Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Sourdough Shokupan (Sweet Stiff Starter)
March 09, 2021
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Scroll to the bottom of the page for "PRINT RECIPE" ⬇
You may wonder why I have been using stiff starter for my baking lately. I read a lot of good reviews using a stiff starter on sweet enriched bread so I thought I would give it a go.
I created a recipe using a high percentage of stiff starter that help to cut down proofing times and make the bread rise faster. I have experimented with 6 breads using this stiff starter recipe and all the proofing times were shorter (about 2 1/2 hours - 3 1/2 hours at ambient temperature 29C - 30C) and with better oven spring too compared to when using my Sourdough Shokupan using liquid levain. It could be also the lower percentage of liquid levain used. However, please note that the proofing timing may also vary depending on your climate, environment, flour, your starter and etc.
An advantage of using the Yudane method is that the bread stays fresh much longer. Please click "Bread Making Method" to understand more details on Yudane Method.
The bread texture is soft, more moist, fluffy and slightly chewy. It stays fresh longer than the bread that not using yudane method.
If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible. Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.
How To Make Sourdough Shokupan
Yields: 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS:
Yudane Dough:
65g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
65g boiling water
Sweet Stiff Starter (SST):
56g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), preferably use at its peak
172g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
72g water or 88g milk
28g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Main Dough:
65g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
All the yudane dough (above)
All stiff starter (above)
8g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
1 tsp (5g) salt
20 milk powder (omit if SST is fed with milk)
40g cold egg, whisked (from 1 medium egg)
20g water, cold (reserve 10g water and add in later if needed)*
20g butter, room temperature
Egg Wash: (Optional)
Balance of egg wash from the above + 1/2 tsp water
Utensil:
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
* Depends on your flour, because each flour absorbs liquid and hydrates differently. You may also add 1 teaspoon of water at a time during kneading if the dough is too dry, when you see that the dough doesn't stick to the bottom at all. We want the dough to clear from the sides of the bowl with only a small part of the bottom sticking to the base of the mixer bowl. You should hear a slapping sound of the dough hitting the sides of the mixer bowl.
METHOD:
- Yudane Dough:
- Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
- Cling film and leave on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
- Use directly from the fridge.
- Sweet Stiff Starter
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
- However, if you feed your starter with milk, the starter will take longer time to proof and very much depend on your stater. Mine took about 9 - 10 hours to proof overnight. And the starter did not rise until triple in size compared feeding with water. It rose almost 2.5 to 3 in size. It is because natural yeast takes longer time to digest the milk than it does in water.
- Kneading:
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually torn the stiff starter and yudane dough slightly first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for about a minute or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes at low speed #2 (KA) or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes at low speed #2 or until reach window pane stage. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- 1st Proofing/Resting:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 30 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 35 minutes at 30C room temperature and the dough rose slightly in 35 minutes. (I did not find any big differences of 30 mins to 60 minutes rest. So, please follow your schedule).
- Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 2 equal portions. Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
- Form each portion to a ball. Flatten with rolling pin.
- Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it. Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all dough in the prepared loaf pan.
- Final Proofing :
- Without Cover - Let it proof in a warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. This one took approximately 3 hours at room temperature of 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- With Cover/Square Loaf - Let it proof in a warm place until the dough reaches 0.5cm below the height of the pan (still be able to slide on the lid). This one took approximately 2 1/2 hours at room temperature of 30C. Put on the lid. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- Baking:
- Preheat oven at 180C -190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Without Cover - Brush with egg wash (optional) and bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. You may cover the bread with aluminium foil for the last 10 minutes if the top browning too quickly.
- With Cover/Square Loaf - Bake in a preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Yudane Dough
Sweet Stiff Starter
Main Dough
GENERAL NOTES:
SOURDOUGH STARTER
Please click this link for "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance"
A healthy starter is very crucial as advised by Baking with Gina. It is advisable to feed your starter regularly if you want your bread to rise nicely and to use the starter (levain) at its peak. A starter that is fed regularly will be more active in general. If the mother starter is not strong, the bread dough will not rise a lot even though the starter is used at its peak.
GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT & WINDOWPANE TEST
Gluten forms when flour comes in contact with water. Hydration of the flour causes the sticky and stretchy protein to form, giving structure to the bread. This makes your bread trap air and rise.
Gluten in dough can be developed by autolyse, resting, kneading or folding.
The windowpane test is used to determine whether the dough has been sufficiently kneaded. By gently pulling the dough (or you may pinch off some dough) and trying to stretch it into a thin membrane. If you are able to stretch the dough paper thin and translucent without tearing, then the gluten is fully developed. However, if you can stretch it without tearing but the membrane is not transparent, then the gluten is not yet fully developed.
