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Japan is one of the most stunning countries in the world, and there’s no doubt about that. The nature, culture and rich heritage of the country of the rising sun, can be seen in its ancient temples, beaches and mountains. But a lot of Japan’s culture is showcased in its rich cuisine which goes beyond sushi and noodles. Did you know that Japanese are also famous for their breads? Soft, fluffy and subtly sweet, Japanese sure knows their bread. Shokupan, the Japanese milk bread is exactly that. Also called Hotel Bread, Shokupan looks like your everyday white bread, but one bite in and you’ll know how it is so distinct . With a thick slice and an incredibly soft, pillowy and light texture, the experience of having Shokupan, as one of my friends who visited Japan explains, is like biting into a cloud.
While the ingredients are usual, a combination of white flour, yeast, butter, eggs and milk, but the taste tells a tale that has more to just that. In a recent interaction with a Japanese chef, Nariaki Higuchi, who has innovated several Japanese bread-making techniques, agreed that mastering the art of making really soft and pillowy Shokupan is a little difficult. But a little research led me to understand what is called the ‘Yudane’ method, that lend an unbelievably fluffy and moist texture to Shokupan.
Yudane is basically combination of bread flour mixed with hot boiling water, which ultimately gelatinises the starch. The gelatinised starch allows the starch to absorb more, ultimately making the bread more moist, it also increases the sweetness of it. Yudane is added to the bread dough to make it soft, moist and sweeter bread which also lasts longer. This method is widely popular in Japan for bread making.
The fluffy and light texture of Shokupan is also because of the role it has in Japanese cuisine and how different it is from, let’s say Europe. While in Europe, bread is mostly a sandwich base, or a side for soups and thus needs to be dense and hard to soak in when dipped. But in Japan, bread is more like a snack since curries and soups are paired with rice or noodles.
If you are in India, very few bakeries have Shokupan, but well who said you can’t make it at home? We’ve got a perfect recipe right here
Ingredients
For Yudane:
50 g Bread flour *1
40 ml boiling water above 194°F(90°C)
For Bread:
150 ml milk (room temperature) *3
15 g sugar
3 g dry instant yeast *2
10 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
200 g Bread flour *1
5 g salt
Method
For Yudane:
1. Better to make a night before.
2. Take bread flour in a bowl and add boiling water to it. Mix well and put cling wrap over it to refrigerate overnight.
For Bread:
1. Pour milk of room temperature into a bowl.
2. Add sugar, butter and yeast to it followed by yudane. Now add the bread, flour and salt.
3. Now whip to combine all ingredient on a low speed.
4. Combine the ingredients for about 20 minutes and then dough it with hands for about 10 more minutes until smooth.
5. Roll the dough round and place it in a greased bowl. Cling wrap it for about 45 min to 1 hour for it to rise at about 86°F(30°C).
6. When it is ready, cut the dough into two equal parts and roll them.
7. Cover the rolled doughs with a wet cloth and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
8. Post it, roll out each dough to a shape of rectangle with a rolling pin. Fold it tightly towards the centre from left and right. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it from one end.
9. Spray one loaf bread tin lightly and place the rolled dough in the end of the tin facing the centre.
10. Cover it with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for a second time until the it is of the size of the bread tin.
11. Preheat the oven to 365 °F(185°C).
12, When the dough has risen to be level with the tin, bake it for about 25 -30 minutes. Let it cool once baked.
