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Old-Style Shanghai Bread

Old-Style Shanghai Bread is similar to our Asian Milk Bread, but it can be made without dairy (for all of our lactose-intolerant readers)! This recipe does ask for ¼ cup of dried milk powder, but you can simply substitute it with non-dairy milk powder to make it dairy-free. And because this old-fashioned recipe lacks dairy, Shanghai bread keeps better and longer than Milk Bread, because it does not harden when cooled.

Prep Time
5 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
6 hrs
Servings: 12
Calories: 187 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the starter dough:
  • 200 g all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3 g active dry yeast (1 teaspoon)
  • 12 g sugar (1 tablespoon)
  • 160 ml water (about ⅔ cup)
For the finished dough:
  • 200 g all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 5 g salt (1 teaspoon)
  • 50 g sugar (about ¼ cup)
  • 20 g dry milk powder or non-dairy milk powder (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 large egg
  • 45 ml vegetable oil (about 3 tablespoons, plus more to grease the pan)
  • 15 ml water (about 1 tablespoon, only as needed)
For the sugar syrup:
  • 4 g sugar (1 teaspoon)
  • 10 ml water (2 teaspoons)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In your mixing bowl, stir together 200g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour, 3g (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast, and 12g (1 tablespoon) sugar. Stir in 160ml (⅔ cup) water with a rubber spatula to create a wet starter dough. Mix thoroughly and scrape together the dough, then cover with a plate, and proof at room temperature (about 70 degrees F/21 degrees C) for 2 to 3 hours, until the wet dough has expanded with air bubbles (see my picture for comparison).
  2. Once the 2-3 hours have elapsed, put the proofed wet dough back into the mixer. Add 200g (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, 5g (1 teaspoon) salt, 50g (1/4 cup) sugar, and 20 g (3 tablespoons) dried milk powder. Turn the mixer on low, and add 1 large egg and 45 ml (3 tablespoons) vegetable oil. The dough should be wet, but can hold its shape. Only if the dough is not wet enough, add the 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon at a time, only as needed. You might need slightly more or less water depending on the humidity in your kitchen.
  3. Once the dough is smooth, scrape the dough off the sides of the mixing bowl and the dough hook, into a ball with a rubber spatula. Cover the mixing bowl with a plate, and let it proof inside your microwave or oven (door closed) with a large mug of boiled water for an hour, until it doubles in size. (Note that the microwave or oven should be off––it’s just providing an enclosed environment) While the dough is proofing, grease a loaf pan (9" x 5") with vegetable oil.
  4. Next, transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface. I separated the dough into 3 equal pieces and rolled them into 3 mini loaves arranged in the greased loaf pan. Let it proof one last time in your microwave or oven (door closed) with a large mug of boiled water for an hour until it doubles in size. (Again, the microwave or oven should be off.)
  5. When the dough is almost done proofing, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 28 - 33 minutes until the top is golden brown. While the bread is baking, prepare the sugar syrup by mixing 4g (1 teaspoon) sugar with 10 ml (2 teaspoons) water until the sugar fully dissolves. After it’s done baking, brush the bread with the sugar syrup while it’s still piping hot to get that perfect golden rice color. Let the bread cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan to a cooling rack.
  6. For storage, keep the bread in zip-lock bag, and it will stay fresh for a few days on the counter. But in the summer, it’s better to leave it in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information

Calories 187kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 14mg (5%) Sodium 177mg (7%) Potassium 71mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 55IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 28mg (3%) Iron 1.6mg (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 187

% Daily Value*

Calories 187kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 177mg 7%
Potassium 71mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 55IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 28mg 3%
Iron 1.6mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.