Recipe hydration
Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough) — Hydration Guide
Target 72%. Workable range 68–78%.
Why this hydration for Hokkaido Milk Bread (Sourdough)?
Hokkaido milk bread uses the tangzhong technique — a pre-cooked flour/water paste (1:5 ratio, heated to 65°C) mixed into the main dough. This gelatinizes some starches, enabling extra moisture retention and an incredibly soft, pillowy crumb that stays fresh for days. Add milk (15% flour weight), butter (10%), and mild sugar (8%) for the signature Asian-bakery character.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
Technique at 72%
Make tangzhong: 25g bread flour + 125g water, heat in pan stirring to 65°C until thick paste. Cool. Combine tangzhong with other dough ingredients + levain. Knead 10 min. 2.5h bulk. Divide into 3 pieces, roll each into rectangle, fold thirds, roll into coil. Place coils side-by-side in oiled loaf pan. Proof 3h until risen 1 inch above pan. Bake 350°F for 30-35 min until golden and internal 190°F.
Calculator pre-set to 72%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 310 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 870 g
- Effective hydration
- 72%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.