However, from my experience not all the recipe can achieve a thin and translucent window pane stage easily. For example low hydration and low fat dough. For such recipes, a reasonable window pane is good enough and it can be left to rest. Gluten will continue to develop while resting. Exercising restraint to not over-knead the dough prevents the gluten from being overworked and broken. Some of you may have experienced the dough breaking during the second proofing. It is because the dough is over kneaded.
The total kneading time for me is usually 15 minutes at low speeds except brioche dough with high fat percentage or dough using liquid fat which usually takes a little longer (maybe 18-20 mins).
From my experience, I found that high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
MILK POWDER
Why do I use milk powder?
- Milk or milk powder will enhance the flavour of the bread and makes the bread texture softer due to the fat content of the milk.
- Milk powder is shelf stable and you can have it anytime when you want to use. Unlike liquid milk you need to finish within a certain time before it spoils.
For kneading, please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Timing may differ depending on the brand of flour and electric mixer used. The protein content may vary from one brand of flour to another.
FLOUR
The right flour plays a very important role in bread making. To achieve fluffy, soft and light bread, I used Japan High Gluten Flour in most of my bread baking. The protein content is around 12 - 13%.
HYDRATION
The liquid measurement given is also a guide. It is advisable to always reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go. This would give you the opportunity to adjust if necessary. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. This is because each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.
PROOFING
Please note that the proofing timing may also vary depending on your climate, environment, flour and your starter.
If you are unable to judge by just looking at the dough, you can do the finger poke test:
Proofing:
- Lightly press the side of the proved dough with your finger. If it bounces back immediately without any indentation, it means the dough is under proved and needs more time before baking.
- If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back, it means it has been over proved.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back and leave a small indentation, it is ready to bake.
- There will be a final burst of rising once the bread is placed to bake in the oven and it is called oven spring.
If your bread collapses or gets wrinkled on top after removing from oven, it could be because your dough over proved during the second proofing. Please proof until the tip of the dough just reaches the rim of the pan, around 80% - 90% in size.
BAKING TEMPERATURE AND TIME
Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
Hi! Love your shokupan loaf! But lately my dough has been sticking to the pan and it's difficult to knock it out. How to you maintain your pan? Also is there a brand that's better? (More non stick?)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe. I am using Chefmade Non stick loaf pan. It is very good. No need to line and bread come out easily.
DeleteYou may need to line your pan with parchment paper or grease it if the dough stick to your pan.
Cheers :)
Really liked how fluffy the bread turned out! I did sub the egg and water for almond milk since I wanted it to be vegan. Thank you for the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. May I know which recipe you tried? With yudane method?
DeleteYes, I used the yudane method! Made it the night before so it was ready to go the next morning :)
DeleteThat's great :)
DeleteHi thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have tried a few and always have the problem of the sides that raise above the pan tearing away from the loaf. The bread didn’t collapse and the top is smooth so I don’t think is overproofed. What could be the reason?
ReplyDeleteHow can I tell that the bread is baked and not over baked?
Thank you.
Hi Rachel,
DeleteThanks for trying and your feedback. Actually, this recipe gave very good oven spring. It is because of the oven is too hot. Try to adjust your oven to lower temperature than mentioned. Maybe 180C top and bottom heat. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Cheers :)
Hello. Thank you for sharing fabulous recipe. May I ask how to add some sweet potatoes to this recipe to make it sweet potatoes shokupan? Thank you..
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for asking. I have not tried sweet potato on stiff starter recipe yet. But, You can try to add about 35% of steamed mashed sweet potato (around 125g) into the dough. I am not sure it will work. I will not recommend using yudane method for sweet potato bread. It may turn out too moist.
DeleteOtherwise, please use the liquid levain recipe as below:
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2021/01/orange-sweet-potato-soft-sourdough-bread.html
Cheers :)
sorry to ask as i have not try any sweet starter before my qns is
ReplyDelete1) i hv to feed my starter to peak first before preparing the sweet starter ?
2) create the sweet starter @peak then then use it at its peak for the bread ?
Hi, Thanks for asking.
Delete1) It is advisable to use the liquid starter at peak when you prepare sweet stiff starter. Just in case if your starter is not active then it may cause your stiff starter not rising properly. However, sometimes I used active discard to build stiff starter and it works too. But, sometimes may cause the bread a mild sourness if discard is used.
2) Yes, use the sweet stiff starter at peaks when it is tripled.
