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    Home » Breads

    Condensed Milk Bread

    5 from 16 votes
    35 Comments

    Apr 3, 2022

    (updated Mar 15, 2025)

    by Kimberlee Ho

    Jump to Recipe

    This is homemade bread at its finest! Condensed Milk Bread, or sweet milk bread, is made with an incredibly soft dough making for the fluffiest bread. While condensed milk is a main ingredient in this recipe, it provides the bread with a slightly sweet flavor without making it overly sweet. This bread takes about 3 ½ hours to make, start to finish. Mix up the ingredients in the afternoon and you'll have warm, fresh bread by dinner time.

    Love baking homemade bread? Try my popular 3 Ingredient Bread and Semolina Bread recipes.

    Showing the side of a condensed milk bread loaf sitting on a cooling rack.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    The magic of sweet milk bread

    The dough for this bread is enriched, meaning it has eggs, milk, and butter in it in addition to the basic ingredients of bread: flour, yeast, water (replaced by milk in this recipe), and salt. These ingredients add richness and flavor to this take on Japanese milk bread, also known as hokkaido milk bread.

    Not only is this loaf magical because of that richness and flavor, it’s got an incredibly fluffy texture that comes from the butter, sweetened condensed milk, and rise time. The rises are important steps to gluten development which gives us the softest bread with a fluffy inside.

    To get the shiny, golden brown top, a simple egg wash of beaten egg and milk is brushed on the dough just before baking.

    View of the side of the condensed milk bread after baking and coming out of the loaf pan.
    Ingredients needed to make condensed milk bread.

    How to make this fluffy homemade bread

    Even if you're a beginner baker, this is a relatively simple recipe to start with. Like most bread recipes with yeast, this dough requires time for rising. So patience is key as is looking for signs the bread dough is ready. See below for more info on this.

    Add milk to a mixing bowl.
    To start, add warm milk to the bowl of a stand mixer.
    Add yeast to mixing bowl.
    Sprinkle yeast on top and stir.
    Add condensed milk to mixing bowl.
    Add condensed milk to the yeast mixture.
    Add beaten egg to mixing bowl.
    Add the beaten egg.
    Add flour to mixing bowl.
    Next, add the flour.
    Add salt to mixing bowl.
    Add salt.
    Add butter a little at a time.
    Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients on low speed until they start to come together. Increase speed to medium-low. Add butter a little at a time. Continue kneading the dough until the butter pieces are no longer visible.
    Knead condensed milk bread dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook
    Continue kneading until the dough wraps around the dough hook, adding more flour as needed, up to ¼ cup total.

    To check the dough is kneaded properly

    • When mixing the dough, check to make sure the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. This is how you know it's fully kneaded and ready for proofing.
    • You can instead perform the windowpane test. To perform the windowpane test, pinch of a golf-ball sized piece of dough. I use my bench scraper to cut off a piece. Then, gently stretch the dough out, turning it slightly in your hands as you do, so you’re stretching it into a circle. The dough should remain intact and become translucent, allowing light to shine through it (hence the term, windowpane test) without breaking. If the dough breaks, knead it for a couple of more minutes and perform the test again.
    Add vegetable oil to a bowl.
    Add a little bit of vegetable oil to a clean bowl.
    Add dough to lightly oiled bowl.
    Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl.
    Form the dough into a ball.
    Form the dough into a ball.
    Cover dough with plastic wrap to proof.
    Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot for 1.5-2 hours.

