Sourdough Bread Recipe: Sourdough Japanese Milk Bread

Step 1 – PREPARATION

FEED STARTER/MAKE THE SWEET STIFF STARTER

• Take 9g of your sourdough starter and feed it 45g bread flour + 14g water + 9g sugar
• Wait for it to 3x in size –it will be ready when the top stops doming and starts to crater a little

PREPARE YUDANE

• This recipe can be made with OR without the yudane.
• Yudane is basically a bread improver –it will help your bread be lighter, softer, fluffier and moist for longer
• In a bowl, add 80g of bread flour, then pour 64g of boiling hot water, mix
• Let cool, cover, put in the fridge overnight

Step 2 – MIXING

• In your stand mixer, mix dough ingredients (except the butter) until you get a windowpane (mixer at speed 2 for around 10-16 min)
• Then add in the butter. Mix again until you get a windowpane (mixer at speed 2 for around 10-16 min)

Step 3 – BULK FERMENTATION/1st RISE

• Roughly shape the dough into a taut ball and put it in a greased bowl, cover
• Bulk proof for 4hrs at 74F (gauge time if your room is cooler or warmer)

Step 4 – COLD PROOFING/2nd RISE

• Cold proof in your fridge overnight (~8hrs)

Step 5 – JAPANESE MILK BREAD SHAPING

• Take out the dough, weigh and divide equally by 6 and shape tautly into buns
• Cover, rest 20 min
• Roll each bun into a rectangle
• Fold the rectangle into thirds like you’re folding a piece of paper to mail (the envelope fold)
• Cover, rest 20 min
• Roll each long into a long rectangle
• Now roll each rectangle like you would a cinnamon roll
• Lift each roll and place into your buttered Pullman loaf pan
• Then put directly onto a buttered 13 x 4 x 4 Pullman Loaf Pan
• Cover

Step 6 – FINAL PROOFING/3rd RISE

• Cover lightly because we don’t want it to dry out
• Final proof this for 4-6hrs at room temp (74F),
• or until *ALMOST* double, around 75-80% rise

Step 7 – SOURDOUGH BAKING

• Egg-wash and bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for 35-40 min