Ingredients:
Warm milk: 1 cup (250ml)
Large egg (at room temperature): 1
Sugar: 1/4 cup (50g/ 1.8Oz)
Instant yeast: 2 tsp (6g)
All-purpose flour or bread flour: 3 cups (400g/ 14.1Oz)
Milk powder: 3 tbsp (30g/ 1Oz)
Softened unsalted butter: 1/3 cup (75g/ 2.6Oz)
Salt: 1 tsp (5g) (Reduce to half if using salted butter)
Egg wash: 1 egg + 2 tbsp milk
Instructions:
Yeast Yonder: Dive into the world of baking by whisking together milk, a large egg, sugar, and instant yeast in a spacious mixing bowl. If you’re venturing with non-instant yeast, give the mixture a 10-minute break, allowing the yeast to bloom.
Flour Fusion: Introduce the flour and milk powder to your yeast ensemble. With a trusty spatula, combine the ingredients until they evolve into a cohesive dough.
Restful Retreat: Shield your dough with a comforting cloth and let it embark on a 20-minute relaxation spree. This brief hiatus aids gluten development, ensuring your bread’s signature fluffiness.
Butter Bliss: After its rest, serenade your dough with butter and salt. Knead this mixture by hand, ensuring every fragment is harmoniously integrated. Relocate this dough onto a surface dusted with flour and partake in a kneading ritual, embracing the techniques of slapping and folding, until your dough exhibits a smooth and elastic demeanor.
Proofing Perfection: Fashion your dough into a sphere and let it rest in an oiled haven (a bowl works wonders). This 45-minute interlude allows the dough to rise, doubling its volume.
Dough Division: Post-proofing, greet your dough with a gentle punch to degas it. Migrate this dough to your workspace, segregating it into equal portions. Shape each fragment into a sphere and position them in a buttered baking dish. Cover this ensemble for another half-hour.
Egg Elegance: Before their rendezvous with the oven, pamper your dough balls with an egg wash, a blend of one egg and two tablespoons of milk.
Baking Ballet: With your oven’s ardor set at 180°C (350°F), allow your bread to bake for 25 minutes. They’ll declare their readiness with a golden hue.
Butter Brush: As they emerge from the oven, christen them with a gentle brush of melted butter. This not only bestows a sheen but ensures they retain their softness.
Cool & Consume: Allow these milky marvels to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, they’re ready to be devoured. Relish them as is, or with a spread of your preference.