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Japan, Asia · Shio Pan (Japanese Salt Bread)

Overnight Tangzhong Shio Pan

Salt bread made bakery-style: tangzhong for a moist crumb, an overnight cold rise for deeper flavour and a blast of steam for a thin, crackly crust.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
Cooling the tangzhong (30 min), room-temperature rise (30 min) and overnight cold rise (12 h), chilling before shaping (20 min), second rise (60 min)+ 14 h 20 min
DifficultyHard
About servings150 g of flour (4 rolls) is the smallest dough batch, so 1 and 2 servings are made the same way. Mix the dough the evening before and bake the next day. Leftover rolls keep for a day at room temperature, then freeze them; reheat in a 180°C oven for 4 minutes.

Method

  1. Whisk the tangzhong flour and milk in a small 14 cm pan until smooth, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for . When it thickens like pudding and the whisk leaves clear trails (about 65°C), take it off the heat. Transfer to a bowl, press cling film onto the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

    Add in this stepStrong bread flour (for the tangzhong) 10 gMilk (for the tangzhong) 50 ml

    low heat

  2. Mix the dough flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, water and cooled tangzhong into a rough dough, add the dough butter and knead for . It is ready when it stretches into a smooth, thin film you can almost see your fingerprints through without tearing. Shape into a ball, cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours to rise slowly.

    Add in this stepStrong bread flour (for the dough) 140 gInstant dried yeast ¼ tspSugar ½ tbspSalt ½ tspMilk (cold) 25 mlWater (cold) 30 mlUnsalted butter (for the dough, room temperature) 10 g

  3. Take the cold dough out, press out the air gently and weigh it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each under your palm into a 15 cm teardrop with one thick end, cover and chill for 20 minutes. Cold dough can be rolled out long without tearing.

  4. With a rolling pin, roll each piece from the thick end to the thin end to 30 cm long. Put a cold butter stick on the thick end, roll it up without pulling tight and place it seam-side down on a tray lined with baking paper. Leave in a warm place (26 to 28°C) for 60 minutes, until 1.5 times bigger and a gentle fingertip press springs back slowly. Meanwhile, put an empty baking tray on the lowest shelf and preheat the oven to 240°C.

    Add in this stepSalted butter (at least 82% fat, 7 g sticks, cold) 28 g

  5. Spray the rolls with water, top each with a little flaky salt and put them in the oven, then pour 100 ml of hot water into the hot tray below to make steam and close the door at once. Bake in the oven at 230°C for , then lower to 210°C and bake for more. They are done when the tops are deep golden, the butter underneath is sizzling and the base is brown and crisp.

    Add in this stepFlaky salt ¼ tsp

    oven

  6. Straight away, brush the tops thinly with melted butter for shine, roll each base once through the butter pooled on the tray, then cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

    Add in this stepButter (melted, for brushing) 5 g

Cook's tip

Put the butter sticks in the freezer for 10 minutes before rolling: they won't melt while you shape, so you get a big hollow inside. The cold rise is fine up to 16 hours; any longer and the dough turns sour and weak. The steam water flashes up fiercely, so keep your face back and wear oven gloves.

Cooking it at camp

For the best result, mix, cold-rise and bake at home. At the campsite, wrap the baked rolls in foil, warm them at the edge of the grill for 5 minutes and finish with a little melted butter and flaky salt.