By Eric Kim
- Total Time
- 1 hour 5 minutes, plus rising
- Rating
- 4(1,149)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Inspired by the fluffy loaves at White Windmill, a bakery and cafe in Atlanta, this milk bread — a type of soft, bouncy white bread made with, yes, milk — is an homage to the Korean American community along the city’s Buford Highway and beyond. Milk bread exists across many cultures, but its distinguishing feature is the tangzhong — a cooked paste of flour and milk — that helps keep the bread from drying out. Maple syrup and a sturdier crumb distinguish this loaf from milk breads found at Asian bakeries. This one, which appears in “Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home,” by Eric Kim (Clarkson Potter, 2022), has a deeply savory, pancake-sweet flavor and tastes fabulous plain, fresh out of the oven, or toasted, buttered and adorned with jam; honey and flaky sea salt are equally welcome as toppings. (Watch the video of Eric Kim making maple milk bread here.)
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Ingredients
Yield:1 loaf
- ½cup/72 grams bread flour
- 1cup/237 milliliters whole milk
- ½cup/118 milliliters heavy cream
- 4cups/576 grams bread flour, plus more as needed
- 1cup/336 grams maple syrup
- 1large egg
- 1½teaspoons coarse kosher salt or 2¾ teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 4½teaspoons/14 grams active dry yeast (2 envelopes)
- Nonstick cooking spray
For the Tangzhong
For the Bread
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
289 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 223 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the tangzhong: In a medium pot, whisk together the bread flour and milk until relatively smooth. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a texture not unlike mashed potatoes or grits, 2 to 3 minutes. You may see lumps at first, but as you continue to whisk and the flour cooks, your mixture will smooth out.
Step
2
Make the bread: Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cream until smooth, which will cool down the mixture and add some necessary fat. To the creamy mixture, add 4 cups/576 grams bread flour, the maple syrup, egg, salt and yeast, and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until you can no longer see any streaks of egg or flour. Cover the pot with a lid and let sit in a warm place to proof and hydrate until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Step
3
To knead by hand, keep ½ cup/72 grams bread flour next to you. Dust a clean work surface with some of the flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Dust some more flour on top of the dough and on your hands, and knead the dough into a ball using both hands. As you start to feel the dough get sticky, add more of the flour. The goal here is to not use more than that ½ cup of flour to knead the dough and, at the same time, to develop enough gluten in it so that it’s no longer sticky, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, knead with a stand mixer: Transfer the dough from the pot to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Knead on medium-low speed for 15 minutes; it will become pretty sticky and cling to the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Dust some more flour on top of the dough and on your hands, and form the dough into a ball using both hands, adding more flour as needed.
Step
4
Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Cut the dough in half with a knife, then flatten each piece using your hands, pulling the corners of each piece up and over the center, all around, so that you’re creating two tight balls. Twist the pulled-up edges to seal and turn the balls over so their smooth sides are facing up. Nestle the two balls side by side in the pan and let sit, covered with a clean kitchen towel, in a warm place in your kitchen until the dough balls have risen an inch above the rim of the pan, 1½ to 2½ hours.
Step
5
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread until the crust is dark brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 185 to 190 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.
Step
6
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking out the bread and slicing into it. (Technically it should cool completely, but come on: There’s nothing like the glorious experience of tearing into a fresh, warm loaf of sweet milk bread.) The bread will keep for up to 3 to 4 days in a closed container at room temperature.
Ratings
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out of 5
1,149
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Cooking Notes
kgs
The maple syrup measurement is off by 100 ml. One cup is ca. 237 ml. These are volume measurements and most folks won’t catch the error because they will measure by the cup, not the more fiddly milliliter. But a cup of maple syrup is about 340 *grams,* which is how I would measure maple syrup.
Krysten Chambrot, Associate Editor, NYT Cooking
Thank you so much for your comment! We went ahead and changed the recipe slightly to indicate that the 336 milliliter measurement should actually be 336 grams.
Susan
Stephanie, I make milk bread regularly and have tried various liquids. The overall winner every time is full fat evaporated milk. It provides a richness and fluffiness that's the hallmark of milk bread. Try it and you won't go back.
Meg W.
This was incredible but I would recommend putting parchment in the pan (overhanging the sides) so that the removal process can be done with ease.
Brianna
In case people missed it, there is a wonderfully informative video about this recipe by Eric Kim on the NYT cooking YouTube page. I found it very helpful!
Emily
It's a recipe for maple bread so maybe just make the other, maple-less milk bread recipe on NYT Cooking...
Lisa Serio
My loaf just went into the oven. I used 23-year bourbon barrel -aged local maple syrup.
