Hot Cross Shokupan (Milk Bread)

Andy | Breakfast | Japanese

Prep time: 3 min Cook time: 25 min Servings: 1

I thought I would make something a little different to your standard hot cross buns recipe for Easter this year. Instead, I’m combining hot cross buns with Japanese milk bread aka Shokupan. What you end up with is the fluffiest loaf of bread filled with sultanas and currants, with a golden top covered in glaze and finished with the iconic cross on the top.

It’s like a better version of raisin bread, and you can serve it with the classic butter smear or with butter and honey. I have also made a ham, cheese and egg toastie with the bread, and a s’mores version with marshmallow and chocolate eggs.

Yudane

A yudane is a mixture of flour and water which turns into a paste and is added to the dough. The boiling water gelatinises the starch in that portion of flour, allowing it to absorb significantly more moisture than it ordinarily could. This is what produces the characteristic softness and pillowy, close crumb that shokupan is known for. So don't skip it!

Dough

The dough is a mix of butter, egg, milk and honey, and the spiced dried fruit is soaked in orange juice and zest before being folded in at the shaping stage rather than kneaded through the dough. Incorporating the fruit during shaping distributes it evenly through each piece without the pieces tearing the dough during the knead. The cross is piped on before baking using a simple flour and water paste, and the marmalade glaze is applied straight out of the oven while the top is still hot, so it absorbs into the surface and sets with a light shine.

Ingredient Notes

Bread flour: Higher in protein than plain flour, around 11-13%, which supports more gluten development during the long knead. The stronger gluten network gives the loaf its tight, structured crumb and keeps the slices intact when cut. Plain flour will work as a substitute, but the crumb will be slightly more open and the texture less springy.

Orange marmalade (glaze): The marmalade is strained before brushing to remove any rind, leaving a clear, glossy finish on the top. Using marmalade rather than a plain sugar syrup adds a faint citrus note that ties into the orange used to soak the dried fruit. Brush it on while the loaf is still hot so it absorbs slightly into the crust rather than setting hard on top.

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook
Small saucepan
Small bowls (x2)
Large bowl
Jug
Cling film
Shokupan loaf pan with lid (21cm x 11cm x 11.5cm)
Wire rack
Snaplock bag or piping bag
Pastry brush

Ingredients

55g boiling water
360g bread flour, + 25g additional (Yudane)
zest and juice of 1 orange
125g sultanas
50g currants
11g honey
4g dried yeast
180ml milk, warmed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground ginger
pinch ground nutmeg
20g (1 tbsp) caster sugar
8g Kosher salt
25g butter, room temperature
softened butter to serve
Cross and glaze
25g plain flour
30ml water
1 tbsp orange marmalade
3 tsp boiling water

Directions

Make the Yudane
Mix the boiling water and 25g of additional flour in a small bowl until a smooth, thick paste. Set aside to cool completely.
Soak the dried fruit
Place the orange zest and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Remove from the heat and add the sultanas and currants. Mix to combine, then set aside to cool completely and soak.
Make the dough
In a jug, whisk together the milk, honey and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until frothy.
Place the bread flour, spices, sugar, salt and the yudane in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
Pour in the milk mixture and egg and place on low speed until a rough dough forms.
Increase to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes.
Gradually add the butter a little at a time, allowing each portion to absorb before adding more.
Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for a further 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches thinly without tearing.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large lightly greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature, until at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Divide and rest
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces and shape each into a tight ball.
Place on a lightly floured tray and sprinkle the tops with some flour. Cover with some cling film and rest for 30 minutes.
Grease a Shokupan loaf pan (21cmL x 11cmW x 11.5cmH) with a lid lightly with butter on all sides and the lid.
Roll
Roll each dough ball into roughly a 20cm x 25cm rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Sprinkle over ⅓ of the soaked fruit on each rectangle and gently press into the dough just to stay in place. Fold each piece into thirds lengthwise, then gently roll out again to seal.
Roll each tightly into a spiral and place into the loaf pan, seam-side down.
Cover and set aside to proof until the dough reaches 90% of the pan height, about another hour.
Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F) fan forced while the dough is proving.
Bake
Combine the flour and water for the cross in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Transfer to a small snaplock bag and snip off one corner.
Pipe 1 long line across the length of the loaf in the centre, then a line across the top of each roll to make 3 crosses.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, until deep golden on top.
Mix the marmalade and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth, then strain to remove any rind.
Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack, cross side up. Brush the top with the glaze and set aside to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing to serve with some butter.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Let the yudane cool completely before mixing

If the yudane goes into the stand mixer while it’s still warm, it raises the overall dough temperature and can accelerate fermentation unevenly. Yeast works best at roughly 25-35°C. A hot yudane pushes the dough past that range, which can lead to over-proofing and a less structured crumb. Make the yudane first, then let it come fully to room temperature before you start on the main dough.

Add the butter gradually

The butter goes in after the initial 8-minute knead rather than at the start, because fat inhibits gluten development if it’s present too early. Adding it a small amount at a time gives the dough time to absorb each addition before the next one goes in. If you add all the butter at once, the dough becomes greasy and slack and won’t recover its structure. You’ll know it’s fully incorporated when the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and feels smooth rather than tacky.

Storage

Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It slices best once fully cooled, so leave it on the rack for at least an hour before cutting. The bread also freezes well. Slice the whole loaf first, then freeze in a zip-lock bag. Individual slices can go straight from frozen into the toaster.

FAQs

Do I need a shokupan tin? The shokupan tin with a lid is what gives the loaf its square cross-section and tight, even crumb. You can bake it in a standard loaf tin without a lid for a rounded top and a slightly more open crumb. The shokupan tin is available online and at specialist kitchenware stores.

Can I make this without a stand mixer? Yes, but it takes significant effort. The dough needs a long knead to develop the gluten, and the butter stage is particularly difficult by hand. Plan for at least 15-20 minutes of hand kneading. The dough should be smooth and stretchy enough to pull into a thin sheet without tearing before you start bulk fermentation.

Can I change the dried fruit? Yes. The sultanas and currants can be swapped for any dried fruit you like. Raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots and mixed peel all work well. Keep the total combined weight at 175g and soak whatever you use in the orange juice and zest mixture.

Two recipes to make with the Hot Cross Shokupan:

Savoury version

2 slices hot cross bun Shokupan
3 slices leg ham
3 slices swiss cheese
1 tbs kewpie mayonnaise
⅓ cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Sea salt and cracked pepper, to season

Top one slice of Shokupan with the ham slices, then cheese slices. Make an indent in the centre of the other slice of Shokupan, large enough to cradle the egg. Spread the indented slice with mayonnaise, then place on top of the cheese and ham.
Transfer the sandwich to an oven tray lined with baking paper. Carefully crack the egg into the indent on top, then place the mozzarella around the edges of the egg. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C fan forced (320°F) for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the egg white is just set. Serve hot and enjoy!

Smores version

20g butter
2 slices hot cross bun Shokupan
3 giant marshmallows
4 small solid chocolate easter eggs
1 medium size cream filled egg

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the Shokupan slices for 1 minute on each side until golden. Transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Slice the marshmallows into 1cm thick slices. Cover 1 slice of the bread with the marshmallow and then top with the solid eggs. Cover the other slice, leaving a space in the middle, then place the cream filled egg in the centre.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C fan forced (355°F) for 5 minutes, until the marshmallow starts to brown. Carefully transfer the cream filled egg slice on top of the other slice and serve!