Shokupan

Shokupan

25 min bake, 185°C

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

Yudane (night before)
bread flour      50g
boiling water    40g

Dough
bread flour      200g
whole milk       150g
unsalted butter  10g
sugar            15g
instant yeast    3g
salt             5g

Make the yudane the night before. Milk and butter should be at room temperature.
The yudane is what makes this so soft. Don’t skip it.

Recipe

Night before:

1. Mix the bread flour and boiling water together until fully combined. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Day of:

2. Tear the yudane into small pieces and add to the stand mixer bowl with all the dough ingredients.

Dough hook. Mix on low to combine, then speed 5 for 20 minutes until smooth.

3. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover and leave to prove for 45-60 minutes until doubled.

4. Punch down the dough and divide into two equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, cover and rest for 20 minutes.

5. Roll each piece into a 15x20cm rectangle. Fold both sides in to the centre, then rotate 90° and roll up into a log.

6. Place both logs side by side seam-side down in a greased loaf tin. Cover and prove for 30 minutes until the dough reaches the top of the tin.

7. Bake at 185°C for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Wait until completely cool before slicing. The crumb needs time to set or it squashes.