Sourdough Shokupan/Milk Bread (with Sweet Stiff Starter)

Ingredients

• 55 g active starter (100% hydration)
• 165 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
• 65 g water
• 30 g sugar
• 115 g active starter (100% hydration)
• 115 g bread flour (12.7% protein content)
• 45 g water
• 25 g sugar
• 133 g bread flour (12.7% protein content) (or more as needed)
• 90 g whole milk (or more as needed)
• 12 g milk powder
• 45 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 32 g unsalted butter (softened)
• 153 g bread flour (12.7% protein content) (or more as needed)
• 90 g whole milk (or more as needed)
• 12 g milk powder
• 45 g sugar
• 5 g salt
• 32 g unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp milk

Instructions

1. 1

   I use a 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 small but tall loaf pan. You can also use 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan, the loaf will come out shorter but wider

2. 2

   --- Prepare sweet stiff starter: ---

3. 3

   I recommend using a starter that is at least two months old and consistently doubles or triples in 4-6 hours when you feed it at 1:1:1 ratio. Young starter will not give the best result

4. 4

   Combine all ingredients for the sweet stiff starter in a bowl. Stir a bit to roughly combine and then use your clean hand to knead it. This is a stiff starter, it's like a dough. Make sure no pockets of dry flour are visible. Transfer to a large see-through container (plastic or glass is fine, preferably wide-mouth so you can get it out easier later). Loosely cover with the lid and let it ferment until triple in size

5. 5

   --- Prepare the dough: ---

6. 6

   Place all ingredients and the stiff starter, except for the butter, in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Use the hook to stir everything around a bit so when you turn the machine on, the flour won't fly around and wet ingredients won't splash (it happened to me before!).

7. 7

   Start with the lowest speed to mix things up and then increase to speed 2 and knead for about 5 minutes or until it forms a dough. If the dough is too dry to come together, you can add a bit of milk one teaspoon at a time. Don't add too much as we haven't added the butter yet

8. 8

   Then add butter in 2-3 batches. The dough will turn into a complete mess again because of the butter, but don't worry, it will get absorbed by the dough as it kneads. Knead at speed 4 for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you slowly stretch a small amount of dough, it will not break and light can pass through, like a window pane. Proceed to first proofing

9. 9

   --- First proofing: ---

10. 10

    Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and proof at a warm place for about 1 1/2 - hours max at 78-82 F (26-28 C), the dough will not double in size. It probably rises only about 25%, which is fine. Sourdough starter is different from commercial yeast.

11. 11

    --- Shaping: ---

12. 12

    Lightly grease your loaf pan on all sides

13. 13

    Punch the dough down and give it a knead for a few times. Divide into 2 or 3 equal-weight doughs. Round up each dough to roughly form a ball. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes

14. 14

    Then work with one dough at a time and keep the rest covered. Flatten the dough with your palm and roll it into a rectangle shape, the width should about twice the width of the loaf pan and about the same length as the loaf pan. Fold the two sides over to meet in the middle and then roll the dough up, not too tight, not too loose, like a Swiss roll

15. 15

    Place the shaped dough into the pan. Repeat with the other dough. Place all the shaped dough side by side inside the loaf pan. Slightly flatten the three doughs with your palm so they are about the same height

16. 16

    --- Final proofing: ---

17. 17

    Cover and let the dough proof again at a warm place until it fills up about 80-90% of the pan. This may take about 3-4 hours or longer at 82 F (28 C). Mine usually takes about 3-3 1/2 hours. If you want to bake with the lid, slide the lid now before the dough rises too high and you won't be able to use the lid anymore

18. 18

    If you bake in a pan without the lid, brush the surface of the dough with an egg wash

19. 19

    --- Baking: ---

20. 20

    10 minutes before the end of proofing, preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C) for a conventional oven. For convection top and bottom heat, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C

21. 21

    Place the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown if you bake without the lid. UPDATED: If you bake with the lid, bake for 30 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until internal temperature is 190 F (88 C)

22. 22

    --- Cooling: ---

23. 23

    Once out of the oven, drop the pan on the counter to release some steam and immediately remove from the pan onto a cooling rack. Optional: If you want a softer shinier crust, you can brush with melted butter immediately while the bread is still warm. Let the bread cool down completely on the rack

24. 24

    --- Storing: ---

25. 25

    Once it has cooled down, you can put in an air-tight container and can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. The bread should stay soft for few days if kept properly at room temperature