Although sourdough had a massive surge during the grim isolation-heavy pandemic years, as people are starting to emerge and leave that WFH life, our starter cultures are starting to die and so is our motivation to keep them alive. Enter shokupan (otherwise known as milk bread), a pillowy soft Japanese bread that’s easy to make and delicious (as well as fantastically tactile).

Shokupan is a traditional Japanese bread made with milk and eggs. It has a light, fluffy texture, predominantly owing to the yudane method used to cook it. Yudane involves making a hot roux out of bread flour and boiling water, which is then added to the dough.

When this is done, the starch gelatinises so it can take in more water, become sweeter and ensure the resulting bread is soft and moist.

Although this sounds fancy and difficult, it’s actually a very simple process that’s easy to master. It also only needs a few ingredients – including simple instant dry yeast!

Across the country, shokupan’s popularity has seen the few bakeries that make it regularly having queues out the door. One such bakery is Bakemono Bakers in Melbourne. They offer shokupan for in-store customers as well as people who just want to order a loaf to take home.

The cafe has seen success since it opened, with shokupan being a staple seller.

And no wonder! Sweeter than everyday Aussie white bread, shokupan is an ideal accompaniment for sweet dishes. However, unexpectedly, it’s also great for savoury snacks. One option for serving shokupan is to take the incredibly thick slices and deep fry them. Otherwise, shokupan makes a great base for an eggs benedict or avo toast.

On top of all of the other great things about shokupan, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Ready-made for the ’gram, store-bought shokupan comes in thick cut slices with shiny golden outsides perfect for slathering with thick jams and spreads or piling high with brunch essentials like avocado and eggs.