Japanese shokupan milk bread

Ingredients

• 80 g bread flour (for the yudane)
• 80 ml water
• 320 g bread flour (for the dough)
• 190 ml whole milk
• 32 g white granulated sugar
• 7 g fine salt
• 5 g instant dry yeast
• 32 g unsalted butter

Method

1. Prepare the yudane the day before or several hours before kneading. Bring the water to a rolling boil, pour it immediately over the first portion of flour (bread flour for the yudane), and mix vigorously with a spatula until you have a firm, uniform dough with no dry flour.
2. Flatten the yudane, cover it directly on the surface, and let it cool. Then place it in the refrigerator so the hydrated starch stabilizes. Bring it back to room temperature before preparing the dough.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the second portion of flour (bread flour for the dough), sugar, salt, and yeast, making sure not to put the yeast directly on the salt. Add the milk and the yudane torn into small pieces.
4. Knead slowly at first until the dry flour disappears. Then switch to medium speed and work the dough until it becomes smoother, elastic, and starts to pull away from the bowl.
5. Gradually incorporate the soft butter. Continue kneading until full gluten development. A piece of dough should stretch into a very thin, almost translucent membrane without tearing immediately.
6. Form a tight ball, place it in a lightly buttered bowl, and cover. Let ferment in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in volume.
7. Gently degas the dough with your palm without tearing it. Divide it into three pieces of equal weight, shape them into rounds by bringing the edges to the center, and let them rest under a cloth.
8. Take a piece of dough, place it seam-side up, and roll it out into a rectangle. Fold the sides to the center, roll out again lengthwise, and then roll it up tightly without crushing the layers. Pinch the seam. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
9. Very lightly butter a square Japanese pan with a lid. Place the rolls in the same direction, seam side down, keeping them evenly spaced.
10. Cover and let rise in a warm place. Close the lid when the dough approaches the top of the pan, still leaving enough room for its final expansion.
11. Bake in a thoroughly preheated oven. Bake until the bread is evenly golden, the sides are firm, and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
12. Unmold immediately to avoid condensation. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with a bread knife, without compressing the crumb.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

314.5 kcal

Protein

7.47 g

Carbohydrate

56.01 g

Fat

6.07 g

Fibre

2.32 g

Calcium

50.43 mg

Iron

0.73 mg

Magnesium

22.28 mg