Japanese Shokupan-Style Milk Bread

How to make it

1. 1

   Prep

   • Have the water, milk, and heavy cream at not-cold temperature. / • Keep the unsalted butter soft so it can go in late in the kneading. / • Butter the loaf pan lightly or line it with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Mix the water, milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, and yeast.

3. 3

   Add the bread flour and salt and knead.

4. 4

   Once the dough has come together somewhat, add the unsalted butter and knead until the gluten develops.

5. 5

   Smooth the dough into a neat ball and let it through the 1st rise.

6. 6

   Press out the gas, divide the dough, round each piece, and give them an intermediate rest.

7. 7

   Roll each piece out flat, roll it up, and set it in the loaf pan.

8. 8

   Let it through the 2nd rise until it reaches 80 to 90% of the pan's height.

9. 9

   Bake in the preheated oven until golden and cool it on a rack.

No coming back

Things that actually went wrong over 20 years in a kitchen.

• Adding the butter from the start can slow the gluten from forming.

You can fix this

If it hasn't burned or stuck to the pan, it can still be fixed.

• Dough can only be fixed before it goes in the oven — a little more flour if it is slack, a little more water if it is stiff. Once baked, nothing can be changed.