What Kind of Bread Has Milk in It?

January 3, 2026 •

4 min read

Over 70% of bread recipes do not include milk, instead relying on a basic combination of flour, water, yeast, and salt. However, many beloved breads use milk as a key ingredient, creating a noticeably softer, richer, and sweeter crumb, leaving many to wonder what kind of bread has milk in it.

Quick Summary

Several popular bread types, including Japanese milk bread (shokupan), brioche, and challah, incorporate milk or other dairy products for a richer flavor and softer texture. These enriched doughs often use special techniques, like the tangzhong method, to enhance moisture retention and create a fluffier result that stays fresh longer.

Key Points

Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan): A famous bread that contains milk, known for its pillowy soft texture achieved with the tangzhong roux method.
Brioche and Challah: Enriched breads from France and Jewish tradition, respectively, which use milk, butter, and/or eggs to create a rich, tender crumb.
Irish Soda Bread: A quick bread that relies on buttermilk reacting with baking soda for leavening, giving it a distinctive tangy flavor.
Benefits of Milk: Milk tenderizes the dough, adds sweetness from lactose, and helps with browning and moisture retention for a longer shelf life.
Vegan Alternatives: Dairy-free versions of milk bread can be made by substituting high-fat plant-based milks and vegan butter while still utilizing the tangzhong technique.
Versatile Dough: The same enriched dough used for milk bread can also be shaped into various pull-apart buns, sweet rolls, and even French toast.

Breads Made with Enriched Dough

Enriched doughs are the primary category of bread that contain milk and other dairy products. Unlike lean doughs, which are made from a basic mixture of flour, water, yeast, and salt, enriched doughs have additional ingredients such as milk, butter, eggs, or sugar. These additions alter the bread's texture, flavor, and keeping qualities, resulting in a softer, more tender, and often richer-tasting final product.

Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan)

One of the most famous examples of bread made with milk is Japanese Milk Bread, known as shokupan in Japan. This bread is revered for its unbelievably soft, pillowy texture and a subtle sweetness that makes it ideal for sandwiches and toast. The secret to its signature texture is a technique called tangzhong, a roux made by cooking a small amount of flour and milk (or water) together. This pre-gelatinizes the starches, allowing the bread to absorb and retain more moisture, ensuring a lighter crumb and a longer shelf life.

Brioche

Brioche is a classic French bread that is essentially a pastry masquerading as a loaf. It is a highly enriched dough, containing generous amounts of milk, butter, and eggs. The high fat content from these ingredients gives brioche a distinctly rich, tender crumb and a golden, flaky crust. It is significantly sweeter and denser than milk bread due to the higher quantity of eggs and butter used. Brioche is a versatile bread, used for everything from French toast to savory sandwiches, though its richness often reserves it for special occasions.

Challah

Challah is a traditional braided Jewish bread that is often, though not always, made with milk and eggs. While some recipes are pareve (dairy-free) to be served with meat, many versions include milk for added richness and softness. The dough is known for being soft and slightly sweet, with a dense, tear-apart texture. The braiding is not just for visual appeal but also contributes to the bread's texture by creating a unique structure in the loaf.

Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is a quick bread that traditionally uses buttermilk for its leavening and tenderizing properties. The acidity in the buttermilk reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide, which helps the bread rise without yeast. This results in a dense, rustic loaf with a characteristic tangy flavor and a somewhat firm crust. Modern variations may also use regular milk or yogurt.

Comparing Enriched Breads with Milk


Feature	Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan)	Brioche	Challah	Irish Soda Bread
Key Dairy Ingredient	Milk	Milk, Butter	Milk, Eggs (sometimes)	Buttermilk
Leavening	Yeast, often with tangzhong method	Yeast	Yeast	Baking Soda with buttermilk
Primary Texture	Pillowy soft, fluffy, shreddable	Rich, tender, slightly dense	Soft, braided, tear-apart	Dense, rustic, crumbly
Sweetness	Mildly sweet	Very sweet	Slightly sweet	Tangy, not very sweet
Best For	Sandwiches, toast, sweet applications	French toast, special desserts	Toast, French toast, with meals	Soups, stews, savory meals

The Role of Milk in Bread Making

Milk serves several crucial functions when added to bread dough. First, the fat and sugar in milk tenderize the crumb, creating a softer, more delicate texture. The lactose (milk sugar) does not get consumed by the yeast, which contributes to the final bread's sweetness and helps it brown beautifully during baking. Additionally, milk adds moisture to the dough, which helps to extend the bread's shelf life and keeps it from drying out as quickly as a water-based loaf.

Other Uses for Milk Dough

The versatile enriched dough used for milk bread can be adapted for many other delicious recipes. This includes a variety of soft, pull-apart buns often found in Asian bakeries, such as Chinese BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao) or coconut buns. Hawaiian sweet rolls, known for their irresistible sweetness and soft texture, were also inspired by this Asian style of bread. Other applications include soft pretzels, cinnamon rolls, and various filled buns.

Making Vegan Milk Bread

For those with dairy intolerances or who follow a vegan diet, it is possible to create a version of milk bread. Substituting traditional dairy with high-fat plant-based milks, such as soy or coconut milk, can mimic the richness and softness. Vegan butter and egg replacers can also be used to achieve a similar texture and flavor. The tangzhong technique remains key to achieving the desired fluffy crumb, even without dairy products.

Conclusion

While many standard breads are made with just flour and water, several popular and delicious types of bread incorporate milk for an enhanced flavor and texture. Japanese milk bread (shokupan), rich brioche, traditional challah, and rustic Irish soda bread all showcase how milk and dairy can transform a basic dough into something truly special. The use of enriched dough, often combined with techniques like tangzhong, is the key to creating these soft, fluffy, and flavorful breads that are loved by many around the world. Whether for a savory sandwich or a sweet treat, breads with milk offer a delightful and luxurious eating experience.

For more expert tips on baking enriched doughs, including the tangzhong method, consider consulting resources from the King Arthur Baking company.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference is that white bread is typically a lean dough made with just flour, water, yeast, and salt. Milk bread, on the other hand, is an enriched dough that includes milk (and often eggs and butter) for a softer, richer, and sweeter result.

The softness comes from using an enriched dough with milk, butter, and sometimes eggs. Many recipes also use the tangzhong method, a cooked flour-and-liquid paste that helps the dough retain more moisture, leading to an incredibly light and airy texture.

Yes, you can. For best results, use a high-fat plant-based milk like soy or full-fat coconut milk to mimic the richness of dairy milk. Vegan butter and egg replacers can also be used effectively.

Yes, Hawaiian sweet bread is a type of enriched dough that is inspired by Asian milk bread and contains milk, butter, and sugar for its signature sweet and soft profile.

No, not all sandwich bread contains milk. While many commercially produced soft sandwich breads do include milk or other dairy, many traditional and artisan loaves are dairy-free, relying on just water.

Tangzhong is a Japanese and Chinese baking technique where a small portion of the flour and liquid (often milk) is cooked into a paste before being added to the rest of the dough. This process pre-gelatinizes the starches, which boosts moisture retention and creates a softer, longer-lasting bread.

Many basic breads, such as sourdough, French baguettes, Italian loaves, and most homemade breads made with just flour, water, yeast, and salt are naturally lactose-free. Always check ingredient lists, as some commercial versions may contain milk.