Cheers :)
Made burger buns with this recipe (without Yudane). Had to reduce the water by 25g and the buns turned so light and soft, and very tall too. Recipe definitely a keeper. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you for trying and your kind feedback :)
DeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
Did you ever tryed retard in the fridge overnight, to bake the next morning? Do you think that affects the softness of this bread?
Thank you ☺️
Hi, thanks for reading. I did try with liquid starter recipe but not this one. The bread turned out slightly sour. However, you can experiment and I am curious too.
DeleteCheers :)
Cheers :)
Hi i made the bread and it didn't rise at all during the baking process.I did wait for it to rise to the height of the pan.What's wrong??
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and sorry to hear that it didn't rise. It could be your starter if the bread didn't rise. Please make sure use the stiff starter during peak.T he starter should look smooth and round dome. It shouldn't have any dimples or it shouldn't collapse.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, if I would like to omit milk powder but use fresh milk instead, how should I substitute both water and milk powder components? Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne,
DeleteThanks for reading this recipe. You can use milk in preparing yudane dough and also replace water with milk in main dough ingredients.
I think you can prepare sweet stiff starter using fresh milk too. But, I have not tried it yet and not sure what is the outcome.
Happy baking and stay safe :)
Hi, really eager to try your recipe. I run out of milk power. Can I substitute it with 30g of fresh milk or Whipping cream? Tks.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe.
DeleteYou can omit milk powder and use fresh milk in preparing yudane dough and also replace 15 - 25g water with fresh milk in main dough ingredients.
I think you can prepare sweet stiff starter using fresh milk too. But, I have not tried it yet and not sure what is the outcome.
Cheers and stay safe :)
Hi when i tried to shape, my dough was really sticky and u able to use roller even with flour. How can i resolve this issue?
ReplyDeleteAlso i think i let the stiff starter be for too long. Will that affect the bread? Thank you!
Hi, thanks for trying. Did you knead until you reach window pane stage? Initially the dough is sticky and the longer you knead it will be come elastic and less sticky.
DeleteIt could be also the flour you used that absorb less water. Please try to cut down on the water in the main dough ingredients.
If your stiff starter pass the peak time, the bread may not rise very tall and may taste sour too.
Cheers :)
Hi yes, it turned out sour indeed. After it reached windowpane stage and i left it to rest. Then tried to roll it, felt so sticky it’s impossible to use roller. Will try to reduce water next time
ReplyDeleteThank u
Yes, pls use when the stiff starter at its peak. Look like a dome and smooth. Ok hope it will work for you next time.
DeleteThanks for trying :)
How do i make the non yudane method with no eggs?
ReplyDeleteHi, please use the non yudane method recipe as shared above. Replace same amount of egg with water. However, Be careful not to all water at one time and hold back some.
DeleteCheers :)
Good Morning. I would like to try out Yudane matters for my next bake, but I don't have milk powder, can I substitute with fresh milk instead? If so, how much fresh milk to use and do I have to reduce the water as well?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe.
DeleteYou can replace the 25g of water with milk and use boiling milk to scald the yudane dough. I sometimes just omitted the milk powder when I run out.
Cheers :)
Hi. In the sweet stiff starter:
ReplyDeleteSweet Stiff Starter (50% Hydration):
60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak
180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
75g water
30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Is there is typo in the hydration percentage? 75g over 180 is not 50%
Hi,
DeleteThanks for reading this recipe. There is no error.
50% hydration stiff starter means the stiff starter dough contain 50% of water and 100% of flour. Total flour in this stiff starter is 210g and total water is 105g.
I hope it answers your question.
Cheers :)
There is no typo error.
Thank you. I see how you calculate now.
DeleteMost welcome :)
DeleteThank you so much for your recipe.. soooo nice.. i thought i will fail miserably cux first time bake using sourdough.. and i use thermomix to knead and it was good..
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteThanks for trying and your kind feedback. It is good to know that this recipe works for thermomix too.
Cheers and happy baking :)
Hi, my sweet stiff starter was not able to triple in size. Stayed as double.
ReplyDeleteI had refreshed my starter a few times prior to this. N the starter was able to increase 4x in size.
May I know how to resolve this?
Thank u!
Hi, thanks for trying and reading. You may want to try add more water in the sweet starter. Try 90g water and do not add water in main dough unless is dry or you can add 10g of water in main dough.
DeleteI hope it will help.
Cheers :)
Bakes it and turns out well. Super fluffy and soft .how do I replace main dough flour with wholemeal flour? Is it the same amount ? Thank uou
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying and your kind feedback. Please click the below link for Wholemeal Soft Sourdough Bread and it it using sweet stiff starter and yudane method too. or you may search for Wholemeal Soft Sourdough Bread in the RECIPE.
