Have you ever eaten Shokupan in Japan? You must try it! It’s that delicious, soft and fluffy white bread loaf that you can get in Japan. They are amazingly fluffy and keep moist for longer than ordinary bread because of the Yudane method.
Why is Japanese Bread So Fluffy?
I did a little bit of research about why Japanese bread is so soft and fluffy and has the mochi-like texture. And I found the “Yudane” method. Yudane method makes the bread incredibly soft, and helps the bread stay fresh longer (it does not last long in my house though…).
The Yudane method works so remarkably well to make soft and fluffy bread and makes the bread last longer because the heated gelatinised starch in the flour keeps the moisture inside the bread and it will make the bread soft and last longer.
What is the Yudane Method?
- The Yudane method originated in Japan and it became widespread and popular way to bake bread when Yvonne Chen introduced “Tangzhong” roux as a secret ingredient to bake the super soft and light Japanese bread in her book called “Bread Doctor”.
- Tangzhong roux is made by 1:5 ratio of bakers or bread flour to water. The mixture is heated up to 65-degrees celsius then cooled down to room temperature and added to the bread dough.
- Multiple Japanese companies have patents on this method, but I found a lot of recipes on the internet. I referenced and adopted this recipe to make my Shokupan in Australia.
I have seen this type of bread also called “Hokkaido Milk Bread” on social media platforms such as Pinterest often. Hokkaido milk bread is made by this Yudane method.
This is not a popular effortless “No Knead” type of bread recipe, however, it is worth the effort to bake this bread especially if you love any Japanese baking stuff, this is the bread you must try!
FAQ-
Q: Can the bread flour be replaced by all purpose flour?
A: Yes, you can. But as you can see the all purpose flour did not rise well. The texture of the bread was not fluffy, but rather it was like eating savoury muffin.
Q: I don’t use cow milk, can I use almond milk or something else instead?
A: Using different milk does not affect the fluffiness and lightness of the bread. The coconut milk I used was the “Ayam Premium Coconut Milk 100 % Natural” which contains 24.3 g fat in 100ml and it is quite rich and thick. The almond milk that I used was “Sanitarium So Good Almond Milk” and contained only 1.4g per 100ml. It was very thin milk. The almond milk bread turned out fluffier and coconut milk bread was denser.
Hope these experiments using different ingredients helps you make a decision as to which ingredients to use.
If you liked my recipe for Shokupan Japanese bread, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagramto keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
And here is the mini movie “How to make Shokupan Japanese milk bread” from me
Ingredients
Yudane
- 50 g Bread flour/Baker's flour
- 40 ml boiling water above 90 degree celsius
Bread
- 200 g Bread/Baker's flour
- 3 g dry instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 150 ml milk
Instructions
- Make Yudane the night before. Place bread flour in a bowl and add boiling water and mix well. Put cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. *1
- Place all the ingredients except the unsalted butter into a bread making machine or kneader with the wet ingredients first then dry ingredients.
- Add the Yudane (torn into small pieces) and knead it for about 10 minutes.
- Add the unsalted room-temperature butter and knead for another 10 minutes.
- Place the dough into a greased bowl. Wrap with cling wrap to raise for about 1 hour at about 30 degrees celsius(86F) or until double the size.
- Punch the dough down and cut the dough into two equal parts with a scraper and roll them.
- Cover the rolled doughs with a wet cloth and take 20 minutes bench time.
- Roll out each dough to about 15 x 20 cm (5.9x7.8inch)rectangle with a rolling pin.
- Fold the dough tightly not letting any air in towards the centre from left and right.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it from one end.
- Spray one loaf bread tin lightly and place the rolled dough in the end of the tin facing the centre.
- Start to preheat the oven to 185 degree celsius (365 f).
- Cover it with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for a second time until the dough rises to the size of the bread tin.
