Japanese-style milk buns and seaweed butter
Prep time: 1 hr Total time: 
Japanese-style milk buns and seaweed butter
‘Our signature bread that will probably never come off the menu! It’s got a nice wow-factor, so it makes a good one to serve at a dinner party.’
Prep time: 1 hr Total time: 
Luke French
Chef Luke French opened Jöro in Sheffield in 2016, combining British ingredients with Nordic and Asian flavours and techniques. The restaurant moved to a new home at Oughtibridge Mill, in the north of the city, and was awarded a Michelin star in 2026. Today, Jöro’s tasting menus showcase Luke’s inventive approach to seasonal cooking.
Luke French
Chef Luke French opened Jöro in Sheffield in 2016, combining British ingredients with Nordic and Asian flavours and techniques. The restaurant moved to a new home at Oughtibridge Mill, in the north of the city, and was awarded a Michelin star in 2026. Today, Jöro’s tasting menus showcase Luke’s inventive approach to seasonal cooking.
Ingredients
For the milk buns
- 150ml whole milk
- 35g unsalted butter
- 25g caster sugar
- 5g dried fast-action yeast
- 1 medium egg yolk
- 280g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- flavourless oil, to grease
To bake
- 1 medium egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water
- pinch sea salt flakes
For the seaweed and miso butter
- ½ sheet nori roasted seaweed (we used Yutaka)
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- pinch sea salt flakes
Step by step
-
For the milk bread, heat 30ml of the milk and the butter in a small pan over a low heat until just melted. Add the remaining milk and cool until lukewarm. Put the sugar and yeast in a bowl, then whisk in the lukewarm milk mixture. Cover and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes until bubbly. Whisk in the egg yolk, then transfer to a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine, then continue to knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until almost doubled in size.
-
Grease 6 x 10cm-diameter tartlet tins and place on a large baking tray. Knock back the dough, then pinch off 6 x 14g portions and roll into little balls. Place seam-side down into one of the prepared tins with one ball in the middle and five around the outside. Repeat to fill all 6 tins. Cover loosely with clingfilm and leave to rise again for 30-45 minutes (or prove in the fridge overnight and return to room temperature before baking).
-
Preheat the oven to 210°C, fan 190°C, gas 6½. Lightly brush the buns with the egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, then bake for 10-12 minutes until dark golden. Remove from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
-
For the seaweed and miso butter, tear the nori into small pieces and grind until fine in a mini food processor or blender. Reserve a little for serving, then tip the rest into a bowl. Add the butter, miso and a pinch of salt. Whip with an electric hand whisk until aerated, then scrape into a small serving bowl.
-
Serve the milk bread (warm or cooled to room temperature) with the miso butter, sprinkled with extra nori, if you like.
