HOW TO MAKE ★PUMPKIN SHOKUPAN★ Halloween & Holidays
Taste of fall
Today I want to share with you my Pumpkin Shokupan.
Do you like the taste of fall?
For me, one of the taste of fall is pumpkin!
It’s the time to enjoy baking for your Halloween and holidays.
Amazingly soft and fluffy, and the natural sweetness is so comfortable. It’s not sweet as sweet buns, so you can serve with savory dishes.
Dry milk
Today, I used dry milk, which is commonly used in the Japanese bakery.
Dry milk adds milky flavor without making the dough sticky.
And you don’t have to store milk in the fridge!
Japanese Kabocha
As you can see, Japanese Kabocha contains less water and starchy.
And it tastes sweeter than any other pumpkins.
If you are using canned pumpkin puree, skip this process.
Add in half the amount of water from the ingredients to cool it down before adding the egg.
Consistency of the dough
The dough is a little bit sticky than you think.
But it’s the ideal consistency to make a fluffy and moist bread.
If you are not comfortable with the consistency, add less water to keep it easy to handle.
How to enjoy your Pumpkin Shokupan
You can make a great toast, which I love the most.
And it makes a great chicken sandwich with your leftover chicken.
What I love the most is french toast with pumpkin Shokupan.
French toast is not an everyday thing, so I like my French toast indulgent.
It should be thick and fluffy, with a caramelized crunchy outside.
French toast custard
1 large egg
1/2~1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 talbespoon whole milk
1/2 tablespoon sugar for caramelize
How to cook
Whisk 1 egg and 1/2 tablespoon sugar.
Add in 1 tablespoon heavy cream and a tablespoon of whole milk.
Soak a thick slice of pumpkin Shokupan well.
Some people want their french toast soak up the custard just outside, but I want mine soak up into the center, and I like it pudding-like texture.
Drop half a tablespoon of unsalted butter, and put it in the frying pan.
On medium-low heat and cover, cook for 3 mins.
Flip it over and cook another 3 mins.
When it touch the center and it bounces back, it’s cooked.
This is how I finish my french toast.
Set your french toast aside, and add in half a tablespoon of sugar in the space.
Cook until sugar caramelized and slide your french toast on the caramel.
Flip it over and cover both sides with caramel.
Drizzle maple syrup as much as you want, dust with cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg, and powdered sugar.
There you have it!
It’s my favorite french toast.
Fluffy and moist inside and crunchy outside make this french toast next level. It’s homemade but restaurant quality.
Pumpkin Shokupan
Equipment
- stand mixer, oven, bench scraper, scale, 215×110×120 Shokupan mold
Ingredients
- 375 g bread flour
- 40 g sugar
- 5 g salt
- 12 g dry milk
- 7 g yeast
- 180 g Kabocha paste (canned pumpkin puree)
- 100~150 ml water ※Add less if you are using canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 38 g unsalted butter
Instructions
Kabocha preparation
- Take off seeds and pulps. Wrap it in a piece of plastic and cook in the microwave on 800 W for two minutes or until fully cooked. If you don't want to use the microwave, steamed or boil it in a pot.
- Scrape the flesh and mash.Add in half the amount of the water to chill it down.add in eggs and beat well.
Mixing the dough
- Combine the dry ingredients first.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients in slow and steady stream.Add in the rest of the water until it forms a dough.Do not add all of the water at this stage.If you are using canned pumpkin puree, or pumpkin has more moisture, use less water to keep the consistency.
- Run the mixer on 4 until it forms a dough, then turn it to 6, and knead the dough 5 to 6.
- Let's give it a windowpane test.When you pinch the dough, and it stretches like paper-thin, add butter.When you add the butter, that dough will fall apart, but it comes together in a couple of minutes. After 3 mins of mixing, the dough becomes more elastic and shiny.
- 〈First rise〉Shape it into a ball and put it back in the greased bowl.Cover with plastic, and let it rise for the first rise, until double in bulk at a warm place for 40 to 45 mins.
- 〈Punch〉Punch the dough and let it rise for the second rise, for about 30 mins or until double in volume.
- 〈Second Rise〉After 30 mins, the dough should be double in volume. (If not, let it rise 10 to 15 mins more.)Let's check the fermentation went right or not with a finger test.Poke the dough with your dusted forefinger in the center; the hole stays as it is; it's OK to go.If the hole shrinks, leave 10 minutes more.If the dough starts to collapse, work quickly as you can.
- 〈Divide the dough〉Divide the dough into 6.It's about 140g each dough.Shape into balls and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.〈Bench Rest〉Take 10 mins Bench rest.
- 〈Shaping〉（=Configuration)After 10 mins, roll the dough out and shape into a ball.What this does is remove excess carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to evenly rise for the final stage.Put the dough balls into a well-greased mold.
- 〈Final Rise〉Let it rise at a warm place about 40 to 45 minutes until the dough rises 1 cm from the edge.
- 〈Baking：Cold Start〉While the final fermentation, pre-heat the oven for 100 ℃.Pop it in the oven and immediately re-set the oven for 200 ℃.Bake for 40 mins.
- If your bread turns brown quickly, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.After 40 mins, take out from the oven and tap the mold onto your working surface to remove the hot air inside. To make it more attractive, apply butter while still hot.