- Bake the dough for about 25 -30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the tin and cool it down on a rack.
i love your pictures! i’m really tempted to do this today, but i’m not a fan of doing the Yudane a night before, since i want to do this in one day. is it ok if i keep the yudane a couple of hours in the fridge instead of overnight? does it affect it by a lot? thank you:)
Hi Kania, I have not tried shorter resting time but I think it will work. I will try it as I am updating many recipes including Yudane Shokupan and please let me know how yours turned out 😀
Hai, Shihoko
Greta picture and Nice tasted bread for sure.. do you have a class or Somothing like that for teaching all of that tasty product?
Can u email me when u’re free?
Thank u
Thank you Will, I’m glad you like the recipes, but no, I do not have any classes 😀
I tried this recipe and left the yudane in the fridge for 2 hours. The bread turn out good. Thanks for sharing.
Can your share how to make bead with corn meal or corn flour.
I.tried your bread..it comes out really wonderful.
Hi Nishu, Thank you. I love baking so I will give it a go. Stay tuned ;D
Hi!
Can I use all purpose flour to make this bread? Thank you
Hi Alice, I think you can but I have not tried it myself. I am going to update it soon with video and try to use different types of flour 😀
Is the milk portion of the wet ingredients supposed to be warmed?
Hi Em. No, I did not use warmed milk 😀
Bake at 185 degrees. It. Doesn’t seem hot enough
Hi Shirley, I am in Australia and the temperature is in Celsius. It is 365 Fahrenheit if you use this measurement.
Shihoko i dont drink whole milk nor do i use it in my cooking, can i use almond milk instead or is that too thin? Also i will be substituting buttermilk and double acting baking powder for yeast because i dont have yeast..will my bread still come out the same way?
Hi Dj, I don’t think it will come out the same way because I use whole milk for fat content and yeast for raise the dough. I have not tried almond milk so I am not 100 % sure but it is too thin, coconut milk might be better option?
Hi!
I don’t rest the yudane at all, and it still turns out pretty well! I’m sure yours is better, but the impatient baker can still enjoy reasonable shokupan. It’s maybe not worth noting, but I tripled the recipe and added an egg, so perhaps that helped? I am currently proofing a doubled batch without any egg, and will update with the result.
Hi Patrick, I am very interested how your bread turns out 😀 Let me know when it is baked 😀
I’ve made about 6-8 loaves now, and I think I prefer the results when omitting the egg (and I’ve switched to just doubling the recipe, as I only have two good loaf pans), but have had a very lucky time of it without resting the yudane. My only trouble is that I can’t seem to get the bottom cooked through without slightly ruining the look of the top! It doesn’t burn, but it turns a very dark brown that spoils the look of that golden brown crust. Either way, the texture is fluffy and it has a great crumb. Your recipe has been keeping me fed all week, thank you!
Hi Patrick, Thank you for your report 😀 I love Brioche and thinking if I add eggs or may be substitute part of milk with eggs, this bread may become texture like Brioche and probably add more sugar too. I will try sweeter bread soon. And for the golden brown colour, how about baking the bread on the bottom lack of your oven or lower temperature?
this bread is wonderful i love it !!
Thank you Pablo 😀
It’s SOOO fluffy and soft! Loving this recipe. Makes great dinner rolls and slider sandwiches.
Hi Jessica 😀 Thank you. Yes it will make great dinner rolls 😀
How interesting! I’ve never heard of this delicious sounding bread before but it sounds a little like French brioche which I adore.
Thank you for teaching me something today. I’d love to give this a try!
Thank you Helen. Yes I am going to try adding egg which will make this bread a bit like brioche 😀 Brioche is my favourite bread.
It’s really interesting blog. Definitely wanna try this. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Chelsea, please let me know how your bread turns out 😀
Love this bread recipe. Its so soft & fluffy, Bread still soft on the third day. Thank you.
You are welcome Celeste. Yudane method really work 😀
Hi, how long should i bake if i double the recipe to make two doughs? Thanks in advance
Sorry i meant two loaves
Hi Cy, if you baking them in two one loaf tin, baking time should be same 😀
Thanks for replying!
Hi… recipe looks great. Would like to ask if I can use wholemeal flour instead? If can, is it the same measurement as the normal bread flour?
