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1
Make the tangzhong. Whisk 25 g bread flour with 125 ml whole milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens and registers 65°C on an instant-read thermometer — the paste will be glossy, pulling away from the sides of the pan, and leave a clean trail when a spatula is drawn through it. Remove from heat, press clingfilm directly onto the surface, and cool to room temperature.
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2
Combine 475 g bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the beaten egg, lukewarm milk, and the cooled tangzhong. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour remaining — approximately 2 minutes.
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3
This is where the bread lives or dies. Increase to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes, then add the softened butter piece by piece, waiting until each addition is fully absorbed before adding the next. Continue kneading on medium-high speed for a further 8–10 minutes. To test, stretch a small piece of dough between two hands: it must extend into a translucent membrane without tearing — the windowpane test. A dough that tears here has insufficient gluten development to support the enrichment and high hydration; return it to the mixer.
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4
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm, and bulk-ferment at room temperature until doubled in volume. The dough should feel pillowy and a floured finger pressed in should leave an indent that springs back slowly but does not collapse.
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5
Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface. Divide into four equal portions, shape each into a smooth ball, and rest covered for 15 minutes. Roll each ball into an oval, fold the sides in to the centre, then roll up tightly from one short end into a cylinder. Place the four cylinders seam-side down in a greased Pullman pan (or lidded 900 g loaf tin). The cylinders should just fill the pan evenly.
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6
Cover and proof until the dough rises level with — or just to — the rim of the pan. For a lidded Pullman, slide the lid on. For an open loaf, brush gently with whole milk. The dough should feel very soft and hold an impression from a fingertip for 2–3 seconds before rebounding.
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7
Bake in an oven preheated to 190°C (170°C fan). Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes; the steam environment is essential for oven spring. Continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 93–96°C on an instant-read thermometer and the crust is a deep, even golden brown — approximately 30–35 minutes total. Remove from the pan immediately and cool completely on a wire rack. The crumb is compressible but will become gummy if the loaf is cut while still warm.