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Easiest Milk Bread Recipe (No Tang Zhong) Shokupan

Milk bread (shokupan) is my preference for sliced bread. They're fluffy and soft with hints of sweetness and milk, which are great options for Japanese tamago sando or a classic tuna sandwich!
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Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Proofing Time:2 hours
Total Time:3 hours
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese
Keyword: japanese milk bread, milk bread recipe, shokupan, shokupan recipe

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 9 x 4 Loaf Pan
  • 1 Kitchen Scale

Ingredients

YEAST MIXTURE

  • 7 g instant dry yeast
  • 90 g warm water (app. 104℉)
  • 40 g white sugar

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

  • 335 g bread flour
  • 140 g room temperature whole milk
  • 10 g room temperature water
  • 30 g salted butter (cut into cubes)
  • cooking oil spray
  • 10 g butter (for greasing the loaf pan)

Instructions

  • Combine instant dry yeast and sugar with warm water. Gently mix until sugar is dissolved, then cover with saran wrap and set aside for 10 minutes. (Note: The surface of the mixture should be bubbly after 10 minutes. If not, it may not have activated, which can be a result of expired yeast or the environment not being warm enough.)
  • Lock the mixing bowl onto the base of your stand mixer, then add the bread flour, room temp whole milk and yeast/sugar mixture and mix at SPEED 2 with a hook attachment for 2 minutes.
  • Add 10g of room temperature water, then mix at SPEED 4 for 4 minutes.
  • Add the salted butter cubes, then mix at SPEED 2 for 2 minutes then SPEED 4 for 4 minutes, followed by SPEED 6 for 2 minutes.
  • Remove the dough from the hook attachment, place it back into the mixing bowl, then mix at SPEED 6 again for 2 minutes. The mixing is now complete!
  • Grease a large heatproof bowl with a thin coating of cooking oil (I use oil spray). Remove the dough from the hook attachment, then form it into a ball. Place it into the greased bowl, rolling it around until the outer surface of the dough is coated with oil. Leave the dough in the bowl, then cover with saran wrap and place it into a warm environment (app. 90℉) for 1 hour, until it doubles in size.
  • After 1 hour, remove the saran wrap. Poke a hole in the center of the dough. If the hole retains its shape, it is ready for use.
  • Grease the interior of the loaf pan with the remaining 10g of butter
  • Dust some flour onto a baking mat and your palms. Place the dough onto the mat, then deflate it and remove air bubbles by pounding the dough for about 1 minute.
  • Using a digital scale, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball into a long rectangular shape (about the size of an 8x11 paper), ensuring even thickness throughout. Subsequently, fold the dough into thirds, then press down on the edges to seal them. Fold the corners of the upper ends until they resemble triangular tips, then slowly and gently roll this end towards you, until the dough is completely rolled up. Ensure that the bottom of the dough is smooth and taut, as this will become the top surface of the bread. You will repeat this rolling process with the remaining dough balls.
  • Gently place the first rolled dough into the greased loaf pan. Please ensure you place the first 2 rolls on the left and right sides, ending with the third roll in the center. This will result in a more presentable shokupan.
  • Cover the loaf pan with saran wrap and place it back into a warm environment for about an hour, or when the risen dough fills 80-90% of the loaf pan.
  • Remove the saran wrap, then bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes (varies depending on your oven)
  • Remove the loaf pan from the oven, then drop it onto your counter 2-3 times to remove water vapors. Cut into slices and serve warm! Enjoy!

Video

Notes

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