Japanese Milk Bread Lab · Decision tree
Find your Japanese milk bread
Three questions sort all 73 recipes into 8 groups. Each question is about one of the ingredients recipes disagree on most, and splits the recipes in front of it at their own median, so each answer keeps about half of them. Every group ends with its median recipe in grams and the real recipes nearest it.
The questions
Question 1
More butter than most, or less?
Butter kneaded in late, once the gluten has formed, for the tender, pull-apart crumb.
All 73 recipes: median 13% of the flour weight, 46 g per 350 g of flour; middle half 8.7% to 16%.
Question 2
More egg than most, or less?
An egg in the dough makes it richer and more golden; many recipes use milk alone.
All 73 recipes: median 14% of the flour weight, 49 g per 350 g of flour; middle half 8.9% to 18%; 21% use none.
Asked within each answer to question 1, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.
Question 3
More sugar than most, or less?
More sugar than a Western sandwich loaf, which gives the faint sweetness and the deep brown crust.
All 73 recipes: median 13% of the flour weight, 44 g per 350 g of flour; middle half 8% to 16%; 1% use none.
Asked within each answer to question 2, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.
The key
Read left to right: pick an answer to question 1, then one of the answers beside it for question 2, and so on to a group. Each cell gives the answer, its bound in grams per 100 g of flour, and how many recipes give it.
| 1. Butter | 2. Egg | 3. Sugar | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| More13% or more37 | Moreover 16%11 | Moreover 13%6 | A6 |
| Less13% or less5 | B5 | ||
| Less16% or less26 | Moreover 14%14 | C14 | |
| Less14% or less12 | D12 | ||
| Lessunder 13%36 | Moreover 12%18 | Moreover 11%12 | E12 |
| Less11% or less6 | F6 | ||
| Little or none12% or less18 | Moreover 7.1%9 | G9 | |
| Less7.1% or less9 | H9 |
The 8 groups
Each median recipe is the median of every ingredient over the group's recipes, scaled to 350 g of flour, beside the typical loaf of all 73. Bold rows are the ingredients the questions asked about.
Group A · 6 recipes · 8% of all
More butter, more egg and more sugar
Butter 13% or more, egg over 16% and sugar over 13% of the flour weight. A small group: treat its median as a sketch and read the recipes themselves.
| At 350 g flour | Group A | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 215 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 60 gabout 1/4 cup | 46 g |
| Sugar | 55 gabout 1/4 cup | 44 g |
| Egg | 100 gabout 2 large eggs | 49 g |
| Salt | 5 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 7 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 31 minutes, the medians of the 6 recipes here that state a temperature and the 6 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group A
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Scallion and Sesame Milk Bread (Sesame Shoku Pan) · theflavorbender.combutter 18% · egg 27% · sugar 13%
- Japanese Milk Bread (Yeast Version) · breadtopia.combutter 18% · egg 23% · sugar 15%
- Chinese Milk Bread · foodnetwork.combutter 23% · egg 35% · sugar 18%
- Matcha Milk Bread · kirbiecravings.combutter 13% · egg 32% · sugar 15%
- Japanese Milk Bread Rolls · iambaker.netbutter 13% · egg 31% · sugar 15%
Group B · 5 recipes · 6% of all
More butter, more egg and less sugar
Butter 13% or more, egg over 16% and sugar 13% or less of the flour weight. A small group: treat its median as a sketch and read the recipes themselves.
| At 350 g flour | Group B | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 270 gabout 1 cups | 235 g |
| Butter | 50 gabout 1/4 cup | 46 g |
| Sugar | 39 gabout 3 tbsp | 44 g |
| Egg | 80 gabout 1 1/2 large eggs | 49 g |
| Salt | 7 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 6 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 35 minutes, the medians of the 5 recipes here that state a temperature and the 5 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group B
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Japans Melkbrood · 24kitchen.nlbutter 14% · egg 19% · sugar 11%
- Swirled Maple Milk Bread · kingarthurbaking.combutter 16% · egg 23% · sugar 11%
- Sourdough Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) · theperfectloaf.combutter 16% · egg 16% · sugar 7.2%
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Hokkaido Milk Bread · breadtopia.combutter 13% · egg 26% · sugar 9.5%
- Japanese Milk Bread · tasteofhome.combutter 15% · egg 34% · sugar 13%
Group C · 14 recipes · 19% of all
More butter, less egg and more sugar
Butter 13% or more, egg 16% or less and sugar over 14% of the flour weight. 3 of the 14 use no egg.
