Name: Black bread loaf - Black shokupan
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Ingredients: 340g bread flour (or 335g/T65 and 5g/gluten flour); 10g black cocoa powder; 230ml water; 12g whole milk powder; 30g sugar; 6g salt; 10g glucose syrup; 32g unsalted butter; 5g active dry yeast

May 11, 2020

Black bread loaf – Black shokupan with bread machine

Black bread loaf - Black shokupan

Serving Size

A loaf of bread (about 7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch)

Prep Time

2 hours

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

340g bread flour (or 335g/T65 and 5g/gluten flour)
10g black cocoa powder
230ml water
12g whole milk powder
30g sugar
6g salt
10g glucose syrup
32g unsalted butter
5g active dry yeast

Instructions

1. Add water, bread flour (and gluten, optionally), black cocoa powder, sugar, salt, glucose syrup and milk powder in the pan of your bread machine. Select dough cycle and press start as per manufacturer's instructions.
2. After 5 min add butter in the pan and add yeast in the yeast compartment.
3. When the dough cycle is complete, remove it from the machine and place on a floured surface.
4. Punch the dough down and divide it in 3 pieces. Cover them with a dry cloth. Let rest for about 15min.
5. Working with one piece at at time, use a rolling pin, roll the dough back and forth, shaping it into a flat oval. Fold it length-wise, bringing both sides onto the centerline. Then roll it up. Place the shaped dough, seam side down, in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough balls, placing another in the center, and the last one at the other end of the pan.
Cover and let rise for 40~60min or until the dough rises to 85~90% of the square pan height.
6. Preheat the oven to 190℃. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Unmold and transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Wait till it completely cools down before slicing.

Check out this video if you prefer to use your Stand Mixer rather than a Bread Making Machine :

March 9, 2020

Soft Haiji White Buns (bread)

Persons

Prep Time

1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

200g bread flour (or 195g/T65 and 5g/gluten flour)
3g kosher salt
10g sugar
15g unsalted butter
1 tsp glucose syrup
150g milk
3g dry yeast

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine. Add yeast in the yeast compartment. Select dough cycle and press start as per manufacturer's instructions.
2. When the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine and place on a floured surface.
3. Punch the dough down and divide it in 6 pieces. Place in a oven tray with a baking sheet, seam side facing downwards. Use a damp towel (cloth) to cover the bread dough. Let them rest for about 15min.
4. Re-Shape each piece into a round ball with a line in the middle of the bun, using a stick (eg. chopsticks). Arrange on lined baking trays. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 40~60min in a warm place or until the dough has doubled in volume. Lightly sprinkle flour over the bread, using a cooking sieve.
5. Preheat the oven to 180℃ degree. Reduce the heat to 150℃ degree and bake for about 15 min. Remove from the oven and let it cool down on a wire rack.

If you don’t have a bread machine :

February 15, 2020

Japanese fluffy white bread loaf – Shokupan

Japanese fluffy white bread - Shokupan

Serving Size

A loaf of bread (about 7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch)

Prep Time

2 hours, 15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

340g bread flour ( or 335g/T65 and 5g/gluten flour)
230ml water
12g whole milk powder
30g sugar
6g salt
32g unsalted butter
5g active dry yeast

Instructions

1. Add water, bread flour, (gluten flour), sugar, salt, and milk powder in the pan of your bread machine. Select dough cycle and press start as per manufacturer's instructions.
2. After 5 min, add butter and add yeast in the yeast compartment.
3. When the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the machine and place it on a floured surface.
4. Punch the dough down and divide it in 3 pieces. Cover it with a dry cloth. Let it rest for about 15min.
4. Working with one piece at at time, use a rolling pin, roll the dough back and forth, shaping it into a flat oval. Fold it length-wise both sides onto the centerline. Then roll it up. Place the shaped dough, seam side down, in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough balls, placing them in the center, and near the other end of the pan.
Cover and let rise for 40~60min or until the dough rises to 85~90% of the square pan height.
5. Preheat the oven to 190℃. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Unmold and transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Wait till it completely cools down before slicing.