Deletehttps://www.bakewithpaws.com/2020/04/wholemeal-soft-sourdough-bread.html
Cheers :)
Hi. Can I confirm this recipe yids 2 loaves as I only get 1 loaf in a 450g pan. Turned out well though
ReplyDeleteHi, sorry for the confusion. What I meant is 2 small loaves in 450g loaf pan because I shaped into 2 loaves. I think I should change it.
DeleteCheers :)
Hello! I would like to give it a try on this recipe, however, I've yet to bake any soft sourdough bread before.
ReplyDelete(1) Would like to ask if i could use Thermomix to knead the main dough as i do not have a stand mixer for main dough? I should be looking at passed window pane texture dough (stretchy and smooth like texture)?
(2) For the stiff starter - IF i use hand mixing, I can just mix until it comes together until there's no flour to be seen and rolled into ball form? OR it can be mixed with Thermomix too? I could use it after 9 hours later too or it shouldn't be "over-proofed"?
Sorry for the many questions. Many thanks!
Hi, thanks for reading this recipe.
Delete(1) I never used Thermomix and I do not know how it function. Yes, you need to knead until it reaches window pane stage.
(2) Yes, you can use hand mix. Maybe take slightly longer than machine mix. Please use it when the dough about triple of the size.
You can use a big jar if you do not how to judge. 8 - 9 hours depends on your stater. Please try not to overproof as your bread may taste sour.
No worry and happy baking :)
Thank you very much for your reply! My first sourdough shokupan bread works! Thanks for your clear instructions, I mixed the starter dough with TM and also the main dough with TM. The later i mixed probably about 12 minutes all in until i see the texture can be "stretched" without breaking. :) Will try again with your brioche recipe. :)
DeleteThanks for the updates. Good to hear that this recipe works with TM too.
DeleteHappy baking and stay safe :)
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I've already tried this and it is very tasty. I have some questions.
ReplyDelete1.How many percent of sugar in sweet stiff starter?
2.I proof it for 12 hours(final proof), why do i proof it so long?
Hi, thanks for trying this recipe.
Delete1. For 60g of starter I used half of the sugar which is 50%.
2. It took me only 3-4 hours the most for 2nd proofing. However it could be your starter.
Cheers :)
when I do stiff starter,it is quite stiff. It may be the reason that make my starter did not grew in double or not.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying. I have not encounter this issue so far as I have been feeding my stater daily. It could be your starter. However, you can increase the water to 90g instead of 75g, then reduce the water in main dough.
DeleteYou can also read the general notes about the starter I shared on the above.
I hope it will help you.
Cheers :)
I did first loaf, it is looking good - soft&fluffy. But it took time so long🤣. Today i have done another loaf but final proof is just 4 hours. Maybe my stiff starter in first loaf is not active well. Just sharing the rusult of your recipes from home baker.
ReplyDeleteVery very thank you for your advice and appreciated that you answer every comment.
Hi, thanks for sharing your feedback. Much appreciated. It could many other factors contributed to it. Maybe the ambient, the flour we use and etc. My kitchen is quite warm, sometimes can be 30C.
DeleteCheers :)
Hello, have tried the yudane and stiff starter twice, first time the dough proofed so fast that it got stuck on the lid hence i baked with lid on. Turns out super fluffy and moist even on second day! Tried again as i wanted to bake without lid and realised i ran out of sugar for stiff starter,improvised by adding some condensed milk, but it only doubled. Proofing time was relatively fast too at abt 3hrs. This will be my permanent go-to recipe for now and will try to make cinnamon buns next time. Thank you so much for your contribution!
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying and your kind feedback. I am glad that you like it. You may want to cover the loaf pan with cling film during proofing so that you can see the progression.
DeleteBy the way, I will update the recipe soon with the improved version but still yield the same result. But, no worry I will still keep the old recipe under archived.
You are most welcome...
Happy baking and stay safe!
Hi Bake with Paws, my bread turned out fluffy and nice. The dough rose to the top of the tin and puffed up some more in the oven. However, the sides of the loaf that came into contact with the loaf tin was damp and had small patches of wet dough on it. So we had to slice off the sides and losing the pretty sliced bread shape in the process. I used the Yudane method with no lid. I hope you’ll be able to shed some light on what caused this as I intend to bake this bread again as it’s super soft and moist.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and your feedback. It could be the stiff starter or yudane dough is not evenly distributed when mixing. Did you mix with paddle attachment first? Each mixer behaves differently. May need to mix thoroughly and try to scrap down the dough during kneading.
