high speed until the butter is fully incorporated. If you want to add toppings, add them after this step. Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Divide the dough and shape. For rolls, scale 55g for each dough and shape into ball. You will get 10 rolls. (Skip next step if you are baking rolls)
For bread loaf, divide into 4, release the air and roll each portion up. Check Hojicha Shokupan for more detailed steps. Place the doughs in the mold. Make sure you leave some space in between for it to rise.
Cover and proof at somewhere warm until the dough rises to about 80% of the mold’s height. Proof the rolls for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the loaf for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
If you want them to look shiny, brush some egg wash before baking. I like to add egg wash on the rolls, but not the loaf. Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes for rolls, 20 minutes for loaf.
Storage
This Chocolate Milk Bread has high hydration and sugar than other bread, so if you don’t finish within 3 days, it’s better to keep them in the fridge. Heat it back up before eating.
Recipe Tips
Watch your dough temperature! Pay attention to your dough temperature! As Barb Alpern from King Arthur Baking Company mentions, the ideal range for wheat-based yeast dough is around 75–78°F. She uses the Desired Dough Temperature formula to calculate the right water temperature. At home, I usually just use cold water or iced milk. Dough temperature doesn’t just affect yeast activity, t also changes the texture. If the dough gets too warm and soft, it becomes really hard to shape.
Recipe FAQ
It depends. We stop the cooking of Tang Zhong at 149°F (65°C). 149°F is where the starch fully gelatinizes and thickens into a paste. Go lower and it won’t work as well, go higher and it gets too thick. However, A little over 149°F is definitely ok. My Tang Zhong reaches 170°F, but it is still good to use. One easy way to know when to stop the cooking is when you drag a spatula, it leaves lines.
There are two possibilities. when the dough is too sticky.
1. The gluten is not developed yet. The dough might be sticking to the mixing bowl still. You can do a windowpane test to check if the dough needs more mixing.
2. The temperature of the dough is too high. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before portioning and shaping. Sprinkle very minimal flour on the dough for shaping if you need to.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Card
Chocolate Milk Bread (super fluffy)
Ingredients
Tang Zhong
- 100 g milk
- 20 g bread flour
Dough
- 50 g Tang Zhong
- 240 g bread flour
- 14 g cocoa powder
- 40 g granulated sugar or honey
- 2 g salt
- 4 g instant yeast
- 165 g cold milk
- 1 big egg yolk
- 35 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cook Tang Zhong: Mix the flour with cold water or milk, and cook over medium-low heat until it gets thick. Stop the cooking once it reaches 149°F. Cover the tang zhong with plastic wrap touching the surface. Cool it completely before using. Even better if you can prepare the tang zhong one day before, and let the starch fully hydrates overnight.
- Mix: Put all the ingredients of dough, except for butter, in the mixing bowl. Mix on slow for 3 minutes. Turn the speed up to medium high, and mix for 10 minutes or until the dough no longer stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Mix: Add the butter. Keep mixing on medium high speed until the butter is fully incorporated. If you want to add toppings, you can add them after this step.
- Rest: Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 1 hour or until double the size.
- Portion & Shape: Divide the dough and shape. For bread loaf, divide into 4, release the air and shape each portion into rolls. Check Hojicha Shokupan for more detailed steps. Place the doughs in the mold. Make sure you leave some space in between for it to rise.For rolls, scale 55g for each dough and shape into ball. You will get 10 rolls.
- Proof: Cover and proof at somewhere warm for 1 to 2 hours until the dough rises to about 80% of the mold’s height. I proof the rolls for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the loaves for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes for rolls, 20 minutes for loaves. When the loaves are done baking, drop the mold firmly once to allow the remaining humidity to escape from the bread, then demold the shokupan. Let the bread cool down completely before slicing.
Comments
No Comments