    To check the dough is done proofing

    • Proofing time may vary depending on the temperature of your ingredients and the temperature of your kitchen. The best way to know if your bread has fully proofed is to look at it. It should be doubled in size. I generally like to use a glass bowl so I can see where the bread starts compared to where it finished rising. You can mark the outside of the bowl with a piece of tape or use a rubber band wrapped around the bowl to gauge
    • Another way to know if the bread has proofed fully is to poke it gently with your index finger. I like to dip my finger in flour first so it doesn't stick to the dough. If the dough bounces right back, it's not yet fully proofed. If the dough slowly rebounds to it's original shape, it's ready.
    Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray so the parchment will stick.
    Prepare the loaf pan for baking: Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray.
    Start by cutting a narrow piece of parchment paper the width of the loaf pan.
    Cut a long strip of parchment paper the width of loaf pan.
    Lay the parchment paper lengthwise in the pan.
    Lay strip length-wise in the pan, pressing down to stick.
    Spray the parchment paper.
    Spray parchment with nonstick spray.
    Lay the leftover piece of parchment paper across the pan the other way.
    Lay leftover piece of parchment across the pan.
    Press the paper down so it will stick and fold over the edges.
    Press down to stick and fold overhang.
    Proofed condensed milk bread dough.
    Remove plastic wrap from proofed dough.
    Punch down the dough to remove gas and air.
    Punch down dough to remove air.
    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
    Divide dough into three pieces.
    Divide dough into 3 pieces. If making rolls, divide the dough into 12 equally sized pieces, about 3 ounces each.
    Flatten the dough into a rectangle then roll up.
    Roll up each piece of dough into a tight ball.
    Place dough in prepared loaf pan.
    Place dough pieces side-by-side seam down in the prepared loaf pan. For rolls, place in 4 rows of 3.

    Place three pieces of dough in loaf pan next to each other.
    Dough balls will be touching the pan.
    Cover dough with plastic wrap.
    Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 30-40 minutes.
    Make egg wash by placing egg in a small bowl.
    Preheat the oven to 350ºF . Meanwhile, add the egg to a small bowl to make egg wash.
    Add milk to egg to make egg wash.
    Add milk to the egg.
    This egg and milk to make egg wash.
    Whisk together.
    Brush dough gently with egg wash.
    Gently brush egg wash on proofed bread dough.
    Use parchment overhang to lift baked bread out of the loaf pan.
    Bake in the preheated oven 22-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a deep golden brown. For rolls, bake 18-20 minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be 190ºF.
    Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Lift baked bread out using parchment overhang and allow to cool for one hour.
    Light and airy condensed milk bread.
    Bread will be light and pillowy inside.
    Baked condensed milk bread sitting on parchment paper in a loaf pan on top of a cooling rack.

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

    Got leftover condensed milk?

    You can make Vietnamese iced coffee, one of my favorite treats! Or, you can try making:

    • Vietnamese Swiss Roll Cake
    • Sweet & Salty Cereal Bars
    • No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
    3 pieces of risen dough in a loaf pan.

    FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

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    Showing the side of a condensed milk bread loaf sitting on a cooling rack.

    Light & Pillowy Condensed Milk Bread Recipe

    Condensed Milk Bread, or sweet milk bread, is made with an incredibly soft dough making for the fluffiest bread.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Proofing: 3 hours hours
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Bread
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Keyword: bread, condensed milk, condensed milk bread, hokkaido bread, japanese milk bread, milk bread
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 334kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho
    US Customary - Metric

    Equipment

    • mixing bowl
    • Stand Mixer
    • dough hook
    • Loaf Pan
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 1 cup whole milk slightly warm (80º - 90ºF)
    • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
    • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • 3 ¼ cups bread flour sifted or whisked to aerate
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature, cubed

    For the egg wash

    • 1 large egg room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon whole milk
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to combine.
      1 cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon instant yeast
    • Add condensed milk and egg then flour and salt.
      ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 large egg, 3 ¼ cups bread flour, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until the ingredients start to come together. Increase speed to medium-low.
      Add the butter, a little at a time. Continue kneading the dough until the butter pieces are no longer visible. The dough will be slightly sticky and will likely stick to the bottom or the bowl, but should not stick to the sides. If it’s sticking to the sides, continue kneading for a bit longer. You can add more flour, up to ¼ cup, 1 tablespoons at a time, but do so sparingly and only if needed.
      Check the dough has been properly kneaded by performing the windowpane test*.
      ¼ cup unsalted butter
    • With lightly oiled hands so the dough doesn’t stick, shape the dough into a ball. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Place the dough in a bowl that’s been lightly greased with vegetable oil, seam side down.
      Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot (~75-80ºF) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size
    • Meanwhile, line a loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang, and set aside. If making rolls, line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
      After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
      Divide the dough into 3 large pieces, roughly the same size. If making rolls, divide the dough into 12 equally sized pieces, about 3 ounces each.
      Shape each piece into a tight ball.
    • Place the pieces of dough, seam side down, next to each other in the pan. They will be touching.
      For rolls, place in 4 rows of 3 rolls.
      Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until the top of dough is level with the rim of the pan, about 30-40 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Whisk together the egg and milk to make the egg wash. Gently brush the tops of the dough with egg wash.
      1 large egg, 1 tablespoon whole milk
    • Bake in the preheated oven 22-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a deep golden brown. For rolls, bake 18-20 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn out the loaf onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

