The Best Bakery Bread From Whole Foods Is A Japanese Staple

Whole Foods is famous for many reasons, least of all a stellar prepared foods section. But one of the mistakes everyone makes when shopping at Whole Foods is not picking up some of their bakery products too — specifically the best bakery bread from Whole Foods: the Japanese-style milk bread. Japanese milk bread has a long history. It's, essentially, the Japanese take on American sandwich bread — and Whole Food's take on it is spot on.

In a tasting of 12 Whole Foods bakery breads, our taste tester ranked each according to aroma, flavor, texture, crust, and versatility. The sweet and comforting smell that hit their nostrils when they opened the bag of the grocer's Japanese-style milk bread was just their first glimpse into how delicious it'd be. When they bit in, the butteriness of the crumb was on par with a pastry, while the soft, pillowy texture melted in their mouth and retained its shape and form. 

Whole Food's Japanese-style milk bread had a subtle sweetness to it that made each bite even more irresistible. The side crusts gave old-school white bread vibes, while the top crust was beautifully browned with a slight bite that contrasted beautifully with the fluffy, soft crumb. You truly couldn't ask for better milk bread outside of Japan!

Whole Foods customers on Instagram are equally as impressed with Whole Foods Japanese-style milk bread. One proclaimed, "This bread is so yummy!!" Another said, "Ngl [not gonna lie] it's the best bread I've ever had in a non-asian supermarket," a compliment to the authenticity of its taste and texture. Perhaps the most complimentary review of all came from @wholefoodshype on Instagram, who called it "the loaf that makes you realize you've been settling for mediocre bread your entire life." The same review deemed the bread "pillowy soft with a perfectly golden crust and that signature tender, slightly sweet crumb." 

The Whole Food' Japanese-style milk bread's subtly sweet yet buttery flavor makes it a versatile enough to take in both sweet and savory directions. The most famous use of Japanese milk bread is, of course, the Japanese egg sandwich or tamago sando, made with a simple yet decadently creamy egg salad. If you want a sweet breakfast, this Japanese milk bread would also make a game changing ingredient swap for French toast. Another sweet specialty featuring milk bread are the iconic Japanese fruit sandwiches, made by stuffing Japanese milk bread with sweetened whipped cream and slices of fresh fruit.