Japanese milk bread
{{Short description|Style of bread}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox food
| name =
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| image = Shokupan.jpg
| image_upright =1.2
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| caption = Commercially-produced milk bread with its characteristic crust markings
| alternate_name = {{hlist|Shokupan|Hokkaido milk bread|pai bao}}
| type = Yeasted wheat bread
| course = Snack, meal
| place_of_origin = Japan
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| main_ingredient = Wheat, milk
| minor_ingredient = Egg, butter, yeast, sugar, salt
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| serving_size = 100 g
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| similar_dish = Sandwich bread
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}}
{{nihongo|Japanese milk bread|食パン|shokupan}}, also called Hokkaido milk bread, or simply milk bread in English sources, is a soft white bread commonly sold in Asian bakeries, particularly Japanese ones. Although bread is not a traditional Japanese food, it was introduced widely after World War II, and the style became a popular food item.
Background and history
Soft white bread is popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, and has artisan status there.{{Cite news |last=Moskin |first=Julia |date=22 April 2014 |title=Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb (Published 2014) |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/dining/three-recipes-to-savor-to-the-last-crumb.html |access-date=30 July 2023}}{{Cite web |last=Imada |first=Kaila |date=13 February 2023 |title=What makes shokupan so popular – and where you can buy it |url=https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/whats-the-deal-with-shokupan |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=Time Out Tokyo |language=en-GB}} Bread was not a traditional food in Japan, but it came into culinary use there after the American response to post-World War II Japanese rice shortages included relief shipments of wheat.{{Cite news |last=Krader |first=Kate |date=18 September 2019 |title=Japanese Milk Bread Is Coming for Your Lunch |language=en |work=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-18/what-is-japanese-milk-bread-shokupan-sando-coming-for-your-lunch |access-date=30 July 2023}} The style of bread became popular outside Asia in the 2020s.{{Cite news |last=Beckett |first=Lois |date=11 December 2022 |title=LA's 'orgasmic' $18 Japanese milk bread sells out in seconds every day |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/dec/11/japanese-milk-bread-ginza-nishikawa-taste-test |access-date=30 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Trinh |first=Jean |date=9 November 2022 |title=LA's Latest Hot-Ticket Food Item Is a Plush Loaf of Japanese Bread Baked in a Ghost Kitchen |url=https://la.eater.com/2022/11/9/23449499/ginza-nishikawa-shokupan-japanese-milk-bread-sawtelle-colony-ghost-kitchen |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=Eater LA |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sims |first=Alex |date=28 December 2022 |title=That hyped £11 milk bread has arrived in London |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/that-hyped-11-milk-bread-has-arrived-in-london-122822 |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=Time Out London |language=en-GB}}
Other names for it are Hokkaido milk bread, shokupan, and pai bao. Shokupan translates to "eating bread" or "food bread" or "plain bread";{{Cite web |last=Boyette |first=Emily |date=12 March 2023 |title=Why Japanese Milk Bread Is The Ultimate Vehicle For Tuna Sandwiches |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/1221744/why-japanese-milk-bread-is-the-ultimate-vehicle-for-tuna-sandwiches/ |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=Tasting Table |language=en-US}} in Japan the style is considered the standard bread of the country, where it is a common breakfast meal or eaten as a snack. It is carried in many bakeries in Asian countries.
Description
New York Times food writer Julia Moskin describes it as "miracle of engineering: moist but not gummy, rich but light, balanced between sweet and salty." It is soft and slightly sweet with a dense, delicate crumb and chewy texture. It is generally softer and sweeter than typical commercial sandwich breads displayed in supermarket bread aisles but not as sweet as brioche.{{Cite web |last=Katayama |first=Akiko |title=Why Is $18-A-Loaf Japanese 'Shokupan' Milk Bread So Popular? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/akikokatayama/2023/03/31/why-is-18-a-loaf-japanese-shokupan-milk-bread-so-popular/ |access-date=30 July 2023 |work=Forbes |language=en}} The Guardian called it "the anti-sourdough".{{Cite news |last=Hariharan |first=Annie |date=6 June 2021 |title=Shokupan is the anti-sourdough: the rise of Japanese milk bread |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jun/06/shokupan-is-the-anti-sourdough-the-rise-of-japanese-milk-bread |access-date=30 July 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}
According to food anthropologist Annie Sheng, the bread is unique for "the texture and the mouthfeel when you first bite into it, and the sweetness" and that in Japan, it is described as fuwa fuwa, which translates to "fluffy and like a cloud".
Ingredients and technique
The dough is enriched and is created using a yudane, a type of roux. The use of the yudane helps keep the bread fresh for a longer period.{{Cite web |title=Japanese Milk Bread Recipe |url=https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/japanese-milk-bread-recipe |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=King Arthur Baking |language=en}}
Typical ingredients include flour, whole milk, butter, yeast, salt, sugar and often eggs. The yudane is prepared and cooled, then mixed with the remaining ingredients and kneaded to form a soft, sticky dough which is often divided and formed into multiple rolls and placed crosswise into loaf pans to rise before baking, resulting in a unique appearance. Commercial producers typically bake it in a Pullman-style pan. Home bakers using an open pan will create a different but still unique shape.