This glorious green matcha bread has the soft and tender crumb of milk bread and the vegetal flavor of the matcha. Inspired by the Japanese milk bread made with Tangzhong, this swirl loaf lands one step ahead due to the matcha tea flavor and makes it an excellent sandwich bread for special occasions.
If you have tried my Hokkaido milk bread loaf then you will surely enjoy the texture of this bread as well.
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🥖 Why will you love this matcha bread recipe?
- Soft and delicious. This matcha bread has a super soft and pillowy texture, very close to that of Japanese milk bread.
- For the love of matcha. If you like matcha flavor, this recipe will become your favorite.
- Eggless bread recipe. This matcha swirl bread is eggless like all other bread recipes on the blog.
- Stays fresh and soft for a longer time. Since this is a Tangzhong bread, it stays soft and tender for a longer duration.
- Perfect recipe. This recipe will yield a perfect matcha swirl bread. If you use the weighing scale to measure ingredients and follow the recipe, it will yield a perfect loaf of bread. Perfect for making sandwiches, toast, and specifically, matcha French toast.
🍶 Ingredients and substitutions
Matcha
I hate to state the obvious, but we need matcha for making the matcha bread. You can use any grade of matcha, but the culinary grade is the most used and easily available matcha powder. The grade superior to it is the ceremonial grade matcha. This matcha is made with the most tender baby green tea leaves, hence it is sweeter and has the most vibrant green color.
Bread flour
Bread flour is the flour crafted to make loaves of bread. You can very well use all-purpose flour, but bread flour is desired to get the perfect texture on this tangzhong bread made with green tea powder. I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour so I cannot comment on that now.
Whole milk
This is a matcha milk bread so how can we make it without milk. Whole milk makes this bread tender and soft. Fats in the milk act as the tenderizer in this eggless sandwich bread recipe. So, if you use low-fat milk, it kind of beats the purpose.
For making vegan bread, use plant-based milk. Coconut milk would be my first choice.
Unsalted Butter
Butter has to be at room temperature and softened. So the best is to cut it into small cubes. It makes it easier to soften and it comes to room temperature faster than the whole chunk of butter.
Use vegan butter or margarine for making vegan bread.
Active dry yeast
You can use instant yeast or live yeast if you like. But I have tested this recipe multiple times using the active dry yeast. Since it is slow acting, it gives the dough appropriate time while we work on matcha dough.
If you use instant yeast, the dough rises very fast, the plain white dough would start to rise while you are still working with the matcha dough.
🍞 Instruction: How to make matcha bread?
Step 1 Making Tangzhong
Let us first understand what is tangzhong.
Tangzhong is a cooked mix of flour and water used in bread making. The process is aimed at making the bread softer and increasing the quality of shelf life. Cooked starch binds with water and keeps the bread moister even on cooking.
Ideally, only four and water is used but I have added half quantity of milk. The idea was to yield bread that is also tender.
The ratio of flour to liquid can vary from 5 to 10 (1:5 to 1:10). I will use a 1:5 ratio. It means we will use 1 part flour to 5 parts of water or milk.
Start by measuring the ingredients using a weighing scale. Then transfer it into a saucepan and add measured flour, milk, and water. Use a whisk to combine everything into a smooth lump free slurry. Then place it on flame. Cook at low medium heat while continuously stirring. It is important to keep stirring else it can stick to the surface very quickly.
Turn off the flame as Tangzhong thickens (refer to the images). Then it into a bowl and cover with a cling wrap to prevent the top from hardening while it cools.
Let it cool on the kitchen counter if you have time or simply put it in the fridge to cool quickly so that you can proceed with the next step.
Step 2 Blooming the yeast
I am using active dry yeast for leavening this matcha bread recipe. To bloom the yeast, start by warming the liquid that you are going to use in this bread recipe. Since this is an eggless matcha bread, we are only using milk as a tenderizer in this bread. So, to get the maximum benefit from the milk, I have not used any water in the bread dough. So, we will bloom the yeast in milk only.
In a bowl measure whole milk and microwave it for 15-20 seconds or until the milk temperature reaches 100o F. Anything between 100-110oF will work.
Then, mix sugar in the milk, followed by the yeast. Give it a quick stir and place it in a warm corner of the kitchen. After 5-7 minutes the solution will become foamy and bubbly.