Hi Michelle, yes you can but texture will be different and yes you need to change the ratio of ingredients. Because wholemeal flour inhibits gluten making and becomes bread hard, so add 10 to 15% to the bread flour. And also need to be careful with amount of moist ingredients adding. Add moist ingredients 2% less than bread made with 100% bread flour.
If i want to make 1 kg bread flour, how many grams is my ingredients. And the weight of yudan. If i use 1 kg bread flour.
Thanks
Hi Rocky, if you hover over the serves, a bar appear and you can slide the scale left and right to change the serving and ingredients amount 😀
Thank you – a great recipe. I was so impatient to try it I left the yudane for only one hour and still the bread was lovely. Almost as good as I ate in Nagoya last week. I will leave the yudane overnight next time. I am looking forward to trying more of your lovely recipes
You are welcome Anne. I glad to know that you could recreate authentic Japanese Shokupan that you had in Nagoya at your home 😀
I am preparing the Yadane now , but I wonder what is the difference between Tangzhong method and Yadane.
Hi Yod, It’s basically same 😀 It is explained in the post ;D
I tasted wonderful toast in Nagoya so when I came home I found your recipe which is brilliant!
Thank you for this recipe which worked really well – I have made three loaves this week!
You are welcome Anne 😀
Oh sorry I already commented!,
Excellent post. The images are so much more helpful than trying to explain it. Love your website – looking forward to more.
Thank you Raschell 😀
Love all the tips and the visual difference between the coconut and almond milk here! Outstanding!
Thank you Jenn ;D
Love this post! Thank you for explaining all of the options!
You are welcome ;D
I love the texture of this fabulous bread! Thanks for the details on how to make this wonderful recipe.
You are welcome Liz. Thank you 😀
I am very interested in trying this recipe. I was wondering if i can add sredded coconut and use coconut milk for it to be like a coconutbread? I know that you’v tried it with coconut milk, but does adding shredded coconut affect the texture of the bread?
Hi LT 😀 I have never made coconut bread though used coconut milk in my shokupan. So I am not sure if it will be like a coconut bread. And it is depends on how much you add shredded coconut. I sometimes add raisins to make fruit bread using same method and it is as fluffy as this shokupan so if you don’t add too much it will not affect the texture.
Can we use self rising flour instead of bread flour?
Hi Henry, you can but the texture of the bread will not be as fluffy as using bread flour. I included photos in the post. Self rising flour is baking powder added plain so the texture will be similar to that.
I love this!
I’m wondering of how the yudane works here as opposed to one where the mixture is cooked , stir until it’s almost pudding like. Also, the water to flour ratio here seems to be different from the popular 5:1. Can you help explain?
I’m working on a batch using your recipe, but double it to fit into the only loaf pan l have in the house, the Pullman pan… I won’t have enough patience to rest the yudane overnight, but I’m planning to let it rest at room temperature for an hour or so….
Looking forward to reading your comments! Thanks so much!
Hi Adelina, thank you 😀 The ratio is for Yudane method is 1:1 it just different method. 5:1 is the ratio for Tangzhong Method 😀 It works same principle but I think Yudane method retain moisture more than Tangzhong method. Hope your batch turn out delicious bread!
I am new to baking bread. Would love to try out your recipe. Instead of baking in oven, can I bake ithe bread machine itself?
Hi Suzanne, Yes you can. Just for the photo purpose, my bread machine is for one loaf and usually make tall one and also baking in the machine leaves a hole at the bottom… but if you don’t mind how it look, you can leave them in the machine to bake. Leaving in the machine to bake does not compromise texture and taste 😀
Hi Shihoko!
The bread looks sooo pillowy soft and delicious!
Would like to try baking it but as I don’t have a bread machine, can I use a stand mixer for kneading the dough?
If so, will the kneading time be the same as stated in the recipe?
Hi Laylee, yes. You can use a stand mixer and same kneading time 😀
Thanks for your fast reply! Will try it tomorrow!😃
Thank You so much for sharing so many amzing recipes. I Love them all and Going to Do them all. Red bean pan is my favourite. I tried this one first. In Cairns, We have a Japanese loaf shop, a small Lovely shop fantastic Bread freshly made and Nice atmosphere there. Have all Bread on your website, so excited to find your website.