    Notes

    • *To perform the windowpane test, pinch of a golf-ball sized piece of dough. I use my bench scraper to cut off a piece. Then, gently stretch the dough out, turning it slightly in your hands as you do, so you’re stretching it into a circle. The dough should remain intact and become translucent, allowing light to shine through it (hence the term, windowpane test) without breaking. If the dough breaks, knead it for a couple of more minutes and perform the test again.
    • Store cooled bread at room temperature in a plastic bag, bread bag or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
    • Store in the fridge up to one week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

    Filed Under

    BreadsAdvancedIntermediateBread FlourCondensed Milk
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    Reader Interactions

      5 from 16 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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      Comments

    1. Robyn

      April 04, 2022 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it.
      (This comment was made by a family member of Kickass Baker's owner.)

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        April 04, 2022 at 11:06 am

        You're going to love it! So soft and fluffy, like a pillow!

        Reply
    2. Ashley

      April 10, 2022 at 2:13 am

      5 stars
      This was amazing! I tried this recipe just because I had some extra sweetened condensed milk, but it’s going in the favorites. These rolls were so incredibly fluffy and soft. I didn’t know I needed another roll recipe in my life, but it turns out I did. For all you metric bakers out there, I found 400 g of flour to be about right.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        April 10, 2022 at 5:32 pm

        How fantastic, Ashley! This bread is a dream, I'm so glad you got to experience it, too! Thanks so much for baking and sharing ☺️

        Reply
    3. Lisette

      May 17, 2022 at 10:25 pm

      What size pan should I use if making rolls?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        May 20, 2022 at 4:24 pm

        I've used a 9x13-inch rectangular pan when making this into rolls.

        Reply
    4. sharon howell

      May 27, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      Could this recipe be adapted for a bread machine?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        May 27, 2022 at 3:11 pm

        Potentially! I do not have a bread machine, so I cannot advise you there, unfortunately. If you try it, let me know!

        Reply
    5. Robinl

      May 27, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      Can I substitute evaporated milk for the sweetened condensed milk?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        May 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        I haven't tried this, however, you should be able to make this substitution without impacting the texture of the bread. The flavor will be less sweet for sure, as evaporated milk is not sweetened like condensed milk is. If you try it, let me know!

        Reply
        • Naomi

          December 08, 2023 at 10:07 am

          5 stars
          I made this last night. After I already started mixing together the milk and yeast, I discovered that my bread flour was whole wheat because I had forgotten that I didn't have regular bread flour 🤦🏻‍♀️. I made it anyway with whole wheat bread flour, and turned out great! I wish I could post a picture of how beautiful and fluffy they are. Can't wait to make it again with regular flour!

          Reply
          • Kimberlee Ho

            December 08, 2023 at 10:22 am

            That's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear whole wheat bread flour worked out so well! Thanks for sharing ♥️.

            Reply
    6. Katie

      January 03, 2023 at 10:46 am

      This is the best bread ever! First time making bread and I’m ready to make so many more loafs. One question I have, though, is, can we add jalapeños or cheese and pepperoni or some other ingredient to make a flavored bread?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        January 03, 2023 at 5:16 pm

        Woo hoo!! Welcome to the bread bakers club ☺️. So happy you chose this wonderful loaf as your first recipe! Yes, you can definitely add some mix-ins to the dough. I would recommend you add no more than 1 cup of mix-ins, ingredients like chopped jalapeños, shredded or cubed cheese, and pepperoni. Add it after you add the butter in Step 2. Good luck!