If you prefer to use a stand mixer rather than a home bakery :

April 29, 2018

Fluffy white bread – pull apart “chigiri pan” style in 18x18cm square mold

Fluffy white bread - pull apart "chigiri pan" style 18x18cm square mold

Serving Size

18cm x 18cm square mold

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

20 minutes

Wait Time

50 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 20 minutes

Fluffy white bread - pull apart "chigiri pan" style 18x18cm square mold

Ingredients

Yudane

80g bread flour (T55 or T65)
3.2g salt
65g boiling water

Bread

120g bread flour (or 110g / T65) + 10g gluten powder)
30g sugar
20g unsalted butter
95g milk
2.5g dry instant yeast

Instructions

1. First we prepare the "Yudane". Add bread flour, salt in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and mix well, using spatula until uniformly blended. Cover with plastic wrap until use. Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. Add all bread ingredients and the yudane (torn into small pieces) from #1 in the pan of your bread machine (as per manufacturer instructions). Select dough cycle and press start.
3. When the dough cycle is complete, remove and place it on a floured surface. Punch the dough down and divide them into even-sized pieces (16 pieces). Cover it with a cloth. Take bench time for 15 min.
4. Grease the pan (18x18cm square mold). Re-shape each piece into a round ball, then place them in the mould.
Note : Leave some space between balls, the dough will double in size. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place (or an oven at 35℃) until the dough has doubled in volume for about 40 to 60 min.
5. Sprinkle the flour lightly over the leavened bread and pre-heat the oven to 170℃. Reduce to 150℃ as you place the bread in the oven and bake it for about 15 min.
6. Remove from the oven and let it cool down on a wire rack.
7. Decorate the bread as you want :-) Here I used whipped cream and strawberries. You could also use other fruits or chocolate, nutella, jam etc. Enjoy!

December 21, 2017

Kouign amann

Persons

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

Bread ingredients

200g bread flour (or 200g of T65)
20g sugar
4g fine salt
10g butter
6g milk powder
20g egg
3.5g dry yeast
90ml water
10ml vodka

For the butter layer

130g cold unsalted butter - cut into chunks
Butter for greasing the mood or your baking sheet - as much as you like :-)
Sugar for sprinkling - as much as you like

Instructions

1. Add all bread ingredients in the pan of your bread machine (as per manufacturer instructions). Select dough cycle and press start.
2. When the dough cycle is complete, remove it from the machine and place on a floured surface (we want the primary fermentation to be finished).
3. Punch the dough down. Cover it with a cloth and let sit for about 10 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin to an about 30cm dia circle. Place cold unsalted butter (130g) over the dough. Fold the dough over, end to end, completely enclosing the butter. Then Fold in half the dough. Pat the dough to help the butter bind to the dough. Cover with a saran wrap and chill until it is firm enough. It may take 20 to 30 min.
4. Take out the dough from the fridge and roll it out to a rectangle with a rolling pin (target 45x20cm). Fold in the dough on itself in thirds along its length. Cover with a saran wrap and chill in the fridge until enough firm. (about 20 to 30 min). Repeat it twice more so that this process is done a total of 3 times.
NOTE If your dough becomes too soft and difficult to roll out, put it back in the fridge or freezer for 5 to 10min to make it firm and try again.
5. Prepare the mold
Brush the mold with soften butter and spread as much sugar as you want. I used 1/2 tbsp white sugar in each mould cup :) Don't forget to spread sugar on the sides of the mold too. Then put a bit of butter (about 1/2 tsp) in each mould. Set aside. Note that if you don't have mold, then just spread butter on the baking sheet and spread sugar over the butter, then place a bit of butter over the sugar.
6. Finally, bring out the dough from the fridge, roll it out into a smaller rectangle about 25cm long. Sprinkle as much sugar as you like on the dough. Roll up the dough on itself tightly along the length of the rectangle. Seal well at the end. Then cut this dough cylinder in about 3cm slices. Place each slice in the prepared molds or on the buttered and sugared baking sheet. Put a pastry ring ( I use Φ9cm ring.) around each bread.
Let them rise in a warm place until they sort of double. Preheat the oven to 200℃.
7. Sprinkle some extra sugar on top of the kouign amann. Bake them for about 15min. Then bake about 3 more min (or more, depend on how you like the texture) at 220℃ or until its nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Notes

It will be easier to get a caramelized bottom if you bake on the baking sheet and put a cooking ring around rather than using a mould :)