Now we are ready to knead the dough.
Step 3 Knead the Dough
Start by combining dry ingredients in the mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Only salt and flour need to be combined here. Give it a good mix.
Now add the yeast mixture and place the bowl on the stand mixer. Start kneading using the dough hook attachment. Knead at low speed to combine the dough. Keep kneading until the dough becomes smooth and starts pulling itself from the bowl sides and bottoms and clings to the hook. You might need to raise the speed of the stand mixer towards the end.
Now add the softened, room temperature butter to the dough and knead until it is well incorporated, and the dough becomes smooth again and leaves the sides of the bowl of the stand mixer.
Step 4 Divide the dough and knead matcha into the dough
Now divide the dough into two parts. Shape one piece into a round and keep it in a greased bowl with enough headroom for doubling in volume. Put the next piece of dough back into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the matcha powder and knead at low speed to incorporate matcha into the dough. Increase the speed and keep kneading until matcha is evenly incorporated into the dough. The dough should become green and there should not be any dry patch of matcha left.
Remove the dough and form it into a dough ball. Put it in a greased bowl. Cover and let it be proof.
Step 5 Proofing both dough balls.
Place both bowls in a warm place to proof. The best temp for proofing that works for most bread is 81oF (27oC). While anything between 70-85o F (21-30oC) is great for proofing the bread
You can proof the bread in:
- Warm corner of your kitchen,
- Oven with lights turned on,
- Instant pot yogurt mode,
- Bread proofer/ Proofing box
To know if the dough has been proofed look for the rise in volume rather than following any timeline. The dough should look way fuller and should have become more than double in volume. Then you know that it is ready for shaping
Step 6 Shaping matcha bread loaf
Take the bowl with a plain white dough ball and invert it onto a lightly floured surface. Gather and shape it into a rectangular block. Then grab a rolling pin and roll it into a rectangular sheet.
You can also stretch it to form a rectangular sheet. But the issue with stretching the dough is that the sheet will not have an even thickness. Hence, it is appropriate to go for a rolling pin.
The width of the sheet should be 2-2 ½ inches lesser than the length of the loaf pan you plan to bake it in. I baked it in 8.5x3.8 Inches rectangular loaf pan. So, I kept the dough sheet width of about 6.5 inches.
It is the standard Pullman loaf pan, but I did not use the lid, hence the bread does not look like a Pullman loaf.
Put the rolled white dough sheet aside and now work on the matcha dough in the same manner. Use a rolling pin to roll the matcha dough into a rectangular sheet of the same size.
Now pick and put the matcha dough sheet on the white dough sheet. Roll to form a log. Lift and place the shaped dough in a prepared loaf pan.
Step 7 Final proofing and baking matcha swirl bread
Cover and place the loaf pan in a warm place for rising or proofing. The dough should become more than double and rise well above the rim of the loaf pan. Once it rises about 1-inch above the rim of the loaf pan at the center of the loaf, understand that it is ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 375oF (190oC). Bake the matcha loaf bread for 35-40 minutes until the surface becomes golden brown.
Let the bread cool down completely before slicing using a bread knife.
How to serve matcha bread?
This bread makes a great sandwich bread. You can use it to make all sorts of sandwiches. They add matcha flavor to the sandwich and the texture is just like that of a typical Japanese milk bread or Shokupan bread. This bread will also be great for making some sort of shokupan toast, or even French toast. That will be matcha French toast! Something that you must give a try.
Variations of matcha bread
There are other ways to add matcha to your loaf. A few variations that I have done in the past and a few that are on my list are as follows. These are just to give you an idea about possible variations.
- Marbled matcha milk bread. For this loaf, do not knead the matcha into a piece of dough to make it uniformly green. Instead, just let it stay in a random pattern to give a marbled effect to the bread.
- All matcha green tea bread. This loaf will be 100 percent matcha loaf. No white dough. The flavor is going to be strong. So, if you are just getting started with matcha, this bread might not be for you.
- Shokupan matcha bread. This bread will be close to classic shokupan bread made in a shokupan loaf pan, but with matcha flavor.
