Shokupan, a Japanese milk bread, is one of the most delicious breads available. It embodies both sponginess and sturdiness at the same time. Unlike Wonder Bread, which would collapse under the pressure of the innerworkings of a Katsu Sando; Shokupan rises to the challenge.
Shokupan is a bread for every occasion. Whether it be Kenji’s BLT Manifesto or this Japanese Pizza Toast recipe, uses for Shokupan are truly endless. Our first encounter with Shokupan was through pHlour’s booth at the Lincoln Square Farmers’ Market. While we typically steer toward picking out sourdough or multigrain loaves from bakeries, this bread was a welcome departure from the norm.
The first recipe that we made later that week was a Katsu Sando. This is a sandwich featuring a Japanese style of preparing a pork cutlet (known as Tonkatsu) placed on a ‘sando’ or sandwich. We also found that buttering each side of the Shokupan bread before assembly prevents the Tonkatsu sauce and Dijon mustard from soaking the bread.
The next morning, inspired by her delicious Japanese sandwich from the night before, Rachel eagerly cooked up some Shokupan French Toast. The French Toast does take about ten minutes for each piece of bread, but patience is to be rewarded in this exercise. The toast was a perfect blend of fluffiness and crispness, which was what made this breakfast joyful to eat.
