Shokupan: the SOFTEST Japanese milk bread! #shokupan #milkbread #japaneserecipes

By Just One Cookbook · 240 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Weigh everything. Pick the water temperature from your kitchen temperature: room-temp water (68–76°F / 20–24°C) in a very cold kitchen, down to very cold water (54–61°F / 12–16°C) in a warm to hot kitchen. Bake a test loaf and adjust until the finished dough reads 79–82°F (26–28°C).
2. In a large glass bowl, mix the 275 g water, 22 g sugar and 11 g honey. Whisk in the 8 g instant yeast and set aside.
3. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the 385 g bread flour, 8 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 22 g skim milk powder. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture, scraping out every drop. Fit the dough hook.
4. Knead on speed 2 for 2–3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms, then on speed 4 for 4 minutes, then on speed 6 for 3 minutes until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
5. Check that the dough is below 79°F (26°C). Add the 28 g unsalted butter in small cubes and knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes until no butter streaks remain.
6. Knead on speed 6 for 2–3 minutes. Stop and lift the hook: if the dough is one piece clinging to the hook, do the windowpane test; if not, keep kneading. If it does not cling at 3 minutes, knead 30–60 seconds more and check again.
7. Windowpane test: stretch a small piece into a square. It passes if it forms a thin translucent membrane without tearing. If it tears, knead on speed 6 for 1 more minute and test again.
8. Knead on speed 4 for 1–2 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and silky and separates cleanly from the bowl. Check that the dough reads 79–82°F (26–28°C); if too warm, rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
9. Lightly flour the work surface. Thinly coat the reserved glass bowl with ½ tsp neutral oil and wipe off the excess. Transfer the dough to the surface, fold it smooth side up, tuck the edges under to form a smooth oval, and place it in the oiled bowl.

Summarized from Just One Cookbook's video. Watch it for the details.