- Vegan matcha swirl loaf. This bread loaf will not be just eggless but vegan. So, replace cane sugar with vegan sugar like coconut sugar or maple syrup, butter with margarine or vegan butter, and whole milk with plant-based milk.
- Matcha sourdough. This recipe is something that I like to make. Sourdough matcha is one of my favorite matcha loaf recipes.
- Matcha banana bread. His will be banana bread with 2-3 teaspoons of matcha powder.
- Macha bread roll. Use this recipe to make matcha-flavored bread rolls.
🫙Storage Instructions
Freshly baked eggless matcha swirl bread can last 3-4 days at room temperature if stored properly.
It is best stored by wrapping it in a cotton cloth or a cotton bread bag. Place it in a cool corner of your kitchen or a bread box.
Do not refrigerate it, but you could freeze it if you baked it in bulk and want to store it for longer. Place the entire loaf or slices in a freezer-safe bag, with air removed. Now warp it with a double layer of foil, mark the date and place it in the freezer. It will last for weeks.
💭 Pro Tips
- It is advised to use a weighing machine to measure ingredients for the best results.
- Make sure that the butter is softened, or else it becomes difficult to incorporate into the stand mixer.
- You can make this bread all matcha, by doubling the quantity of matcha powder in the recipe.
- Make sure that the milk temperature is not higher than 120oF. Yeast starts to die at this temperature. The milk should be warm to the touch or use an instant-read thermometer to avoid guesswork.
- Use a splash of water while incorporating matcha in the dough, if it is taking too long and the dough starts to become dry.
- Make sure both sheets of dough are equal sized for obtaining the best swirls in the bread.
- If the weather is cold, place the dough to bulk ferment and proof in the oven with lights turned on. You can use the yogurt option in an instant pot to quickly proof the bread.
- The bread should rise about 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan at the center before baking.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
This bread tastes nothing like a slice of normal bread. It has the texture of Japanese soft bread and the taste of matcha in all totality. It is grassy, vegetal, and aromatic. Everything matcha!
Does this matcha bread has caffeine?
Yes, matcha bread has caffeine, as it has matcha. But the proportion of matcha per slice of bread is almost negligible.
To make vegan matcha bread, use maple syrup as a sweetener while blooming the yeast. Then use plant-based milk to replace the whole milk. Also, use margarine to replace the butter. Use the rest of the ingredients as such and follow all the steps as such to make vegan matcha sandwich loaf.
More bread recipes
- Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds
- Dairy free bread: The best whole wheat vegan milk bread
- How to bake perfect bread in Instant pot
- Tiger rolls: A foolproof Dutch crunch bread recipe
- Softest Multigrain bread
🍞More sourdough bread recipes
A few Bread recipes with sourdough starter and other ways to use sourdough starter are linked below:
- Rustic sourdough bread with a perfect crust and open crumb
- The best garlic sourdough bread recipe
- Jalapeño Cheddar sourdough: A spicy cheese sourdough bread
- Sourdough chocolate bread recipe: Easy and delicious !
- How to make sourdough hot dog buns from scratch?
- How to make the basic sourdough batard?
I hope you will like this matcha milk bread recipe. Share your results and opinions in the comment section below. Also, subscribe to never miss a recipe.
Till then
Bake it Delicious!
📝 Recipe card for the matcha swirl loaf
Matcha Bread
Ingredients
Ingredients for Tangzhong
- 20 g Flour
- 50 g whole milk
- 50 g water
Ingredients for bread dough
- 380 g Bread flour slightly less than 3 cups
- 200 g Whole milk slightly less than 1 cup
- 8 g Sugar 2 tsp
- 7 g Active dry yeast 2 ¼ tsp
- 42 g unsalted butter 3 tbsp
- 6 g salt 1 tsp
- Matcha 2 tsp
Instructions
Step 1 Making Tangzhong
- Start by measuring the ingredients using a weighing scale. Then into a saucepan add measured flour, milk, and water. Use a whisk to combine everything into a smooth lump free slurry. Then place it on flame. Cook at low medium heat while continuously stirring. It is important to keep stirring else it will stick to the surface very quickly.
- Turn off the flame as Tangzhong thickens (refer to the images). Then transfer it into a bowl and cover with a cling wrap to prevent the top from hardening while it cools.