| At 350 g flour | Group C | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 230 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 60 gabout 1/4 cup | 46 g |
| Sugar | 55 gabout 1/4 cup | 44 g |
| Egg | 55 gabout 1 large egg | 49 g |
| Salt | 6 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 7 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 31 minutes, the medians of the 13 recipes here that state a temperature and the 14 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group C
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Milk Bread (Soft and Fluffy Asian Style) · kimchimari.combutter 21% · egg 14% · sugar 14%
- Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido Bread) · biggerbolderbaking.combutter 17% · egg 15% · sugar 17%
- Japanese Milk Bread · kingarthurbaking.combutter 18% · egg 16% · sugar 16%
- Japanese Milk Bread Rolls · kingarthurbaking.combutter 18% · egg 16% · sugar 16%
- Japanese Milk Bread Recipe (Hokkaido Milk Bread Rolls) · hungryhuy.combutter 15% · egg 13% · sugar 20%
Group D · 12 recipes · 16% of all
More butter, less egg and less sugar
Butter 13% or more, egg 16% or less and sugar 14% or less of the flour weight. 3 of the 12 use no egg.
| At 350 g flour | Group D | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 245 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 60 gabout 1/4 cup | 46 g |
| Sugar | 29 gabout 2 1/2 tbsp | 44 g |
| Egg | 48 gabout 1 large egg | 49 g |
| Salt | 6 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 7 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 35 minutes, the medians of the 9 recipes here that state a temperature and the 12 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group D
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Japanese Milk Bread · theflavorbender.combutter 16% · egg 13% · sugar 13%
- Milk Bread Recipe for Bread Machine · kimchimari.combutter 16% · egg 14% · sugar 14%
- Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan) · pickledplum.combutter 14% · egg 14% · sugar 5.6%
- Japanese Milk Bread Dinner Rolls · modernhoney.combutter 13% · egg 16% · sugar 11%
- Milk Bread Dinner Rolls · kimchimari.combutter 20% · egg 14% · sugar 14%
Group E · 12 recipes · 16% of all
Less butter, more egg and more sugar
Butter under 13%, egg over 12% and sugar over 11% of the flour weight.
| At 350 g flour | Group E | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 230 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 32 gabout 2 1/2 tbsp | 46 g |
| Sugar | 48 gabout 1/4 cup | 44 g |
| Egg | 65 gabout 1 1/2 large eggs | 49 g |
| Salt | 6 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 7 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, the medians of the 10 recipes here that state a temperature and the 11 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group E
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Pain de mie au Tangzhong au thermomix · cookomix.combutter 9.4% · egg 16% · sugar 13%
- Japanese Milk Bread (Hokkaido) Recipe with Tangzhong Method · amourdecuisine.frbutter 8.5% · egg 17% · sugar 14%
- Milk Bread Recipe · preppykitchen.combutter 12% · egg 28% · sugar 14%
- Brioche Hokkaido comme au Japon · chefsimon.combutter 10% · egg 22% · sugar 13%
- Japanese Milk Bread (No Tangzhong Method) · beyondkimchee.combutter 10% · egg 17% · sugar 17%
Group F · 6 recipes · 8% of all
Less butter, more egg and less sugar
Butter under 13%, egg over 12% and sugar 11% or less of the flour weight. A small group: treat its median as a sketch and read the recipes themselves.
