Shokupan - Japanese Milk Bread

Delicious, soft and fluffy bread. This loaf of bread is similar to those found in Japanese bakeries.

Using the tangzhong method which requires you to cook a small percentage of baker's flour with hot boiling water until it thickens, the mixture is cooked together until a thick gelatinous mix (roux) is formed. Thanks to this method, the loaf stays amazingly soft and moist.

For those of you who may not know, I have a love-hate relationship with anything that is dough related. It's like how some people don't like nails on chalkboard or hearing the word "MOIST", that's the feeling I get when I have to handle dough (I don't even like play-doh). In saying that, I am getting better with handling dough, thanks to the Thermomix where most of the hard work is done for me :)

I made this bread recipe three days in a row, just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke. Anything bread related usually doesn't like to work for me but this beauty of a recipe was a winner!

Pandan Coconut Shokupan - third time's a charm

Ingredients

Tangzhong starter:

125g water

45g baker's flour

Dough:

115g milk

25g water

2 tsp dried instant yeast

20-30g sugar

325g baker's flour

2 tsp bread improver

50g oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Tangzhong starter:

1. Place water and flour into the TM bowl; cook 1 minute 30 seconds/90 degrees C/Speed 2.5.

2. Then, add the milk and water; mix 20 seconds/Speed 4. Make sure to use a spatula and scrape any of the residue left on the base of the bowl.

Dough:

1. Add the remaining ingredients to the TM bowl; mix 20 seconds/ gradually increase to Speed 7.

2. Then, set it for 4 minutes on the knead function. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky (it should be a little sticky but mostly clear at the bottom of the bowl during the kneading process).

3. Tip the dough onto a greased silicone mat/bowl, cover and leave it to proof for about an hour.

4. Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf, before putting it into a greased loaf tin.

5. Cover the loaf pan and leave it to rise until double in size (approx. 1 hour).

6. During the last 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

7. Spray the dough with ice cold water and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Remove the milk bread from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Notes

• To make this into a Pandan Coconut Shokupan; substitute the milk with coconut milk and add 1/2 tbsp of Pandan Leaf Powder. The powder can be purchased from My Blue Tea.

Second Attempt - looking good

First Attempt - looking like a special shroom

The Pandan Coconut Shokupan pairs perfectly with my homemade Pandan Kaya, smells so so good and taste absolutely delicious!