This Japanese bread, called Hokkaido toast, is made with cream which gives it an incredibly soft and fluffy texture. This homemade Hokkaido toast is just as good as the kind sold at Japanese bakeries.
There’s something about making homemade bread that is so extremely satisfying. I’m not quite sure why. I’ve baked cookies, cakes, and countless other baked goods. But I never have the same feeling of accomplishment for those other baked goods as I do when I successfully make a loaf of bread.
Maybe it’s because I grew up eating homemade cookies and cakes and other baked goodies. But bread was always something that was bought from a store or bakery or served at a restaurant. So being able to actually make a loaf and have it taste as good as the ones I buy, feels really amazing.
Hokkaido toast is a Japanese-style bread that can often be found in Japanese bakeries. It’s soft and fluffy and usually used as toast or sandwiches. One of the key ingredients to create it’s extremely soft texture is the addition of heavy whipping cream.
I’ve previously made Hokkaido toast before using the tangzhong method which is my go-to method for bread making because it always produces such wonderfully soft and fluffy breads. But I’ve come across several other Hokkaido bread recipes that don’t use the tangzhong and have been wanting to try one out.
The bread came out great. Soft, fluffy, white. It was hard to compare to my previous attempt without having the breads side by side. And I’m not sure how long the bread would have stayed soft because we pretty much finished this in two days.
The recipe I used made more bread than could fit in my 9 x 5 inch pan. So when it was time to separate the bread into four pieces, I only put three pieces into the loaf pan and used the fourth chunk to create the cute turtle breads I previously posted about along with another animal shaped bread I’ll post later on.
Hokkaido Toast
Ingredients
- 540 gm bread flour
- 60 gm cake flour
- 10 gm instant yeast
- 30 gm milk powder optional (see note)
- 80 gm sugar
- 9 gm salt
- 2 large eggs
- 250 gm skim milk
- 150 gm heavy cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the bread flour, cake flour, instant yeast, milk powder (if using), sugar, salt, 1 egg, skim milk, and cream until a dough forms.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and, on medium speed, knead the dough for 18 to 20 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough is ready if you can stretch it very thin without it breaking. Cover the bowl with a damp towel until the dough has doubled in size, approximately one hour.
- Deflate the dough and divide it into four equal-sized parts and form each into a ball. Rest the dough balls for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
- Roll a dough ball into an oval shape. Starting at one end, roll the dough into itself, like you are making a swiss roll. Repeat with two other dough balls. You can divide the fourth dough ball to make 2 small individual bread rolls. Place the three rolled doughs into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Cover the dough with a damp towel until the dough has risen enough to fill 2/3 of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). In a small bowl, beat one egg and brush it on top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for approximately 40 minutes. Half-way through the bake time check the top of the loaf. If it is golden brown, tent the loaf with tin foil while it finishes baking to prevent the top from burning. Once cooled store the bread in an airtight container for up to two days.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
This looks amazing! We also buy Japanese milk bread from Mitsuwa, and now I want to try it at home. Thanks for the tips!
I think you’ll enjoy making your own!
Thanks for the link and tips! We love Hokkaido toast, but sometimes it’s a pain to get to Mitsuwa, and sometimes they’re out of the better stuff!
It’s fun being able to make your own!
Thanks for the link
Very true.. there’s a challenge in baking bread. You won’t know the result until you slice it and the hours and hours of waiting just heightens up the suspense especially with a new recipe.
It’s more unpredictable than baking cakes and cookies.
That is so true. Though it has its downside too. All that wait and if it doesn’t turn out it’s so sad!
I know exactly what you mean about baking bread. The process, the smell while it’s baking and then eating fresh warm bread, ahhhhhh! The Hokkaido bread looks really good. I might have to try this although milk powder isn’t something I have in the pantry.
Hi Carol- You can do the recipe without the milk powder. It is used more to give it that extra smell/essence. But I’ve done it without too when I don’t have milk powder on hand. Yes, that first bite into the fresh warm bread is so satisfying. I love experiencing that moment.