Hokkaido Milk Bread (Shokupan) – 2 Different Methods
Researching and testing these recipes out took me two and a half days guys. I now have 4 loaves of milk bread of varying success, for a two-person household. “..I’ll just put these in the freezer then.” Good call mom.
I had literally made a whole Google sheets document just to compare ingredient ratios of different online recipes. All of that, however, was for nothing, as my failed loaves were in part of me messing with the ingredient ratios too much and kneading the dough to death. I tried too hard and I also took the “window-pane” test too seriously. Don’t do as I did and read the detailed instructions that I have provided below so that you won’t make my mistakes.
There are two different methods that I’ve detailed below; one with tangzhong and one without. The online recipes without tangzhong I’ve referenced to was always measured in grams; so along with those measurements, I’ve added U.S. metric.
What is tangzhong though? Tangzhong is a roux that you add to the bread dough to make it fluffier and airier. I’ve found that there’s hardly any difference as long as you knead enough, but also don’t beat it to death. The proofing stages are very important too, so don’t skip on the proofing time.
I’ve also added freeze-dried blueberry powder…because why not right? I added 18g, but found that the ending result was a great, colorful milk bread…without ANY blueberry flavor. So all and all, I would say to add more powder if you were to add freeze-dried fruits in here.
The recipes I’ve adapted from were adjusted to what I found worked best for me and I’ve detailed the processes more so that there is less room for error. Thank me after you successfully make your bread baby on your first try.
For visual reference, check out my Instagram highlights @pokethedough
Check out the sandwiches I made with this bread here
Tangzhong method
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
For the tangzhong (roux):
2 tbsp (14g) bread flour
3 tbsp (45g) milk
3 tbsp (45g) water
For the bread dough:
1/2 cup (120g) whole milk
1 large egg
2-1/2 cup (300g) of bread flour
2 tbsp (18g) dry milk or condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
1 tsp (6g) salt
1 tbsp (10g) instant yeast
4 tbsp (57g) gently melted unsalted butter
For the egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tbsp (15g) water or milk
Instructions
To make the roux (tangzhong): In a small saucepan, whisk 3 tbsp of milk, 3 tbsp water, and 2 tbsp flour until there are no lumps.
Heat over medium-low heat (closer to low, it thickens up quick), whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and turns into a paste. When your whisk leaves lines that stay, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the roux to a bowl.
To make the dough: Whisk the 1/2 cup of milk into the roux at this point to help it cool down. Add one egg and whisk thoroughly. Whisk in the 2 tbsp condensed milk if you are using that instead of dry milk powder. Set aside.
Add all your dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular large bowl if kneading by hand): 2-1/2 cup bread flour, 2 tbsp dry milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp instant yeast.
If using a stand mixer: Fit your stand mixer with a dough hook and stir to combine ingredients. When everything is thoroughly mixed, pour in the tangzhong mixture and 4 tbsp melted butter as it is mixing.
Turn the mixer to medium-low (4 on my Kitchen Aid) and let the dough hook mix the dough, stopping if necessary to scrape down the sides with a spatula. When there are no more visible dry ingredients, let the mixer do its thing for about 12-15 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
If kneading by hand: make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
Let the flour absorb the liquids by covering the bowl with plastic wrap and letting it rest for 15 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 15-20 minutes. Flour the surface and your hands if it gets too sticky, but try not to use much; the dough should get less sticky the more you knead even without using flour.
How to tell when the dough is ready: In the beginning, the dough will be very sticky and look like it’s not coming together, but keep going. The dough will then firm up after about 10 minutes and the dough hook will start to gather and ball up all the dough until there is hardly any dough to gather below the hook. My dough took 15 minutes. When you touch the dough, it will be firm, but soft and elastic; it should be a little moist, but not too sticky.
There is a test called the window-pane test, where you stretch out a little bit of dough thin enough to see through it without breaking. After failing to get it that thin without breaking, and kneading my dough to death as a result, I did research and many people find this test unreliable as well. It is enough to have your dough stretch out fairly thin without breaking; no need to have it be thin enough to see through it like a “window-pane.”
Initial Proofing: Shape the dough into a ball and place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl with plenty of room and cover the top with a damp towel or plastic wrap (only if not using the oven to proof) and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (60-90 minutes).
If your house is cold, or in general, it is best to proof in a warm oven. My oven had a “keep warm” setting that I turned on and then turned off after 10 minutes. The oven should not be hot enough to burn you. Keep a heat-safe cup. You could also let the dough proof overnight in the fridge, and it should be fine for up to 24 hours.
Second Proofing: Test the dough by poking it with your finger, about 1-2 cm deep; if the dough holds the indent, then the dough is properly fermented and if the indent starts to fill back in, let it proof for a bit longer.
