Coffee Shokupan
RECIPE
Baking Tin: One 190mm x100m x100mm Loaf tin
Yield: 1 Loaf
COFFEE PASTE
3 tsp Instant Coffee Powder
2 tsp Cocoa Powder
10g Hot Water, about (1 tablespoon)
YUDANE DOUGH
90 g Bread flour
90 g Boiling water
FINAL DOUGH
300g Bread Flour
140g Fresh Milk
50 g Egg, beaten
40g Castor Sugar/ Fine Sugar
5 g Fine Salt
5 g Instant Dry Yeast
30g Softened Unsalted Butter
METHOD
1. To make the coffee shokupan loaf, start by preparing the Yudane Dough by mixing the flour and boiling water with a fork. Once it comes to a rough dough, mix with gloved hands until smooth.
Cover the dough and leave to cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge.
Note: You can prepare the Yudane Dough maximum of 3 days in advance. Just ensure that you wrap them well in food wrap to prevent them from drying out and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
2. 10 minutes before preparing the Final dough, heat the milk to approximately 32-35°C. Add a teaspoon of sugar from the recipe into the lukewarm milk then sprinkle in the instant yeast. Mix until they are dissolved.
Leave at room temperature until the top starts to turn frothy. This will only take 10 - 20 minutes depending on the ambient of your kitchen.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients (salt, rest of the sugar and flour) in a stand mixer bowl then add in the yeast mixture and egg. Break up the cooled Yudane dough to small pieces then add in with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Mix over medium speed with a dough hook attachment for approximately 3 minutes or until they starts to form to a slack dough.
5. Add in the room temperature softened butter then continue to mix over medium speed for another 10-12 minutes or until you pass the "Windowpane"* test.
6. Transfer the dough onto a lightly dusted surface then roll it to a semi tight ball. Transfer the ball of dough into a lightly greased bowl that is large enough for it to double in volume.
Cover and leave to bulk ferment and until it increased to at least double its volume.
The bulk fermentation time will take roughly around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
7. Once the dough is ready and has doubled in size, gently press down with one of your palm to release some of the excess gas produced by the yeast.
Divide the dough to two equal portions.
8. Working with one dough at a time, roll each portion to a rectangle. Fold one end of the rectangle lengthways to the centre then fold the opposite sides over to fully cover the top.
Turn the folded dough over 90degrees , then roll the dough once again to an elongated shape. From the end away from you lengthways, roll the dough to a small log. Pinch the seams to seal then place in the lined bread tin on one end.
Repeat the same process with the second portion and place it in the tin on the other end, leaving a small space between the two doughs.
9. Cover the bread tin with a tea towel and leave to final proof for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes or until it double in size again.
10. When the dough is almost ready, pre heat the oven to 175°C.
11. When the dough is ready, brush the top of the loaf with some egg wash. Mist the top with some water spray then bake in the pre heated oven for 30 minutes.
12. Remove the bread tin from the oven then carefully tilt the bread out from the tin over an oven safe wire rack. Remove the parchment paper if you are lining the tin with it.
Turn the heat down to 160°C, then place the bread back into the oven and bake for a further 10 - 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is above 90°C.
13. Once the Shokupan is ready, remove from the oven and leave to completely cool before cutting.