Brandon
Is there any preference for the type of maple syrup used? A more delicate syrup or dark/robust?
DNABlueground
Just made it and it's absolutely amazing. Followed the recipe exactly except for using higher temperature (400F) during the first 15 minutes, then took it down to the 350 the recipe recommends: the loaf was perfect in 45 minutes (total time). The dough is very wet, so a stand mixer is really useful here. Also, a slightly deeper/larger pan may be good: my loaf overflew quite a bit (though we don't mind). I find the taste similar to challah. It's really amazing.
KarenK
Can we skip the maple syrup? I dislike sweet breads.
Stephanie
Could the heavy cream be substituted with something a little lighter?
Julia
Thank you for providing both course and Diamond Crystal kosher salt measurements - it's very useful!
MarkW
Is there a way to use a bread maker for this recipe? I’m fine with the hand method but it would be great to utilize my amazing machine.
RC
Wow...a whole CUP of maple syrup makes this a pricey loaf of bread! Can maple flavored topping be substituted?
Cynthia
Caveat - make sure to use real maple syrup (like www.maplebluff.ca). I usually prefer dark in baking, in this recipe used amber grade - lovely, ethereal…
jim honig
Needs to bake for 55 minutes
Logan
I’ve made this three times and the last time was perfection. Not being impatient with the proving and baking it a little longer than directed helped. I appreciate Eric giving us permission to embrace a deep brown color.
apittman
I do recommend using a thermometer and checking the temperature of the loaf to confirm it is done. At the 45 min mark, even though the bread was a lovely dark color on the top, the internal temp had much to go, I ended up putting a foil over the bread to ensure it did not burn and cook for about 15-20 mins after the original 45 mins. Very dense, but recommend giving a shot!
Benedicte
I have to try again, my first loaf rose slowly and the result was not the ethereal mentioned in a comment, not even close to pillowy. I will make this my new Graal: my middle schooler has braces and a voracious appetite after school. Good thing we are in New England, but still… a full cup of maple syrup is not dispensed without careful consideration. I really like the middle partition, it makes it fun to break.
Shelley Stahl
I made this twice. The first time we called it butt bread because it grew so far over and around the loaf pan. The second time was perfect. I used a slightly damp kitchen cloth to cover the second rise and I think that helped. I also transfer the roux into a bowl to add the rest of the ingredients for the first rise. This is by far the best milk bread recipe I’ve made!! Makes amazing French toast!
Annie
Made this twice. The first time, I used a regular loaf pan, and my bread can out top heavy. The second time, I used a 13 x 4 x 4 loaf pan, and it resulted in a perfectly shaped loaf. I divided the dough into thirds instead of half to better accommodate the long pan.
Charles
Your loaf pan looks taller than usual. What is the height (i.e., 9X5X?)? Thanks.
MJWellness
Living in many and enjoying Little Korea and purchasing Milk Bread, I was thrilled to try making it at home…The maple syrup is heavenly and I wish I could have made this years ago! It’s worth the effort
Babette Cohn
I don't know how I just found this recipe but will definitely be making it. Eric, thank you for the amazing video; your passion for your work always comes through. Question - is the pan you use in the video one that is higher sided than the typical loaf pan?
Russell
I’m lactose-intolerant and always begin by reviewing the list of ingredients. It’s easy enough to substitute lactose-free milk, but heavy cream is another story. Then there’s the ongoing issue of hard-to-get ingredients, of which the Eat recipe of April 2nd was a prime example. Either help us with sourcing and don’t print the recipe. Amazon is helpful, but not always.
hellloooooo
This is the most frustrating recipe I’ve ever attempted. Something is seriously off with the measurement of the maple syrup. I followed the 1 cup measurement the first time and I got a dry, craggily dough that never came together. The second time I followed the weight measurement and got something so sticky I had to add nearly 2 cups of additional flour just to get it off my countertop. I bake all the time and this the first time a recipe has made me breakdown crying.
Miriam
I find agave syrup works as a great substitute, a bit cheaper than maple and also a more mellow sweet. I love this recipe!
Ken
A whole cup of Maple Syrup seemed like it would make the bread way too sweet so I used one-half cup and reduced the flour a bit. I substituted half-an-half for the cream and milk to simplify the recipe. The smell when this was baking was amazing. The resulting bread was good, but not really better than other sweet breads. I won't be making this again but it was interesting to try.
Laura
Eating a warm slice with cinnamon sugar as I write this. Came out perfectly and I’m a terrible bread maker.
MickyC
NEW FAVORITE BREAD OF ALL TIME!Thank you Eric for making this so approachable :)Made as directed right up to the cream (I added more milk because that's what I had) Came out just perfect.
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