Shokupan: Japanese Milk Bread (with Yudane)

Shokupan: Japanese Milk Bread (with Yudane)

Shokupan is that Japanese milk bread everyone falls in love with—soft, airy, and cloud-like with every bite. The magic comes from the Yudane method. It might sound technical, but really, it’s just an easy step that keeps the loaf extra fluffy and moist.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 1 30

Cook Time: 40

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings: medium loaf

Author: Cielle

Equipment

1 kitchen scale (for accurate measurements)

Ingredients

Yudane

75 g bread flour (½ cup + 1 tbsp)
90 g boiling water (6 tbsp)

Main Dough

225 g bread flour (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp)
1 egg (size L)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
65 g whole milk (¼ cup + 1 tsp)
1 tbsp skimmed milk powder (optional)
4 g instant yeast (1 tsp, If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in 2 tbsp of the lukewarm milk taken from the recipe)
45 g soft butter

Instructions

Mix bread flour with boiling water. Pour the water straight over the flour, stir quickly until there is no dry bits, then let it cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight—this step helps trap moisture so your bread stays soft and fluffy for days.
In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, milk, milk powder, egg, sugar, salt, yeast, and the chilled yudane (cut into pieces so it mixes more easily). If using active dry yeast, dissolve it first in the lukewarm milk from the recipe.
Knead until gluten starts to form, then add the softened butter. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Cover and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in size (about 1 hour). A simple trick: place it in your oven with a bowl of hot water—it creates the perfect proofing box.
Punch down the dough to release air bubbles, then divide it into two equal pieces.
Flatten one piece into a rectangle and roll it into a snug log. With the smooth side down, flatten it again into a rectangle the width of your loaf pan. Roll it up tightly from the short side, pinch the seam closed, and tuck in the ends. Repeat with the second piece.
Place both logs seam-side down in a greased loaf pan. Let them rise until they’re about 1.5 times bigger—they’ll puff up together while keeping that “twin roll” look.
Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 335°F (170°C) and bake another 20 minutes, until the loaf is golden and your kitchen smells amazing.
Leave the bread in the pan for 5–10 minutes so the crust sets, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing—this patience gives you the softest, fluffiest crumb.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!