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{{Short description|Style of bread}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox food
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[[File:Shokupan.jpg|thumb|Commercially-produced milk bread with its characteristic crust markings]]
| name =
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'''Japanese Milk Bread''', also called '''Hokkaido Milk Bread''' or simply '''Milk Bread''', is a soft white bread commonly found in Asian bakeries, particularly bakeries in Japan. Although bread is not a traditional Japanese food, it was introduced widely after World War II and became a popular staple food item.
| name_lang =
| name_italics =
| image = Shokupan.jpg
| image_upright =1.2
| image_alt =
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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
| region =
| associated_cuisine =
| creator = <!-- or | creators = -->
| year =
| mintime =
| maxtime =
| served =
| main_ingredient = Wheat, milk
| minor_ingredient = Egg, yeast, sugar, salt
| variations =
| serving_size = 100 g
| calories =
| calories_ref =
| protein =
| fat =
| carbohydrate =
| glycemic_index =
| similar_dish = [[Sandwich bread]]
| cookbook =
| commons =
| other =
| no_recipes = true
}}

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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 cuisine|Japanese food]], it was introduced widely after [[World War II]], and the style became a popular food item.


== Background and history ==
== Background and history ==
Soft white bread is popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, and has [[Artisanal food|artisan]] status there.<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{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}}</ref> 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 [[Famine|rice shortages]] included [[Foreign aid|relief]] shipments of [[wheat]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> The style of bread became popular outside Asia in the 2020s.<ref name=":2">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Soft white bread is popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, and has [[Artisanal food|artisan]] status there.<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{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}}</ref> 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 [[Famine|rice shortages]] included [[Foreign aid|relief]] shipments of [[wheat]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> The style of bread became popular outside Asia in the 2020s.<ref name=":2">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>


Other names for it are Hokkaido milk bread, ''shokupan'' and ''pai bao''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Shokupan translates to "eating bread" or "food bread" or "plain bread";<ref>{{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}}</ref> in Japan the style is considered the standard bread of the country, where it is a common breakfast meal or eaten as a snack.<ref name=":3" /> It is carried in many bakeries in Asian countries.<ref name=":0" />
Other names for it are Hokkaido milk bread, ''shokupan'', and ''pai bao''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Shokupan translates to "eating bread" or "food bread" or "plain bread";<ref>{{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}}</ref> in Japan the style is considered the standard bread of the country, where it is a common breakfast meal or eaten as a snack.<ref name=":3" /> It is carried in many bakeries in Asian countries.<ref name=":0" />


== Description ==
== Description ==
[[File:Hokkaido milk bread.jpg|thumb|Milk bread's characteristic texture]]
⚫
''New York Times''<nowiki/>' food writer Julia Moskin describes it as "miracle of engineering: moist but not gummy, rich but light, balanced between sweet and salty."<ref name=":0" /> It is soft and slightly sweet with a dense, delicate crumb and chewy texture.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> It is generally softer and sweeter than typical commercial sandwich breads displayed in supermarket bread aisles but not as sweet as brioche.<ref>{{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 |website=[[Forbes]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> ''The Guardian'' called it "the anti-[[sourdough]]".<ref name=":3">{{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}}</ref>

⚫
''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."<ref name=":0" /> It is soft and slightly sweet with a dense, delicate crumb and chewy texture.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> It is generally softer and sweeter than typical commercial sandwich breads displayed in supermarket bread aisles but not as sweet as [[brioche]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> ''The Guardian'' called it "the anti-[[sourdough]]".<ref name=":3">{{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}}</ref>


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".<ref name=":2" />
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".<ref name=":2" />


== Ingredients and technique ==
== Ingredients and technique ==
[[File:Japanese Milk Bread.jpg|thumb|Homebaked milk bread]]
[[File:Japanese Milk Bread.jpg|thumb|Homebaked milk bread]]
The dough is [[Enriched dough|enriched]] and is created using a [[tangzhong]], a type of roux.<ref name=":0" /> The use of the tangzhong helps keep the bread fresh for a longer period.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
The dough is [[Enriched dough|enriched]] and is created using a [[tangzhong]], a type of [[roux]].<ref name=":0" /> The use of the tangzhong helps keep the bread fresh for a longer period.<ref>{{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}}</ref>


