In recent years, there are several breads that have become popular, one of them is Japanese shio pan. Known for its crisp, golden crust, buttery center, and light sprinkle of flaky salt. Interestingly, you can make your own shio pan at home because it’s kinda easy to make. If you’ve been searching for an authentic shio pan recipe, you’ll be happy to know that it requires only a handful of pantry staples and a little patience while the dough rises. So, without further redo, here’s an easy irresistible shio pan recipe to do at home!
What Is Shio Pan?
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Shio pan (塩パン) literally means “salt bread” in Japanese. Despite its simple appearance, it’s famous for the contrast between its soft interior, crispy bottom, and savory buttery flavor. Unlike dinner rolls, shio pan contains a piece of butter wrapped inside the dough before baking. As it melts in the oven, it creates a rich flavor while helping form the bread’s signature crispy base. Today, shio pan can be found in bakeries across Japan and has become increasingly popular around the world thanks to its simple ingredients and satisfying texture.
Ingredients for This Shio Pan Recipe
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You’ll need:
Bread poolish ingredients
- 50 g bread flour.
- 50 g water.
- 1/8 tsp or a pinch of yeast.
- A pinch of salt.
Main dough ingredients
- 120 g bread flour.
- 15 g granulated sugar.
- 60 g milk.
- 3/4 tsp yeast.
- 1/2 tsp salt.
- 10 g butter.
Filling ingredients
5 g butter, cut into strips matching the number of bread rolls
How to make Shio Pan (Salt Bread)
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Step 1
Before making the main dough, you need to prepare a bread poolish. First, mix all the poolish ingredients with a spoon and let the mixture rest for 1 hour at room temperature, followed by 12–16 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can let it sit for 2–3 hours until it becomes bubbly.
Step 2
Second, combine all the main dough ingredients (except the salt and butter) until incorporated, then knead until the dough becomes elastic. Next, add the salt and butter, and knead again until the dough is smooth and fully developed. Let it rest for 40 minutes until it rises.
Step 3
Once the dough has risen, divide it into six portions of approximately 50 grams each and roll them into balls. Cover and let them rest again for 20 minutes.
Step 4
For the filling, cut the butter into small blocks, ensuring you have enough for each roll.
Work with one piece of dough at a time, keeping the others covered. Take a dough ball and roll it out into a triangle shape, about 7–8 inches long.
Step 5
Place a butter block near the widest edge of the triangle. Fold the dough over and use your fingers to press and seal the dough around the butter. Then, roll the dough toward the opposite tip and tuck the end underneath.
Step 6
Place the shaped dough on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and butter, making sure to leave enough space between them for the dough to expand while baking.
Lightly spray or brush the surface of the rolls with water. Then, the most important step, which is to sprinkle the rolls with coarse salt or pretzel salt.
Step 7
Place the baking sheet in the oven and add hot water to an empty bowl inside the oven to create steam. Bake for about 14–15 minutes until golden brown; however, remove the bowl of water after the first 6 minutes.
Step 8
During baking, the butter will ooze out and the bottoms will sizzle. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, your shio pan is ready to enjoy!
Save this recipe, try it at home, and enjoy every bite. Happy baking!