Recipe: Japanese Shokupan Bread - 2 recipes

SHOKUPAN BREAD

Makes two 10 cm width x 20 cm length x 10 cm height or 450g loaves.
Note: To bake just one loaf of this bread, simply use half of this recipe.

435g water at room temperature, about 24 degrees C
75g condensed milk
625g bread flour
55g caster sugar
30g milk powder
8g salt
8g (2 tsp) instant dry yeast
100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
extra butter or any cooking oil spray to grease the pans
extra flour for dusting and rolling

Place all the ingredients in a breadmaker according to the order of the above list. Use the dough setting to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and allow the dough to prove for 1 hr.

If breadmaker is not available, you can also mix and knead this dough using an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using an electric mixer with low mixing speed, mix all dough ingredients (except butter) to form a dough first. Then, mix in the butter and keep kneading the dough at medium low speed until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough into a large bowl and cover it with a cling wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hr or until doubled in size.

As the dough can be quite sticky to handle, I wouldn't recommend kneading the dough by hand.

Grease the Pullman loaf pans with either butter or spraying oil.

To prepare for shaping, dust your hands, rolling pin and your work area with flour as the dough can be sticky to handle.

To shape, divide dough into two and further divide each half into 3 portions and shape each into balls. Allow them to rest at room temperature for about 10 mins.

Dust each portion of dough with a good amount of flour. Using a rolling pin, roll each portion into long and flat oval shape (about 20 cm) on a lightly floured surface. Pick one of the shorter sides and roll dough to form a Swiss roll shape. Repeat this step with the remaining portions of dough.

Place three of the shaped dough with their seams side down into the each prepared pan. Press the top of the dough lightly to form an even surface.

Cover the loaf partially with lid and allow it to prove for another 1 hr or until it has about 1-2 cm more to reach the maximum height of the loaf pans.

Place the lids onto the pans and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C for 30 mins. When the bread is baked, unmould the bread immediately. Transfer bread on a wire rack to cool it completely. Slice and serve.

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SHOKUPAN BREAD

330g bread flour
24g sugar
14g dry milk
7g salt
4g instant yeast (I like the SAF brand, should be about 1 tsp)
20g bread flour (for tangzhong)
100g water (for tangzhong)
95g lukewarm water
1 large egg (should be close to 50g)
20g butter
Extra butter and flour for greasing and bench flour

Measure out and mix all dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl
Make the tangzhong by whisking the flour into the water completely in a small pot. Heat up the mixture on medium low heat and continuously stir being careful to get the edges as well until the water roux thickens up to a pudding consistency. When you take a spatula to it you should be able to see the bottom of the pot
Add all of the wet ingredients except for the butter and mix with the dough hook on medium (setting 4 if on Kitchen Aid stand mixer) for 5 minutes. It will look really dry in the beginning but it should come together by the 5 minute mark.

Add pads of room temperature butter and let the mixer go for another 10-12 minutes on the medium setting. The dough will temporarily come apart but the butter will eventually be kneaded in and the dough will come together. The dough should be slightly tacky when done.

Shape the dough into a ball with your hands and place in a greased bowl.
Cover with plastic film and let it proof for an hour or so in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (time will depend on the temperature, ideal temp is around 75-85 F).

Punch down the dough, cut it into two equal pieces and roll into balls again
Let the dough bench rest for 20 minutes covered by plastic film or a towel
Roll out each ball of dough in an ellipse and fold into thirds vertically. Roll out the dough again into a long ellipse and roll up (perpendicular to the direction you folded the dough into thirds). Pinch the ends into the dough to secure tightly.

Place both rolls of dough into a greased loaf pan with the stitched end side down and cover with plastic film for second proofing. It should take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour for the rolls to expand to the height of the loaf pan and cover all gaps. If the loaf pan is less than 4 inches in height, proof past the height of the pan.

Bake the loaf at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and have a hard crust.

Remove the bread from the loaf pan and let it cool on a rack so that the bread doesn't continue to steam itself.