Try my new budgeting app Cheddar 🧀
Better than YNAB, Mint (RIP), or EveryDollar.
3.9
(26)
Export 10 ingredients for grocery delivery
Step 1
To make the tangzhong: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
Step 2
, Combine the flour, milk, and water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until thickened.
Step 3
, Transfer the tangzhong to a large bowl. Add the butter and whisk until melted, then add the milk and egg, whisking until smooth.
Step 4
, Add the yeast and stir to combine. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5
, To make the dough: Combine the tangzhong mixture with the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips), then mix and knead — by mixer or bread machine — to make a smooth, elastic dough; this could take almost 15 minutes in a stand mixer.
Step 6
, Stir in the chocolate chips; some hand kneading in the bowl may ease incorporation.
Step 7
, Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Step 8
, Gently deflate the dough and divide it into four pieces; if you have a scale each piece will weigh about 180g.
Step 9
, Flatten each piece of dough into a 5" x 8" rectangle, then fold the short ends in toward one another like a letter. Flatten the folded pieces into rectangles again (this time about 3" x 6") and, starting with a short end, roll them each into a 4" log.
Step 10
, Place the logs in a row of four — seam side down and side by side — in a lightly greased 9" x 5" or 9" x 4" x 4" pan.
Step 11
, Cover the loaf and allow it to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until puffy and risen to roughly 1" from the top of the pan.
Step 12
, Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 13
, To bake the bread: Brush the loaf with the egg/water (egg wash) and sprinkle with the sparkling sugar or pearl sugar.
Step 14
, Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it's firm on top and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 190°F.
Step 15
, Remove the loaf from the oven and cool it briefly in the pan, just until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely.
Step 16
, Storage information: Store leftover bread, well wrapped, at cool room temperature for 5 to 7 days; freeze for longer storage.