Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido Milk Bread)

Combine the ingredients for the roux/starter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as the mixture heats and then thickens to the consistency of mashed potatoes. This will take about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover, letting the mixture sit until it gets to room temperature.

Put the bread flour, sugar, yeast, dry milk powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix the dry ingredients briefly to combine, then add milk, cooled roux/starter, and beaten egg.

Mix on low for 5 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. With the mixer running, drop in the cubes of butter, one by one, and continue mixing for 5 minutes. Turn the speed up to medium and mix until the dough is elastic, smooth and soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.

For benchtop proving, cover the bowl and let the dough sit at warm room temperature (75-80°F/24-27°C is ideal), until it has doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

If you're using a steam oven for proving, set the oven to 85°F/30°C, 80% humidity. Put the uncovered bowl in the oven until it's doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equally sized pieces. Roll each out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch/7mm thick. Fold the long sides of each piece of dough in about 1" towards the center. Starting on one of the short edges, tightly and neatly roll up the dough and place in a greased 9x4 inch (23x10cm) loaf pan. Repeat with each piece of dough so you've got three little 'snails' lined up in your loaf pan.

For benchtop proving, cover the pan and let rise until the dough springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip, about 45 minutes.

For steam oven proving, set the oven to 85°F/30°C, 80% humidity. Put the uncovered pan in the oven until the dough springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven while you preheat for baking.

Shortly before you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Brush the top of the risen loaf with milk and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown. If you'd like to bake to temperature, the inside of the loaf should read 190°F/88°C on an instant read thermometer.

Preheat oven to Combi Steam, 350°F/180°C. If your oven has variable steam settings, set to 60% steam (if not, don't worry! Just set to combi steam/convection steam at the correct temperature and the oven will work out the humidity). Brush the top of the risen loaf with milk and bake until the top is a deep golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. If you'd like to bake to temperature, the inside of the loaf should read 190°F/88°C on an instant read thermometer.

Remove from oven and let the loaf sit for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan to a cooling rack. Let it cool to barely warm before slicing. Any bread not eaten on the first day will keep, well wrapped, for a couple of days at room temperature. Alternatively, slice and freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.