I found my Dough very very sticky to shape. Dont know Whats the problem is and could u recommen the flour brand u use. Thank You so much
Konnichiwa Sara-san 😀 There must be Japanese grocery stores in Cairns. If you can find one, I usually buy Nisshin(日清）brand strong flour(カメリア強力粉麦粉）If your dough is too sticky may need to adjust wet ingredients?
Mine did not turn out fluffy although the flavor was good…i followed the recipe exact! I’m so bummed!
Hi Amy I am sorry the bread did not turned out as you expected. There are many factors affect the end result, even you follow the recipe exactly, all the ingredients you used might have been different (in terms of brand and also how old the ingredients are), temperature in general is different etc.
Hi, can I add milk powder into the recipe? Would 10g be ok?
Hi Lidia, not sure. Why do you want to add milk powder? Milk is already used in the recipe. Are you going to replace the milk?
some other recipes i have seen used the milk powder to enhance the flavour of the bread further. But I am not sure whether it works here. I will try baking the bread using your recipe. thanks for your reply.
Hi, i have tried your recipe 3 times. The 1st time it turned out well. Bread is pillowy soft. Last 3 days with same txture!
When i tried to double batch it with savory ingredients, i have problems. My bread becomes slightly chewy yet soft (soft but not fluffy). Is there something i should look out for?
I use bacon and ham for both tries.
Sorry Pei jun, it because you change the recipe by adding bacon or ham?
Hi there,
I dont what I did wrong but my yudane is very lumpy.
Is it the right amount of water and flour? 50gr of bread flour and 40ml water?
Thanks
Hi Diana, yes the amount of water and flour are correct. I am not sure what went wrong. Did you masure properly and used correct flour?
I am not a very experienced baker, and so I was very interested to try a new technique! I prepared my yudane yesterday, and baked the loaf tonight – very soft and delicious. Mine did not rise as much as your exemplar (actually only about half as high in a baking tin the same size), but to me that is a good result, because it means I have to try again!
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Emily That is great effort and result. Is the temperature cold? where you raise your bread? You may be needed longer raise time than I stated? raising time is just a guide and you need to adjust the time according to the temperature.
Thank you! I love the recipe so much. The bread turn out very soft and good too. When I was naking the Yudane I added more 30ml hot water to the flour to get a pudding like paste. The dough is very wet so i added 40g bread flour during the kneading process. The turn out is lovely because I put some shredded cheese & brown sugar for the topping before baking at 180°C for 30 mins.
Nice!
Hi Shihoko! Thank you for the lovely recipe. The results is fantastic and my family love it so much. The texture is so soft and fluffy. When i make the Yudane i added another 30ml hot water to get a gluey pudding texture. Then during kneading i added another 35ml flour to reduce the stickiness of the dough.
Fantastic Jessica! adjust to whatever works for you is the way to go as we all use different brand ingredients 😀
Hi Shihoko, I am not a fan of butter, and would like to substitute with oil instead. Will that make a difference in the end result?
Hi Nancy, I have not tried with oil so not 100%sure but you can substitute with oil. I think the end result will not be same but will not make huge difference. The flavour and fluffiness will be different.
my favourite bread at home. thanks for the recipe. luv it.
Ohhhh Lovely Thank you for making Shokupan with my recipe 😀
Is it possible to replace the dried yeast with my sourdough starter?
Hi Pam, it is possible I think but you need to change the recipe, the liquid and solid ingredients ratio.
Ours was still fresh after 4 days. My favourite recipe! Could you make one with a sourdough starter recipe and share it with us? 😅😉
That’s fantastic Pam. I am trying to make one with natural yeast but don’t know when I can post 😀 I am working on it.
Can’t wait! 🤗 btw, I notice once I bring my loaf out of the oven, the bread deflates and the skin is not firm but goes soft..do you know why?
hello.
i am Monica from Indonesia
can i replace the sugar?with sweetener?
i’d like to make this recipe for diabetic people so they can’t consume white sugar
but they can consume sweetener
thank you
Hi Monica, I think you can but you may need to adjust the recipe 😀
Made another batch of this recipe to be eaten nexr morning. The family love the texture of it. Cut a thick slice n made a “toad in the hole” with eggs.
