Lay parchment sheet or oil the bread tin

Add flour, sugar, salt in a bowl or on board and mix them. Then, add the warm milk and mix them. Then, knead by hands for about 10 mins on a board or knead for about 7-10 mins with a stand mixer using a kneading hook until gluten has created and the dough does not stick to the bowl. The time will depend on your machine.

Please knead well here until the dough becomes stretchy and gluten is formed. When gluten is formed, you touch the dough and it doesn't stick to your hand. Also if you stretch it becomes very thin sheet almost see-through it. I use speed 2 or 3 on my stand mixer. If you too strong, it becomes very sticky.

Add chopped or soft butter and knead further for about 3-5 mins until the dough becomes smooth and not stick to the bowl like the last photo. It should look silky and smooth.

Take the dough out and make it round with the motion on tucking inside at the bottom. It should become smooth like the photos below. If it is still too sticky, you need to knead with hands until it becomes easier to handle it. I usually hit it like a ball and it will become less sticky and smooth.

Add seeds or nuts if you wish. Cover it with cling film and leave it for 30-40 mins until it becomes about twice. It can take much longer. I put a hot water with 36-45℃ beneath like the last photo.

Test the fermentation with a finger coated by flour. If it is the hole remains, the first fermentation has been done.

After having tested the fermentation, take out the dough and punch it down. Make it round again. Cut it into 8 (16) or 6 (12) pieces depends on how you like. Make them round. Place them in with the tucked parts as the bottom. Cover it with a damp cloth and leave 15 mins.

(You could omit this resting step. However, you will get a better result if you do. When I prepare at night and leave them in the fridge, I omit it as it seems it does not make many differences, if I leave them in the fridge.)

Make them round again with the motion of tucking and place them in the bread tin with the tucked parts on the bottom. Add some more seeds on the top, if you wish.

(If you wish to bake them in the morning, you could leave them overnight in the fridge till next morning.)

Leave it in a warm place until it becomes 2-2.5 times, usually for about 30-60 mins, depends on the room temperature and the yeast. Dust them with flour. (The second fermentation)

If you left them in the fridge overnight, please put them in a warm water bath beneath or something. Otherwise, it will take for ages to get this second fermentation done. When the yeast was strong, it is already ready to bake when you take out from the fridge. Then, omit the second fermentation. )

Preheat the oven at 180℃.

Put the bread tin in the oven and turn down the temperature as 160℃.
Then, bake at 160℃ for about 18 mins. Please make sure you reduce the temperature to 160℃. If you bake at 180℃, your bread becomes harder. If your oven is powerful enough and it does not go down the temperature when you open, just preheat it as 160℃.

After having baked for 18 mins, it is done. You can see the video of how soft they are at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_YWiW6nIfo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

You can make character breads with this dough such as bear, cat, Totoro, rabbits etc which children love.

Bear recipe is here. https://cookpad.wasmer.app/uk/recipes/12351787-milk-bear-loaf

Decorated with those.