Hokkaido Milk Bread

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What combines light bread, fluffy bread, sweet bread, and soft bread altogether? It is non other than this snow-white loaves of Hokkaido milk bread that are easily pulled apart with bread dough so soft it almost melts in your mouth after a few chews.

Using the sponge dough method, this easy Japanese milk bread recipe produces Hokkaido milk bread that’s topped with generous cheese as a savory finish to this simple homemade bread.

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A few weeksago, I attended a bread-baking class to learn how to bake bread using the famous Sponge Dough method. One of the breads taught in the class was Hokkaido Milk Bread.A few weeks later, I began to try out baking the breads I had learned in the class. I adapted the originalHokkaido Milk Bread recipeandadded some grated cheese as the topping.

My whole house smelt divine when the breads were being baked in the oven. What’s better is they taste heavenly in the mouth, not to mention the lovely chewing process that makes you feel some kinda way.Since then, thismilk cheese bread has been in huge demand from my family. Friends and neighbors love the Hokkaido Bread With Cheese Topping as well, when I send some over for them to try.

Contents

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What is Hokkaido Milk Bread?

Hokkaido Milk Bread, also known as Shokupan, is a type of Japanese Milk Bread that is well known for its subtle milky flavor, softness, and fluffiness. Sokupan translates to ‘eating bread’ because it can be eaten every day as a simple, white bread. Hokkaido milk bread originates from Hokkaido, Japan, as this bread was first made with milk from Hokkaido, which is known for its high-quality milk and dairy products.

The taste and texture of the Hokkaido Milk Bread is really appetizing as it’s not too dense and very light on the palate, hence it won’t overpower your tastebuds or make you super full. A perfect appetizer or dessert after a meal or even as a tea-time bread to accompany your tea break. As someone who doesn’t like super dense bread, I really enjoy how light this milk white bread is, alongside the yeasty cheddar cheese crust. This is a great recipe for you if you love Japanese bread.

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Sponge Dough Method

In this fluffy Japanese milk bread recipe, I used a baking technique called the sponge dough method or sponge and dough method. In French, it is known as levain-levure which is highly similar to the sourdough baking method; however, the sponge is made from all fresh ingredients prior to being used in the final dough.

What is Sponge Dough And How To Make It?

Well, the sponge dough method is an indirect pre-fermented bread baking process, and it is a two-step process. The sponge dough is a sponge ferment that is constituted of specific measurements of bread flour, water at room temperature and compressed yeast that is shortly mixed just to incorporate them together.

STEP 1: MAKE THE SPONGE

Benefits of the Sponge Dough Method

More extensible dough
Activation of the yeast
Facilitation of dough formation
Imparting superior aroma and flavor
Generating silk-like, soft, and regular crumb textures
More forgiving of processing delays
Lower dough mixing times
Lower dough temperatures, soless use of ice or glycol

A pre-ferment and a longer fermentation in the bread-making process contains several benefits: there is more time for yeast action on the starch and proteins in the dough; this, in turn, improves the shelf life of the baked bread, and it creates greater complexities of flavor.

Sponge Dough Method vs Tangzhong (water roux) method

If you have been browsing for milk bread recipes, then you may probably come across many recipes using the tangzhong method to make their Hokkaido milk bread. Though both methods use a special technique by having a starter dough to get a softer texture, the main difference is the method of making the starter dough is different in both methods.

For the sponge dough method, a pre-fermented starter dough is used, but in tangzhong milk bread, the starter dough uses cooked starch from flour. The level of difficulty is almost similar, with similar benefits. However, as there are already many new recipes for these Hokkaido milk loaves of bread using a tangzhong starter, I wanted to introduce this sponge dough method I learned just so there are more options for you to choose from. But fear not as this is an easy recipe as I have step photos and instructions to guide you along the way.

Ingredients in this Hokkaido Milk Bread Recipe

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SPONGE DOUGH

Bread Flour: it has a higher protein content for more gluten development which is necessary for the original recipe of milk bread
Water
Dry Yeast: Yeast will use up glucose in the sugar to undergo respiration that releases carbon dioxide to let the dough rise

SECOND DOUGH

Bread Flour
Fine Sugar
Salt
Instant Yeast (dry)
Milk Powder
Fresh Milk (chilled)
Fresh Cream (chilled) / Non Dairy Whipping Cream
Large Egg
Butter

TOPPING

Egg (for egg wash)
Grated Cheddar Cheese

Baking Tips

Here are some tips to take note of when you are making this bread loaf for the first time to achieve the perfect smooth dough that will yield a soft texture in your Hokkaido milk bread.

When making the starter dough or sponge, remember to prepare it at least 10 hours in advance.
A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment may be used if you do not have a bread machine. Mix all the dry ingredients at low speed, then slowly add in wet ingredients (butter being the last one to add) until they are well combined. Knead it with medium speed until the dough cleans itself from the side of the bowl. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and non-sticky. You may do a windowpane test to check if the gluten is well-developed.
The dough should pass the windowpane test for proper gluten development.
Do not add salt directly in contact with the instant dry yeast.
Lightly grease your hand and roller pin if you have sticky dough during shaping.
Remember to be gentle when shaping your dough so you don’t tear it, as this will cause irregularities in your bread texture. Also, remember to divide your dough into equal portions of dough ball so you get equal pieces of bread.

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What is a windowpane test?

The windowpane test is done at the end of kneading. to check if the dough has developed enough gluten. This is important as it means the dough has been sufficiently kneaded and can be left to proof or rise.

How do you perform this test?

To perform the windowpane test, you need to pinch off a little bit of the dough. Using your thumb, forefinger, and middle finger from each hand, proceed to stretch the dough as much as you can and angle it toward a window. If the dough stretches smoothly out into a thin membrane where sunlight can filter through with no holes in the dough, then the dough is ready for its first rise.

However, if your dough is not smooth and elastic and breaks easily hence unable to form the thin membrane, then your dough has failed this windowpane test. This means your dough needs to be kneaded even more.