Shokupan

I have been wanting to make shokupan since I bought my square pullman pan right before my France trip. A very light and airy milk bread that provides a great base for many fillings (the photo reveals an egg sandwich), it is a bread that has become popular with this new restaurant. I have started my quest for my go-to shokupan recipe here , but I think that I have to continue my search. Although the bread I made had a great flavor, I want an even lighter and softer loaf.

A tip I would like to point out to you is to make sure you give your dough enough time to rise. If you don’t see significant growth within the time recommended, feel free to increase the time! Too often I see dense and heavy loafs because the fermentation period was rushed or not fully completed. If its less that 70F outside and your kitchen isn’t warm, expect for bulk fermentation to take a bit longer. This is what I had to do with this bread - double the rising time and I am very happy I did.

I used the bread for my egg sandwich, and ode to my Japanese-American grandmother who would make these sandwiches often for me and my bother throughout our childhood. I ate it on the plane, a trip to visit my family and brought me back to lunch boxes from a long time ago.

What type of bread is your favorite?