Japanese bakery staple
Shokupan
A cloud-soft crumb built with scalded flour.
Shokupan is the tall, soft white loaf of Japanese bakeries. A scalded-flour yudane binds extra moisture; three tightly rolled pieces of dough build its fine, shreddable crumb.
The formula
One shokupan at about 600 grams
Starting point: 1 open-top shokupan at about 600 g. Use 20% of the flour for the yudane with boiling water equal to 16% of the total flour weight; the remaining 60% liquid is whole milk.Active preparation: about 40 min · Baking: about 28–32 min. Cooling the yudane and proofing take additional time.
- Strong bread flour
- 100%317.2 g
- Whole milk + yudane water
- 76%241 g
- Salt
- 2%6.3 g
- Instant yeast
- 1.2%3.8 g
- Unsalted butter
- 4%12.7 g
- Sugar
- 6%19 g
What this formula does
Hold plenty of moisture without making a slack dough.
Shokupan is not designed for an open sourdough crumb. It needs a tall, even structure that pulls apart softly yet still slices cleanly.Yudane flour
One fifth of the flour is scalded with boiling water, binding moisture before the dough is kneaded.
Total liquid
16% water sits in the yudane; 60% whole milk is added to the main dough.
Shaping
Three rolled pieces create the familiar domes and a fine, feathery pull-apart structure.
Gentle oven
Enough heat for volume and a thin golden crust without over-colouring the milk dough.
From imported bread to a Japanese staple
Shokupan is commonly translated as food bread or everyday bread. Bread had been known in Japan for centuries, but became established at breakfast and in school meals particularly after the Second World War. Shokupan developed into the soft sliced loaf used for thick toast and carefully built sandwiches.
Outside Japan it is often called Hokkaido milk bread. That is a useful search term, but not every shokupan comes from Hokkaido or contains cream. Shokupan is the broader Japanese name for this soft white tin loaf; this version uses milk, butter and an open loaf tin.
Yudane is more than an internet bread trick. Boiling water gelatinises starch in part of the flour. Research on yudane bread links that treatment to a softer crumb and slower staling because the loaf retains more bound moisture.
Method
Make the yudane first, then build the dough.
The soft crumb does not come from gentle kneading. Develop strong gluten so the enriched dough can rise high without turning coarse or cake-like.- Firm, smooth dough paste
Scald the yudane
Take 20% of the calculated flour. Pour over boiling water equal to 16% of the total flour weight and mix immediately until no dry flour remains. Cover airtight, cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- No separate yudane pieces
Mix the main dough
Tear the yudane into small pieces. Add the remaining flour, all the milk, sugar and yeast and mix to a cohesive dough. Add the salt and soft butter afterwards.
- Thin translucent windowpane
Knead to full development
Knead for 10–15 minutes until smooth, elastic and thinly extensible. The dough may be soft and slightly tacky but should mostly release from the bowl.
- Aerated, not exhausted
Let the first rise run
Cover and leave at a warm room temperature for 60–90 minutes, until about 75% larger. Press with a floured finger: the indentation should return slowly.
- Three evenly tight rolls
Shape three rolls
Divide into three equal pieces, round and rest for 15 minutes. Roll each piece into an oval, fold the long sides inward, roll lightly again and coil up tightly. Place seam-side down next to each other in a greased loaf tin.
- Golden and springy
Proof and bake
Proof until the domes stand about 1–2 cm above the rim. Bake for 28–32 minutes at 180 °C. Turn out immediately and cool completely before cutting thick slices.
When the cloud becomes a brick
The crumb is dense and does not shred
Knead until a genuinely thin windowpane forms and allow more final proof. Soft dough without a strong gluten network stays low.
Large tunnels appear between the three rolls
Press out large gas bubbles while rolling and coil evenly and firmly. Loose seams become cavities in the oven.
The top colours too quickly
Tent loosely with foil after about 18 minutes or lower the oven by 10 °C. Milk and sugar brown sooner than lean bread dough.
The loaf wrinkles after baking
Bake a little longer and review the final proof. An underbaked or over-proofed loaf lacks support when it leaves the tin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between yudane and tangzhong?
Yudane mixes flour directly with boiling water into a firm paste and usually rests longer. Tangzhong is cooked with more liquid while stirring into a soft roux. Both gelatinise starch, but the method and ratios differ.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, but higher-protein bread flour gives more reliable height and a stronger feathery crumb. Hold back a little milk at first when using all-purpose flour.
Does the loaf tin need a lid?
No. An open tin creates the three rounded yama-gata domes in this formula. A Pullman lid makes rectangular kaku-gata bread; use slightly less dough or close the lid before the dough reaches the rim.
Is shokupan the same as Hokkaido milk bread?
The names are often used interchangeably outside Japan. Shokupan is the broader Japanese term for soft sliced bread; Hokkaido milk bread mainly describes variants and marketing linked to the famous dairy region.
How should I store shokupan?
Keep it fully cooled and airtight at room temperature, slicing only what you need. For longer storage, freeze thick slices in portions and toast them directly from frozen.
Baking tools
Useful for this recipe
Three tools selected for this dough's shape, hydration or baking schedule.Calculate the scald and automatically subtract its flour and liquid from the final dough.
Calculate scald →CalculatorI want to fill my bread panCalculate how much dough fits a rectangular or round bread form.
Calculate dough weight →CalculatorI want to bake at a specific timeChoose when the bread should enter the oven and work backwards through levain, mixing, proofing, shaping and preheating.
Plan baking schedule →Ready for the yudane