Turn out your dough on a clean surface and gently deflate the dough by pressing down. Divide into four equal pieces (use a scale for accuracy). Form each piece into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel; let them rest for 15 min.
Third Proofing: Roll each piece out to a long oval on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough in thirds widthwise, like an envelope (top fold then bottom fold), then flatten again. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that it faces you like a long rectangle, not wide. Roll it out a little and fold the bottom third up, and then roll the dough up. Pinch the seams together tightly. Place in a 9×5 loaf pan (You can also use a 10×5 if your dough is big enough, which mine was; it just won’t rise as high above the pan), seam side down. Repeat with the other three pieces of dough.
Loosely cover the bread pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (40-50 minutes).
Baking: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325F. Whisk one large egg with 1 tbsp of water or milk and gently brush on top of the risen bread dough.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. If you feel the top is getting too brown, you can cover it with a piece of aluminum foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Let cool in the pan for at least ten minutes before turning out to cool completely.
No roux method
Adapted from Savoury Days
Ingredients
For the bread dough:
270g (2 cup + 1 tbsp) bread flour
30g (1/4 cup) cake flour
15g (1-3/4 tbsp) dry milk
10-30g (1-5 tbsp) flavoring powder (I used 18g freeze-dried blueberries that I ground into a powder, but it was lacking in flavor, however not in color; yrmv)
40g (3-1/4 tbsp) sugar
6g (1 tsp) salt
5g (1/2 tbsp) instant yeast
25g or 1/2 of a whisked large egg
140mL/g (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) whole milk
75mL/g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) heavy cream
For the egg wash:
25g or 1/2 of a whisked large egg (the other 1/2)
7g (1/2 tbsp) water
Instructions
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if kneading by hand), whisk together bread flour, cake flour, dry milk powder, flavoring powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk in instant dry yeast.
If using a stand mixer: Make a well in the center of the bowl with a spoon. Pour 1/2 of the whisked egg, whole milk, and heavy cream in the well. Mix well with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
Fit the bowl into the stand mixer and turn the mixer on to low speed (1 or 2). Let the dough hook mix the dough, stopping if necessary to scrape down the sides with a spatula. When there are no visible dry ingredients, increase the speed to medium-low (4 on my Kitchen Aid) and knead for about 15-25 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
If kneading by hand: Make a well in the center of the bowl with a spoon. Pour 1/2 of the whisked egg, whole milk, and heavy cream in the well. Mix well with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 15-20 minutes. Flour the surface and your hands if it gets too sticky, but try not to use much; the dough should get less sticky the more you knead even without using flour.
How to tell when the dough is ready: In the beginning, the dough will be very sticky and look like it’s not coming together, but keep going. The dough will then firm up after about 10 minutes and the dough hook will start to gather and ball up all the dough until there is hardly any dough to gather below the hook. My dough took 15 minutes. When you touch the dough, it will be firm, but soft and elastic; it should be a little moist, but not too sticky.
There is a test called the window-pane test, where you stretch out a little bit of dough thin enough to see through it without breaking. After failing to get it that thin without breaking, and kneading my dough to death as a result, I did research and many people find this test unreliable as well. It is enough to have your dough stretch out fairly thin without breaking; no need to have it be thin enough to see through it like a “window-pane.”
Initial Proofing: Shape the dough into a ball and place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl with plenty of room and cover the top with a damp towel or plastic wrap (only if not using the oven to proof) and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (60-90 minutes).
If your house is cold, or in general, it is best to proof in a warm oven. My oven had a “keep warm” setting that I turned on and then turned off after 10 minutes. The oven should not be hot enough to burn you. Keep a heat-safe cup. You could also let the dough proof overnight in the fridge, and it should be fine for up to 24 hours.
Second Proofing: Test the dough by poking it with your finger, about 1-2 cm deep; if the dough holds the indent, then the dough is properly fermented and if the indent starts to fill back in, let it proof for a bit longer.
Turn out your dough on a clean surface and gently deflate the dough by pressing down. Divide into four equal pieces (use a scale for accuracy). Form each piece into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel; let them rest for 15 min.
Third Proofing: Roll each piece out to a long oval on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough in thirds widthwise, like an envelope (top fold then bottom fold), then flatten again. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that it faces you like a long rectangle, not wide. Roll it out a little and fold the bottom third up, and then roll the dough up. Pinch the seams together tightly. Place in a 9×5 loaf pan (You can also use a 10×5 if your dough is big enough, which mine was; it just won’t rise as high above the pan), seam side down. Repeat with the other three pieces of dough.
Loosely cover the bread pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (40-50 minutes).
Baking: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325F. Whisk one large egg with 1 tbsp of water or milk and gently brush on top of the risen bread dough.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. If you feel the top is getting too brown, you can cover it with a piece of aluminum foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Let cool in the pan for at least ten minutes before turning out to cool completely.