| At 350 g flour | Group F | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 195 gabout 3/4 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 26 gabout 2 tbsp | 46 g |
| Sugar | 31 gabout 2 1/2 tbsp | 44 g |
| Egg | 55 gabout 1 large egg | 49 g |
| Salt | 6 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 6 g | 6 g |
Bake350°F (175°C) for about 31 minutes, the medians of the 6 recipes here that state a temperature and the 6 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group F
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Japans melkbrood: een foolproof recept - Culy.nl · culy.nlbutter 7.4% · egg 19% · sugar 8.9%
- Dinkel Shokupan · baketotheroots.debutter 5.6% · egg 14% · sugar 5.6%
- Milk bread · iamafoodblog.combutter 7.4% · egg 21% · sugar 8.9%
- Brioche japonaise ou Hokkaido · cuisineaz.combutter 8.1% · egg 14% · sugar 11%
- Soft & Cottony Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan) · siftandsimmer.combutter 7.1% · egg 18% · sugar 11%
Group G · 9 recipes · 12% of all
Less butter, little or no egg and more sugar
Butter under 13%, egg 12% or less and sugar over 7.1% of the flour weight. 4 of the 9 use no egg. A small group: treat its median as a sketch and read the recipes themselves.
| At 350 g flour | Group G | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 220 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 35 gabout 2 1/2 tbsp | 46 g |
| Sugar | 55 gabout 1/4 cup | 44 g |
| Egg | 25 gabout 1/2 large egg | 49 g |
| Salt | 4 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 5 g | 6 g |
Bake365°F (185°C) for about 23 minutes, the medians of the 8 recipes here that state a temperature and the 9 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group G
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) · tarasmulticulturaltable.combutter 8.8% · egg 0% · sugar 7.8%
- Nama Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) without Bread Machine · sudachirecipes.combutter 11% · egg 0% · sugar 12%
- Japanese Shokupan Bread Recipe · iamafoodblog.combutter 10% · egg 11% · sugar 12%
- Saffron Spiced Milk Bread · breadtopia.combutter 8.1% · egg 7.2% · sugar 16%
- Pain au lait japonais · cuisine.journaldesfemmes.frbutter 12% · egg 10% · sugar 17%
Group H · 9 recipes · 12% of all
Less butter, little or no egg and less sugar
Butter under 13%, egg 12% or less and sugar 7.1% or less of the flour weight. 6 of the 9 use no egg. 1 of the 9 uses no sugar. A small group: treat its median as a sketch and read the recipes themselves.
| At 350 g flour | Group H | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 350 g | 350 g |
| Liquid | 260 gabout 1 cup | 235 g |
| Butter | 26 gabout 2 tbsp | 46 g |
| Sugar | 18 gabout 1 1/2 tbsp | 44 g |
| Egg | none | 49 g |
| Salt | 4 g | 6 g |
| Yeast | 4 g | 6 g |
Bake365°F (185°C) for about 30 minutes, the medians of the 9 recipes here that state a temperature and the 9 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group H
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Easy Japanese Shokupan Milk Bread · baketotheroots.debutter 10% · egg 0% · sugar 5%
- Einfaches Japanisches Shokupan Milchbrot · baketotheroots.debutter 10% · egg 0% · sugar 5%
- Shokupan, receta de Joseba Arguiñano · hogarmania.combutter 3.8% · egg 0% · sugar 5%
- Fluffy Japanese milk bread recipe · thebreadshebakes.combutter 7% · egg 0% · sugar 0%
- Shokupan 食パン · chopstickchronicles.combutter 4% · egg 0% · sugar 6%
How the questions are chosen
Each ingredient is ranked by how much recipes disagree on it: the width of the middle half of recipes (25th to 75th percentile) divided by the median, less 4% for each place it sits down this lab's list of ingredients, so the ones that define the dish win near ties. For Japanese milk bread the order is butter (0.59), egg (0.64), sugar (0.61), yeast (0.44) and liquid (0.32), and the first 3 are asked. Salt is never asked about: recipes differ on it mostly by brand and taste.
Every split is at the median of the recipes in front of it, rounded to the percentage shown. Recipes exactly at the median go to whichever side leaves the two halves more even. No answer may keep fewer than 5 recipes; a group that could not be split further says so.
The recipes listed under each group are the 5 nearest its median on every ingredient at once, each scaled by how much recipes vary on it. Every recipe page links to the original for the method.