Shokupan

The softest bread/brioche you’ve ever tasted.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of flour T55 or T45 (aim for one with more then 10 g of proteins, I use the Francine Label Rouge T65),
  • 100 g water,
  • 300 g whole milk,
  • 10 g fresh baker’s yeast,
  • 25 g sugar,
  • 6 g salt,
  • 35 g soft unsalted butter.

Look at this shokupan’s crumb

Instructions

Yudane

That’s the secret of Shokupan’s softness: a “pre"dough made with boiled water and flour that has a high level of humidity.

  1. Prepare 100 g or flour in a bowl,
  2. Boil 100 g of water (really boiling, we needs many bubbles on the surface),
  3. Pour the water over the flour,
  4. Stir with a wooden spoon (or hands!) until no dry bits. Knead slightly,
  5. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 5 hours).

Dough Process

  1. Warm 100 g of milk and mix in the yeast. Wait 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, yudane (in small bits), and all the milk.
  3. Mix, then rest 15 min (autolyse) to help gluten develop
  4. Knead by hand: stretch and fold technique for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic
  5. Add butter in batches, knead until incorporated and dough is soft
  6. Place dough in a bowl, cover.

Overnight Fermentation

  1. After kneading, refrigerate the dough overnight (6 to 12 hours). You can also let it grow for 1h30 until the dough has double its size, but I prefer the overnight wait.

Shaping and Final Proof

  1. Next morning: let dough return to room temperature (30 to 45 min),
  2. Gently degas the dough with a few light folds (5 maximum),
  3. Divide into 5 equal pieces. For 4 pieces: flatten into a rectangle, fold into thirds (like a letter), turn 90 degrees, roll out lengthwise (about 35 cm), then roll up into a spiral. Make a ball with the last piece.
  4. Place the rolls side by side in a 30 cm buttered loaf pan. The ball can sit on a piece of baking paper.
  5. Final rise: put in the oven with a dish containing about half a liter of boiling water. This will create a very enjoyable hammam for yeast.
  6. Once the dough has reached the rim of the pan, put the lid on (or leave it open if you do not have a lid).

Baking

  1. Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 30 minutes until golden,
  2. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack,
  3. Wait about 15/30 minutes to cool down,
  4. ENJOY the smoothness of shokupan!

Cover with a dry (and clean) cloth to keep its softness for 2 to 3 days.

Over view of a shokupan