- Let it cool on the kitchen counter if you have time, else simply put it in the fridge to cool quickly so that you can proceed with the next step.
Step 2 Blooming the yeast
- In a bowl measure whole milk and microwave it for 15-20 seconds or until the milk temperature reaches 100o F. Anything between 100-110oF will work.
- Then, mix sugar in the milk, followed by the yeast. Give it a quick stir and place it in a warm corner of the kitchen. After 5-7 minutes the solution will become foamy and bubbly.
Step 3 Knead the Dough
- Start by combining dry ingredients i.e. bread flour and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer. Give it a good mix.
- Now add the yeast mixture and place the bowl on the stand mixer. Start kneading using the dough hook attachment. Knead at low speed to combine the dough. Keep kneading until the dough becomes smooth and starts pulling itself from the bowl sides and bottoms and clings to the hook. You might need to raise the speed of the stand mixer towards the end.
- Now add the softened, room temperature butter to the dough and knead until it is well incorporated, and the dough becomes smooth again and leaves the sides of the bowl of the stand mixer.
Step 4 Divide the dough and knead matcha into the dough
- Now divide the dough into two parts. Shape one piece into a round and keep it in a greased bowl with enough headroom for doubling in volume.
- Put the next piece of dough back into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the matcha powder and knead at low speed to incorporate matcha into the dough. Increase the speed and keep kneading until matcha is evenly incorporated into the dough. The dough should become green and there should not be any dry patch of matcha left.
- Remove the dough and form it into a dough ball. Put it in a greased bowl. Cover and let it proof.
Step 5 Proofing both dough balls.
- Place both bowls in a warm place to proof. The best temp for proofing that works for most bread is 81oF (27oC). While anything between 70-85o F (21-30oC) is great for proofing the bread
- You can proof the bread in a warm corner of your kitchen/ oven with lights turned on /Instant pot yogurt mode/ Bread proofer or Proofing box.
- To know if the dough has proofed look for the rise in volume rather than following any timeline. The dough should look way fuller and should have become more than double in volume. Then you know that it is ready for shaping
Step 6 Shaping matcha bread loaf
- Take the bowl with a plain white dough ball and invert it onto a flour-dusted work surface. Gather and shape it into a rectangular block. Then grab a rolling pin and roll it into a rectangular sheet.
- You can also stretch it to form a rectangular sheet.
- The width of the sheet should be 2-2 ½ inches lesser than the length of the loaf pan you plan to bake it in. I baked it in 8.5x3.8 Inches rectangular loaf pan. So, I kept the dough sheet width of about 6.5 inches.
- Put the rolled white dough sheet aside and now work on the matcha dough in the same manner. Use a rolling pin to roll the matcha dough into a rectangular sheet of the same size.
- Now pick and put the matcha dough sheet on the white dough sheet. Roll to form a log.
- Now lift and place the shaped dough log in a prepared loaf pan.
Step 7 Final proofing and baking matcha swirl bread
- Cover and place the loaf pan in a warm place for proofing. The dough should become more than double and rise well above the rim of the loaf pan. Once it rises about 1-inch above the rim of the loaf pan at the center of the loaf, understand that it is ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 375oF (190oC). Bake the matcha bread for 35-40 minutes until the surface becomes golden brown.
- Let the bread cool down completely before slicing.
Notes
- It is advised to use a weighing machine to measure ingredients for the best results.
- Make sure that the butter is softened, or else it becomes difficult to incorporate into the stand mixer.
- You can make this bread all matcha, by doubling the quantity of matcha powder in the recipe.
- Make sure that the milk temperature is not higher than 120oF. Yeast starts to die at this temperature. The milk should be warm to the touch or use an instant-read thermometer to avoid guesswork.
- Use a splash of water while incorporating matcha in the dough if it is taking too long and the dough starts to become dry.
- Make sure both sheets of dough are equal sized for obtaining the best swirls in the bread.
- If the weather is cold, place the dough to bulk ferment and proof in the oven with lights turned on. You can use the yogurt option in an instant pot to quickly proof the bread.
- The bread should rise about 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan at the center before baking.
📋 Nutrition Facts
Tammy
The matcha bread came out great. It has a mild hint of matcha and such a tender crumb! Thanks for the recipe, looking forward to trying your chocolate loaf.