{"id":31769,"date":"2025-04-04T00:05:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T07:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/?p=31769"},"modified":"2025-04-03T17:46:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T00:46:27","slug":"how-to-make-the-best-japanese-shokupan-milk-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/how-to-make-the-best-japanese-shokupan-milk-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Best Japanese Shokupan Milk Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love all bread but Japanese shokupan is my absolute favorite. <\/strong><\/p>\n

So much so that back when traveling was a thing, Mike and I regularly went on shokupan hunts while in Tokyo.<\/a> Bread and toast is on another level over there. Every time we flew home I would bring a loaf<\/a>, tucked into a carry on bag that I would keep in my lap just so I could have shokupan at home. Those were the days!<\/p>\n

If you know me, even a little bit, you would know that I love carbs. I have a sweatshirt that proudly proclaims me a carb lover because it\u2019s so very, very true. If I had my way and lived in a world where calories didn\u2019t count, I would happily live on carbs only, all day, everyday. Give me ALL the carby foods: potatoes, noodles, rice, and oh yes, especially BREAD.<\/p>\n

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The easiest shokupan recipe<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve been baking this simple squishable loaf. It doesn\u2019t have a yudane (a boiling water and flour roux) or a tangzhong (a cooked water and flour roux) the two most common additions to shokupan. Even without, it is still a very soft and fluffy loaf with the added the bonus of not having to think about making bread the day before.<\/p>\n

A lot of bread recipes (sourdough especially but even soft sandwich loaves) are a two day affair. I like this loaf because you can think to yourself in the morning, I would like some soft and fluffy bread and then make it and have it the same day.<\/p>\n

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How to make shokupan<\/h2>\n

Making shokupan is easier than you think. It comes together very simply: you proof your yeast, mix up your dry ingredients, add the egg to the yeast, then mix the dough. Once the dough comes together, you slowly knead in the butter. The key to a soft and fluffy shokupan is in the kneading so make sure you take the time (a mixer with a dough hook is the right choice here) to reach the window pane stage. One your dough is soft and extensible, you can expect a soft and shreddable loaf.<\/p>\n

I really liked this loaf, simply toasted with butter or spread with some cream cheese and jam. But, it\u2019s still not the level of bread I love from Japan so I\u2019m going to be doing some more experimenting. Please let me know in the comments if you have any favorite Japanese shokupan recipes, I\u2019m always up for trying new ones!<\/p>\n

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A note on size and shaping<\/h2>\n

This was made in a 4.5 inch pullman cube which holds about 1 lb of dough.<\/a> You can also make it in a regular sized loaf pan in which it will be rounded on top like a regular loaf of bread. If you are making it in a regular loaf pan, you\u2019ll want to divide the dough into two equally sized balls before shaping. I\u2019ve included the bakers\u2019 percentages below as well so you can size according to your pan.<\/p>\n