0 from 9 votes
Nama Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread) without Bread Machine
This delightful recipe is easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 1 loaf
Course:
Breakfast , Snacks
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
- 400 g strong bread flour
- 5 g instant dry yeast
- 26 g caster sugar
- 7 g salt
- 21 g honey
- 95 g heavy cream
- 180 g water
- 45 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- oil or butter for greasing
Instructions
- Add 400 g strong bread flour to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle 5 g instant dry yeast and 26 g caster sugar on one side, and 7 g salt on the other so the salt is not touching the yeast.
- Mix 21 g honey, 95 g heavy cream and 180 g water in a jug until well combined.
- Make a deep well in the flour and pour in the contents of the jug. Mix until combined to form a rough dough.
- With clean dry hands, tip the dough out onto a kneading board (it will be quite sticky at this point) and slap and fold 10 times. Knead on the board for a few minutes by pushing the dough with the base of your palm folding continuously. Switch back to slapping and folding, after 10 times switch back to kneading.
- Repeat this motion for 30 minutes or until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and shiny. Do the window pane test to ensure it's properly kneaded, you should be able to stretch the dough thin enough to see light through it without it breaking.
- Stretch the dough out onto the board and place 45 g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature, not melted) in the center.
- Pull the edges over to encase the butter and then continue to knead for 10 minutes or until the butter is evenly incorporated.
- Fold the edges of the dough into the center to make it smooth, tight and round on the top, then pinch underneath to secure.
- Grease a large bowl with a thin layer of oil or butter, and place the dough inside with the pinched side facing down. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm draft-free environment (20-25℃ / 68-77℉) for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (First rise)
- Once doubled, punch out the air and weigh the dough.
- Cut into two even pieces using a knife or scraper (don't tear). Fold the edges into the center and pinch to make two tight balls.
- Place each piece on a clean surface and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Rest for 15 minutes (Bench time).
- While you wait, coat the bread pan with a thin layer of oil or butter.
- Once the bench time is up, take one piece, press it flat and use a rolling pin to roll it into a large circle.
- Fold over two parallel edges to form a rectangle. The rectangle's width should equal the width of the bread pan. Roll lengthways with a rolling pin to increase the length, but be careful not to increase the width.
- Roll up the dough and pinch the seam to secure it. Repeat with the other piece so you have two rolls.
- Place each roll in the bread pan with the swirls going in opposite directions. The seams should be facing down and the sides with swirls facing outwards against the long edges of the pan.
- Cover and let it rise at room temperature (20-25℃ / 68-77℉) for 1 hour or until risen to 2-3cm (1 inch) below the rim of the pan (second rise). Check the dough regularly and when it has risen to fill about 1/3 of the pan, start preheating the oven to 210℃ (410℉).
- When the dough has risen to 2-3 cm below the rim of the pan, spritz the top with a light coating of water and slide on the cover. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (392°F / Gas Mark 6) and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 140°C (284°F) and bake for a further 15-18 minutes.
- Take the bread pan out of the oven, remove the lid and drop it onto a heatproof surface from a height of approximately 15cm (6 inches). Carefully tip the bread out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool.
- Cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Enjoy!
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