Nama Shokupan (生食パン, fresh-eaten loaf)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9 by 4 inch Pullman loaf pan with lid, for kaku shokupan
• •Standard loaf pan, for yamagata shokupan
• •Stand mixer with dough hook, or patient hands and a bench scraper
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the yudane

   Put 90g of the bread flour in a heatproof bowl. Pour in 90g boiling water all at once and stir until no dry flour remains. It will look rough and stiff, almost like a small dumpling. Cover it and let it cool completely, then rest it at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. This scald is the first secret: the flour starch swells now, so the finished crumb holds moisture instead of drying out by the next morning.

   Use boiling water, not warm water. Warm water makes paste slowly; boiling water gelatinizes the starch quickly, which is the whole reason yudane works.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Tear the cooled yudane into pieces and put it in the mixer bowl with the remaining 270g bread flour, milk, cream, honey, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix on low until the dough comes together, then knead 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should feel soft and tacky, not dry. Nama shokupan needs water held inside it, so don't fix stickiness with handfuls of extra flour.

3. 3

   Work in butter

   Add the softened butter in small pieces and knead until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly glossy, 6 to 8 minutes more. Butter goes in after the gluten has begun to form because fat coats flour and can slow structure if it enters too early. Pull a small piece thin between your fingers; it should stretch into a cloudy window before tearing.

4. 4

   First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, set it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes. Press a floured finger into the dough. If the dent springs back slowly and leaves a faint mark, it's ready. If it vanishes at once, give it more time; yeast keeps its own clock, the stubborn little clerk.

5. 5

   Divide and rest

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal pieces. Shape each piece gently into a ball, cover, and rest 15 minutes. This pause matters. It lets the gluten relax, so you can roll the dough neatly without fighting it and tearing the surface.

6. 6

   Roll the pieces

   Flatten one piece into a long oval, fold the long sides toward the center, then roll it up from the short end into a snug cylinder. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Keep the surface smooth and the roll even, because those tidy layers help the loaf rise straight and give the crumb its fine pull-apart strands.

7. 7

   Proof the loaf

   Butter a 9 by 4 inch Pullman pan and place the three rolls inside, seam-side down. For kaku shokupan, slide on the lid when the dough reaches about 1 inch below the rim. For yamagata shokupan, leave it uncovered and proof until the domes rise just over the rim. This is the real difference: the lid gives a square, close-crumbed loaf, while the open pan lets the top rise proud and bake more fragrant.

   Don't rush the final proof. Underproofed dough tears and bursts in the oven; overproofed dough collapses. Look for a slow spring when touched, not a fixed number on the clock.
8. 8

   Bake gently

   Heat the oven to 350°F, or 175°C. Bake kaku shokupan with the lid on for 30 to 35 minutes, or yamagata shokupan uncovered for 28 to 32 minutes, tenting lightly if the top browns too quickly. The loaf is done when the crust is matte gold and the center reaches about 195°F, or 90°C. Gentle baking protects the dairy and honey from turning too dark before the crumb sets.

9. 9

   Cool and slice

   Unmold the loaf at once and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Hot bread feels generous, but the crumb is still setting; cut too soon and you compress the softness you worked for. Slice thick, or tear a face open with your hands for the first piece. Eat it fresh, plain or with a little butter. That's nama shokupan doing its own work.

Chef Tips

• •Use good bread flour with enough strength to carry the cream, honey, and butter. Low-protein flour gives tenderness, yes, but here it can turn slack and heavy. The loaf should be soft, not tired.
• •A Pullman pan with a lid makes kaku shokupan, the square shop-counter loaf. No lid? Bake yamagata style in the same pan. It isn't second best, only a different finish.
• •Hokkaido milk bread is the dairy-rich cousin, named for Hokkaido's milk and butter. Nama shokupan may use good Hokkaido dairy, but the name means a loaf meant to be eaten fresh, not a regional label.
• •Store the cooled loaf wrapped at room temperature for two days. Refrigeration stales bread faster. If you must keep it longer, freeze thick slices and thaw them gently.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the yudane the night before and refrigerate it, covered. Bring it to cool room temperature before mixing so it blends evenly into the dough.
• •The baked loaf can be cooled fully, sliced thick, wrapped, and frozen for up to one month. Thaw slices wrapped so the crumb keeps its moisture.
• •For the freshest table, bake the loaf the same day you plan to serve it and let it cool just long enough for the crumb to set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 58g)