Hi, fam! While looking for inspiration for my next baking adventure, I happened across a vlog called Mocha (or mocha kurashi) by a Japanese baker who resides on a southern island of Japan. His kawaii (cute) pavé milk bread caught my eye. They were adorable little blocks of bread that looked like toasted marshmallows (or delicious paving stones if you stretch your imagination a bit). Yum.

I knew I had to recreate this pavé milk bread at home. This milk bread dough does not require the yudane or tangzhong methods, and you can sweeten it with either honey or condensed milk. Little kneading is involved. It only took about a minute or two in the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and then a minute of hand kneading and slapping the dough against a lightly floured work surface. They don’t knead your loaf, so slap away! For some reason, bread and noodles just come out better with a bit of abuse during the kneading process.

For the savory version of this bread, brush with garlic butter and sprinkle a bit of sea salt flakes. For a sweeter version of this bread, dust with confectioners’ sugar. The “snowcapped” version of this bread is perfect during the holidays. Happy baking, fam!

Note: This recipe is adapted from one found on the Mocha vlog on YouTube. Please scroll down to see his step-by-step linked tutorial video below.

You can just hand-knead the dough. I’m lazy, so I like getting a headstart with the stand mixer and then finishing up with hand kneading to a point of stretchy elasticness. I did not do the windowpane test. Most milk bread dough, once smooth and elastic, is ready for resting. Don’t over-knead, this dough can be very easy to over-knead and it’ll be too tough to roll out into a rectangle, repeatedly.

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Pave milk bread dough — Sweet or Savory Pavé Milk Bread Photograph copyright Kat Lieu/modernasianbaking.com

Sweet or Savory Pavé Milk Bread Recipe by Kat Lieu

Yield

12 pieces of milk bread

Author

Kat Lieu

Prep time

28 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

2 Hour

Total time

2 H & 43 M

Let's create sweet or savory pavé milk bread buns for the holidays! Dust with confectioners' sugar or enjoy with jam or honey for a sweet experience. To enjoy as savory buns (perfect for Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner) slather generously with garlic butter. These will surely be a hit at any party, or with any kiddo in your life! My son said, "Mmm, they sure smell good," and popped a few in his mouth! Pop. pop. pop!

Ingredients

For the milk bread

140 to 150 g milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
2.5 to 3 g active dry yeast
250 g bread flour
1 teaspoon red or white miso
1 egg (about 50 g), beaten and divided. Half will go into the dough, half will be used for washing the bread
40 g sweetened condensed milk or honey
15 g unsalted butter, softened
(See notes on how to make a vegan version of this bread)

For the optional toppings

For sweet holiday buns, please dust with confectioners' sugar
For savory buns, please brush with garlic butter and sprinkle on a bit of sea salt flakes. For a pop of color, add minced scallions or parsley to the melted butter.

Instructions

For the Pavé Milk Bread

Microwave the milk and a pinch of sugar in the microwave in 15-second bursts until it is 110°F or 43°C (a bit warmer than body temperature). Add the yeast and set aside for the yeast to bloom and foam.
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, or in a mixing bowl, add the flour, miso, half the beaten egg (about 25 g), sweetened condensed milk or honey, and butter. Form a cavity or well in the center and pour in the milk. Mix until a sticky, cohesive, and somewhat elastic dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll into a rectangle about 1/8- to 1/6- inch thick. Fold in thirds, like a letter about to be placed in an envelope.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a rolling pin, remove the plastic wrap, roll the dough out into a rectangle, and fold in thirds, like a letter about to be placed in an envelope. Cover with the same plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the plastic wrap and roll the dough, this time into a rectangle about 1/6- to 1/4-inch thick. Cut off the edges, so you have a nice rectangle. Cut the rectangle into 12 even pieces. Roll the extra dough into circular buns or braid into a braided bread.
Transfer the buns to the prepared baking sheet, giving each bun space to proof. Let proof for 45 to 50 minutes at warm room temperature. I like to use my oven's Proof Function and cover them with a lint-free and damp kitchen towel.
About 25 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to about 385°F (196°C). If your range tends to run hot or cold, adjust the temperature accordingly.
Brush with the egg wash (the remaining half of the beaten egg) and bake for about 11 minutes, until the buns are puffy and the tops are golden brown.
Enjoy them while they're hot, sweet, or savory!
For the perfect garlic butter to go with this bread, check out our garlion milk bread recipes on modernasianbaking.com.

Notes:

For a vegan version of this bread, omit the honey and use plant-based milk like oat or unsweetened soy milk, use vegan condensed milk, vegan butter, and use 25 g of silken tofu in the dough instead of half an egg, and brush with soy milk. Yeast is a fungus, so it's perfectly fine for vegans to eat, just like mushrooms are.