Typical ingredients include flour, whole milk, butter, yeast, salt, sugar and often eggs.<ref name=":1" /> The tangzhong is prepared and coooled, then mixed with the remaining ingredients and kneaded to form a soft, sticky dough which is often formed into multiple rolls and placed crosswise into loaf pans to rise before baking, resulting in a unique appearance.<ref name=":1" /> Commercial producers typically bake it in a [[Pullman loaf|Pullman-style pan]]. Home bakers using an [[Bread pan|open pan]] will create a different but still unique shape.
Typical ingredients include flour, whole milk, butter, yeast, salt, sugar and often eggs.<ref name=":1" /> The tangzhong 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.<ref name=":1" /> Commercial producers typically bake it in a [[Pullman loaf|Pullman-style pan]]. Home bakers using an [[Bread pan|open pan]] will create a different but still unique shape.


== Use and serving ==
== Use and serving ==
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[[Category:Japanese breads]]
[[Category:Japanese breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]
[[Category:Wheat breads]]

Latest revision as of 11:22, 16 May 2024

Japanese milk bread
Commercially-produced milk bread with its characteristic crust markings
Alternative names
  • Shokupan
  • Hokkaido milk bread
  • pai bao
TypeYeasted wheat bread
CourseSnack, meal
Place of originJapan
Main ingredientsWheat, milk
Ingredients generally usedEgg, yeast, sugar, salt
Similar dishesSandwich bread

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[edit]

Soft white bread is popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, and has artisan status there.[1][2] 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.[3] The style of bread became popular outside Asia in the 2020s.[4][5][6]

Other names for it are Hokkaido milk bread, shokupan, and pai bao.[1][2] Shokupan translates to "eating bread" or "food bread" or "plain bread";[7] in Japan the style is considered the standard bread of the country, where it is a common breakfast meal or eaten as a snack.[8] It is carried in many bakeries in Asian countries.[1]

Description[edit]

Milk bread's characteristic texture

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."[1] It is soft and slightly sweet with a dense, delicate crumb and chewy texture.[2][4] It is generally softer and sweeter than typical commercial sandwich breads displayed in supermarket bread aisles but not as sweet as brioche.[9][4][8] The Guardian called it "the anti-sourdough".[8]

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".[4]

Ingredients and technique[edit]

Homebaked milk bread

The dough is enriched and is created using a tangzhong, a type of roux.[1] The use of the tangzhong helps keep the bread fresh for a longer period.[10]

Typical ingredients include flour, whole milk, butter, yeast, salt, sugar and often eggs.[2] The tangzhong 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.[2] Commercial producers typically bake it in a Pullman-style pan. Home bakers using an open pan will create a different but still unique shape.

Use and serving[edit]

The loaves are often sliced thickly and toasted or used for sandwiches.[2] Fruit sandwiches are a common use.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Moskin, Julia (22 April 2014). "Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb (Published 2014)". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Imada, Kaila (13 February 2023). "What makes shokupan so popular – and where you can buy it". Time Out Tokyo. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  3. ^ Krader, Kate (18 September 2019). "Japanese Milk Bread Is Coming for Your Lunch". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Beckett, Lois (11 December 2022). "LA's 'orgasmic' $18 Japanese milk bread sells out in seconds every day". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  5. ^ Trinh, Jean (9 November 2022). "LA's Latest Hot-Ticket Food Item Is a Plush Loaf of Japanese Bread Baked in a Ghost Kitchen". Eater LA. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  6. ^ Sims, Alex (28 December 2022). "That hyped £11 milk bread has arrived in London". Time Out London. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  7. ^ Boyette, Emily (12 March 2023). "Why Japanese Milk Bread Is The Ultimate Vehicle For Tuna Sandwiches". Tasting Table. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d Hariharan, Annie (6 June 2021). "Shokupan is the anti-sourdough: the rise of Japanese milk bread". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  9. ^ Katayama, Akiko. "Why Is $18-A-Loaf Japanese 'Shokupan' Milk Bread So Popular?". Forbes. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Japanese Milk Bread Recipe". King Arthur Baking. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
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