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Pumpkin Shokupan

Shokupan that is perfet for Halloween and Holidays!
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Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course all
Cuisine Japanese

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.
Keyword altumn recipe, fall recipe, japanese bread, japanese breakfast, japanese recipe, japanse bread, pumpkin bread, sandwich bread, shokupan