How I Bake These Adorable Pandan Frog-Shaped Milk Buns

Cute Froggy Milk Bread Buns by Kat Lieu, matcha or pandan flavored

Hi friends! Kat Lieu here. I’ve been baking a lot of bread. (Who hasn’t, lol?) And who hasn’t seen the cute froggy cakes from Oracle Bakery yet? Well, here are my cute froggy milk buns!

Milk bread is straightforward to make. It is soft, fluffy, and light, and it can usually stay covered for a few days on the countertops before needing refrigeration. Quick toasting will bring your bread back to life!

There are some tricks we’ve learned when making milk bread. Egg washes are not necessary. Cover the bread mid-bake with aluminum foil to prevent burning. If you underbake your milk bread, it will sink or be too dense instead of springy.

Finally, you don’t want to over-proof or over-knead your bread. And with this method, you don’t need a thick roux or starter. You need to activate the yeast in warm milk! Now let’s get baking!

How To Store

The main enemy of milk bread is air, which makes it stale, and the refrigerator, which can make it hard and gritty.

Short-Term Storage (Up to 2-3 Days)

1. Cool Completely: Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

2. Airtight Container: Place the completely cooled loaf or rolls into a rigid, airtight container or a heavy-duty reusable plastic bag. A bread box also works well if you have one.

3. Store at Room Temperature: Keep it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The texture will be at its best for 2-3 days this way.

Longer-Term Storage (2-3 Months)

Freezing is highly recommended for any milk bread you won't eat within a few days. It preserves the fresh-baked texture perfectly.

For a Whole Loaf:

1. Let the loaf cool completely.

2. Wrap the entire loaf tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, squeezing out all the air.

3. For extra protection, place the wrapped loaf inside a heavy-duty freezer bag or wrap it in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

For Slices or Rolls:

1. Cool completely.

2. Slice the bread if desired.

3. Place slices or rolls on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours until solid.

4. Transfer the frozen pieces to a freezer bag. This prevents them from sticking together. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To Thaw:

• Room Temperature: Let it thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature for a few hours.

• Oven/Toaster Oven (Best for Crispness): For slices or rolls, you can toast them directly from frozen. For a whole loaf, I recommend thawing at room temperature.

Happy Baking! - Sharon Hsu (@SparkleCakerie)

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108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen

By Lieu, Kat

Yield 9 buns1x2x3x4x5x

Author Kat Lieu

Prep time

62 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Inactive time

90 Min

Total time

3 H & 2 M

Print

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Fluffy Soft and Delicious Viral Froggy Milk Bread (Tangzhong Method) Matcha or Pandan flavor by Kat Lieu

( 0 reviews )

Make a delicious fluffy and soft viral froggy milk buns using a simple #tangzhong method and flavor them with matcha or pandan to make them green!

IngredientsUSMetric

• 350 g bread flour
• 75 g sugar (less if you want the bread less sweet)
• 1 packet of dry yeast (7-8g)
• 1 large egg (egg replacement OK)
• 170 ml warm milk (coconut milk OK) (heat milk for 30 seconds in microwave until 110F)
• 2 tablespoons or 30 g softened butter (vegan butter OK)
• Pinch of salt or a teaspoon of miso paste
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder or a teaspoon of pandan extract
• Chocolate syrup for decorating the froggies

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, salt or miso paste, and sugar and set aside. (If using matcha powder, add matcha powder to dry ingredients.)
2. Combine the yeast, with a pinch of sugar, with the warm milk. Mix and then set aside for 10 minutes. (If using pandan extract, add the pandan extract here.)
3. Using low mixing (level 2 on Kitchen aide) and the dough hook, mix the dry together. Whisk the egg into the milk, and then slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Knead with mixer for about 10 minutes. If the dough looks too dry, add in a little milk. If the dough is too wet closing in on 10 minutes of mixing, add more flour.
4. You should have a nice kneadable bread dough after 10 minutes, it should not be sticky, but it should also not be dry. Cover and set aside for about 10 minutes in a warm place. (Proof in oven is OK.)
5. Add the softened butter (30g) to the dough and knead for another 10 minutes on low. Check to see if you get window pane effect when you stretch the dough. Again it should not be sticky, should not be dry. You can add more flour to a sticky dough.
6. Roll into a ball. Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes in a warm space. It should increase in size by a little.
7. Remove the dough and roll into a ball, then divide it into 9 equal pieces (about 75g each, and set aside a piece of dough for the eyes). Turn each piece into a smooth ball. Place them evenly into a 7inch x 7 inch square baking dish. For the eyes, roll 2g balls of the remaining dough as the eyes and to stick them onto the buns, spray a little water onto the bottom of the eyeball dough.
8. Proof in oven or a warm space for about an hour. The buns should puff up nicely and there shouldn't be a lot of space between each bun.
9. Brush with egg wash if you like a shinier top. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Please cover the top with aluminum foil at about 15 of baking minutes to avoid burning the top.
10. Serve warm! Decorate the eyes and mouths using the chocolate syrup and a toothpick :)
11. Troubleshooting: If the dough is too wet, add a little bread flour. If the dough is too dry, add a little milk. Must be well incorporated and kneaded.

Notes

If the buns sink in the middle, or get wrinkly, they are under baked. Store your buns in the fridge for them to last longer. Serve fresh and warm, with a slab of butter, some condensed milk, honey, chocolate sauce, jam, or just by themselves :)

Recommended Products:

Modern Asian Baking at Home Cookbook

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Tag @subtleasian.baking on instagram and hashtag it #froggymilkbread

See our viral milk bread featured in our annual Subtle Asian Baking Happy Mother’s Day e-card (by Suet Au of https://www.instagram.com/auxueyi/)

About the Baker

Kat Lieu is the founder of Subtle Asian Baking and this website modernasianbaking.com, and she is the author of Modern Asian Baking at Home. Currently, Kat is a full-time author and recipe developer. Follow her on instagram and check out her blog Phil and Mama.