        Reply
    7. Stasia Strobach

      April 28, 2023 at 7:51 am

      5 stars
      I’ve been experimenting with bread for the last two years, and this is by far the most delicious and one of the easier recipes to make. I shared it with a few friends, and they all asked for more! Now I double the recipe every time. I use one 14 oz can of condensed milk. It’s slightly less by 2 ounces, but it turns out just fine.

      I make them in small rolls and bake them in a 9 inch round. The key is to roll them, so they are tight and round.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        April 28, 2023 at 11:26 am

        Fantastic to hear this, Stasia! Making them into rolls in a round pan is genius! Thanks so much for baking and sharing!!

        Reply
    8. Nick

      September 06, 2023 at 9:56 pm

      5 stars
      I've been searching for a bread recipe for about six months and found yours about two weeks ago. I've used this recipe for bread and rolls five times. I've even doubled the recipe to make a couple loaves at once. Each time was a success. This excellent recipe is super easy and my absolute favorite. I don't have a stand mixer so I use my handheld blender with a dough hook. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        September 15, 2023 at 1:44 pm

        So glad to hear this, Nick! And really happy to hear it works well with a handheld blender and dough hook - that'll be helpful for others wanting to make this without a stand mixer. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!

        Reply
    9. Stephanie Robesky

      December 15, 2023 at 7:47 pm

      One tablespoon of yeast seems excessive. Is that actually correct?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        December 21, 2023 at 12:31 pm

        It's correct!

        Reply
    10. Marni Green

      January 12, 2024 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome recipe, I used GF cup for cup multipurpose flour ,I only proofed it once, came out great

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        January 13, 2024 at 9:55 am

        I'm so glad the GF cup for cup worked so well for you! That will be helpful for other bakers looking to make this recipe gluten-free. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    11. Diane

      January 28, 2024 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      This is my first time baking bread, and I attribute my success to Kimberlee’s amazing recipe and step by step instructions. This condensed milk bread is so soft and pillowy. My kids love it. An instant read thermometer is helpful. I needed to bake my loaf for 27 minutes to reach 190F.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 07, 2024 at 7:54 pm

        So happy your first time making bread was successful!! Thanks for choosing my recipe 😊.

        Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 18, 2024 at 3:15 pm

        Thanks for sharing all this, Diane! It's super helpful for other bakers.

        Reply
    12. joan

      February 04, 2024 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this and it came out amazing. I only had one packet of yeast left so didn't do the full tbs but still came out fluffy and soft. Definitely a keeper for me!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 07, 2024 at 7:53 pm

        Wonderful!!

        Reply
    13. Colleen Murphy

      February 09, 2024 at 4:57 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe for the first time and LOVED it. My favorite Irish bread recipe ever and I have made quite a few different recipes. It is perfect as is, the only thing I do is add extra raisins and that's just because I love a lot of raisins in there. Delicious. If you are thinking of making this, DO IT!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 18, 2024 at 2:54 pm

        Go glad to hear this, Colleen!

        Reply
    14. Jonas White

      February 16, 2024 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy to make and tastes like magic in your mouth! Thank u!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 18, 2024 at 2:50 pm

        Love that comment!!

        Reply
    15. Amy

      January 11, 2025 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy to make and my grandkids love it.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        January 17, 2025 at 4:24 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    16. T Mort

      February 06, 2025 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night without a stand mixer. It was my first bread ever and I kneaded the dough entirely by hand. By some miracle it came out great! I didn’t realize the recipe called for instant yeast so I had set mine aside in warm milk to bloom and I feel like I should have left it longer. The texture of my bread is more like a white cake. It is light and airy still but the crumb is just a bit different. Overall though it is beautiful, wish I could post a picture. And it’s so tasty, slightly sweet. Definitely going to get a mixer so I can make this again

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        February 10, 2025 at 11:53 am

        That's so wonderful to hear!!

        Reply

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