Good recipe so far, and without eggs. Most japanese milk bread recipe uses
You are welcome Hans. I am glad that your family like it 😀
Hi.
I tried it n it was delicious. I did eggwash it before going in the oven. N once cook, brush some melted butter on it. It have a shiny appearance but still soft to the touch. Im from perth, australia.
Konnichiwa Hans 😀 That’s great! Thank you for reading my blog from Perth! It is great idea to make the bread shiny. This bread deserve it 😀
Could I double the recipe and bake a larger loaf. Love the texture and flavour!
Yes Beryl, have a look the comment above Patrick’s comment 😀
I tried this today and it did not rise enough. I’m in the USA, perhaps I should use a little more yeast? I used a bread maker to knead the dough.
Hi Colette, room temperature affect too, maybe you needed longer raising time? I usually use bread maker to knead the dough too 😀
I will try again! I put it next to a warming oven so I think it should have been okay. My overall dough seemed too moist too so I will see.
Second try rose much more and is looking good. Tsugi wa shikakui katachi or challenge shitai kedo, kono recipe o double shitara seiko dekirukashira? Katsu sando o tsukuritaino desu.
Colette さん 成功することを 願っています。カツサンド ができると 良いですね。Please let me know how it went.
I tasted my 2nd attempt today, while it rose much more, it still was more like a dinner roll than shokupan.. Meaning that stretchy fuwa fuwa texture wasn’t there. It’s soft but still a little more dense than yours. I did notice my loaf pan is less deep than yours and I used a glass loaf pan. Going to try again with double the recipe and a pullman loaf pan, but welcome any advice.
Hi Colette, may be the flour you use is different from the flour I use? I purchase bread flour from a local Japanese grocery so the flour is Japanese. It is called 強力粉。
Hi Shihoko San,
I just found your website a few days ago. And I can’t stop myself from reading everything and try one recipe each day. Last night I finally made this shokupan and the result is unbelievable fluffy and I can say that this bread is the best bread that I ever tried. Arigatou..
Can’t wait to try other recipes 😍
Hi Efa-san. You are welcome and thank you for your kind words. I am glad that your bread turned out fluffy and you loved it. Happy cooking 😀
Tried this recipe kneading by hands, not too sure if I kneaded too little, but my bread seemed to be more compact than the above pictures. Still tasted good, but really want it to be lighter and fluffier… also sides were slightly over cooked i think.. with 185 at 30min
Hi G. Thank you for trying this and your feedback. If it over cooked, next time you may need to bake for less time as everyone’s oven is different.
It is 2019 and I am decided to try again making my own bread, I love shokupan and since the only bread I have succeded before is hamburguer buns, this is a good start. I am now done with kneading, hope it raises well.
Hi Sofi, Thank you for trying this and hope your Shokupan turns out fantastic 😀
Hi, Shihoko
If I want to knead by hand, will you recommend the butter to be added later also?
I had tried another shokupan recipe almost similar with yours but whenever I tried to double the recipe, the exterior doesn’t come out as snooth as if I only bake one recipe. I proof the dough inside my oven (without turn it on) and put hot water in a small basin to make the oven warmer.
I will absolutely try your recipe. I admire your patience answering all questions since last year. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you Maria 😀 for reading my blog. Yes I will recommend the butter to be added later because if you add butter early on, it prevent the dough create gluten.
Hi, I want to try and make this but I’m not sure if we have bread flour here in NZ? Is it called something else-high grade flour? Thanks!
Hi Liling, The bread flour I use contain 12% protein. If the flour has 12 or above, it would be good to use.
wow, thank you for posting this! i am definitely going to make this with my son. We watch the show “Sarah and Duck” and there was an episode called “fluff bread” where the little Japanese boy talked about Shokupan, and my son wants to try it. the bread looks amazing…. and you would probably get a kick out of the episode, they try to make shokupan using a rain cloud, very cute … will be trying your recipe soon
Hi Karen, how cute! I have not seen Sarah and Duck but I am sure your son will love Shokupan 😀