We have three versions of the Old Swiss Inn Farm Hokkaido-Style Milk Bread to choose from: cream, espresso, and cheese. All of them have the same loveliness in taste and texture that Japanese milk bread, or shokupan, is famous for. This is a very soft bread, with a springy, pillowy, cloud-like texture—so soft that when torn, it resembles cotton candy. It’s buttery, with a beautiful milky sweet flavor.
Why not travel to Japan via your kitchen, and use your Old Swiss Inn Farm Hokkaido-Style Milk Bread to make some Japanese-inspired dishes? Try using any of our three flavors to make Tamagoyaki French Toast, a fluffier, creamier version of the classic: Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, low sodium soy sauce, and mirin. This makes a savory custard. Make it extra smooth by straining the mixture. Cut your shokupan into thick slices, and soak them in the custard mixture for at least 1 hour, carefully flipping it halfway. You want the bread to be completely saturated with the custard mixture. On a non-stick pan on very low heat, put a little bit of oil and let it heat up. Let the bread slice drain a little, place it onto the pan, and let it cook, covered, for about 8-10 minutes. The bottom should be golden, and the top part should be puffy before you flip it over to cook the other side. Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, syrup or honey, and whipped cream.
Widely credited to being popularized by Taiwanese author, Yvonne Chen, in her cookbook, 65 Degrees C, tangzhong is taken from the Japanese method, yudane. It’s basically briefly cooking a small portion of flour and milk (or water) together until it’s thick and gel-like, similar to a roux. The tangzhong method pre-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, helping them absorb and retain more water. This means that your dough will be less sticky (easier to knead), your bread will rise higher, and your breads will be softer and moister, and will retain their freshness longer.
Best consumed upon arrival. You may store in the fridge for later provided it is wrapped in plastic wrap or parchment paper or placed in an airtight container. If you plan serving again, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before using.
Consume no more than a week.