DeleteI hope this helps.
Cheers and happy baking :)
Yes I think that could be a possibility. Yes I used the paddle attachment first to mix. I think I may not have mixed the starter well enough. Will ensure it’s mixed more thoroughly. Thank you!
DeleteYou are most welcome. Hope it will work well for you next time.
DeleteCheers and stay safe :)
Hi, thank you for your generous sharing. I have two questions:
ReplyDelete1) May I ask the ratio of your sweet stiff starter can be modified? Example add more sugar to make the baked goods void of any sour taste?
2) is there a preferred ratio of sweet stiff starter to flour use in any recipe?
Thank you.
Hi, thanks for reading this recipe and your questions.
Delete1) I usually use 50% of sugar to the starter. You can add more sugar in the main dough if you afraid sour. However, it is also depend on your stater. I noticed recipe with egg is less sour or no sour.
2) Usually other recipes will use 40 - 50% of stiff starter to total flour used in a recipe. But, I prefer use high percentage (around 90%) of stiff starter in my recipe.
Cheers :)
Hi dear. I tried the yudane method and replace milk powderw with full cream milk. But my stiff levain which was feeded with milk cannot reach triple. And it took 11 hours to double. May I know what's going wrong?
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear for trying. Sometimes could be the starter. Mine took slightly longer 9 -10 hours to get almost triple compared feeding with water. Sorry I forgot to mention that feeding with milk will take slightly longer. Did you go ahead and bake?
DeleteThe first time I tried it got to double only and I still go ahead and bake. The bread was fine. I guess my starter was not very strong that time. I tried several times later on and it got to almost triple. But, it took longer than I used water.
Natural thing is very hard to predict.
Again, thanks for trying.
Cheers :)
You can try to feed your starter with more milk and do not need to add milk in the main dough later. However, if the main dough slightly dry or stiff then you can add a little milk.
DeleteI hope this will help.
i made this last night/this morning.. with yudane.. came out PERFECT!! love love love it!! thank you!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying and your kind feedback. Great to hear that you like it too. This is one of my favourite recipe.
DeleteCheers :)
THIS WAS AWESOME! I made it last night and baked this morning and i just keep smiling every time i peak in the oven window. I soaked orange zest in honey and used that in place of sugar!!!
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying and your kind feedback. Great idea to add orange zest. It must be very delicious..
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, I tried this recipe and it turned out soft and a tad bit sour, even though I used my starter at peak, do you think probably I should increase the sugar? Also my sweet stiff starter also took more than 12 hours to double (I planned baking it in the evening, but the sweet stiff starter was only double at 9pm, I prepared it 8am in the morning), do you think it's because my starter is still considered young starter, as in only 1 week old starter? Thanks for all your amazing recipes btw.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying and your feedback. It seems like your starter is not healthy and strong enough. Please feed your starter regularly or refresh your starter few times before baking. Weak starter will take longer time to proof and cause the bread a little sour.
DeletePlease read the link in the general notes to read how I maintain my starter. However, you do not have to follow exactly. Just a guidance. You can feed your starter once a week too is you are not baking regularly. But, you need to refresh your starter few times before baking.
Cheers :)
Hi. Your recipe is excellent. The only challenge I have is that the sides does not brown even when the top is already.
ReplyDeleteI tried a few times with the same result.
Please advise what is the reason the sides and bottom won’t brown as much. Thank You
Hi, Thanks for trying this recipe and your feedback. It is because of your oven. Difference oven behalf differently. Could be your top heat is hotter then the bottom heat. You can try to cover with aluminium foil when you see the top already golden brown. Keep on baking until the sides are properly baked.
DeleteSometimes could also be the bakeware. Some materials are better heat conductor. I use Chefmade loaf pan which is made of heavy duty carbon steel material which has excellent heat conductor.
Happy baking..
Cheers :)
Do you know if Monk fruit can successfully substitute sugar?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for your question. To be honest, I never used monk fruit sugar and I am not sure how it works. There is no harm to try. Maybe it will work.
DeleteCheers :)
Love your blog and recipes. Please advise how many days I can keep sweet stiff levain in the fridge after it has risen 3 times. Reason being my stand mixer won't work. I think might be a few days before I get it repaired. Should I use it or start a new levain? Thank you for any advice.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and your question. Unfortunately, the result will be different if you don't use it immediately after tripled in size. Your bread may not rise very high or very sour. If you do not want to waste then you can still use it after few days. Just add 1.5 - 2 g of instant yeast to it. It will become hybrid bread. Or just start a new sweet stiff starter.
DeleteI hope it help. Hope your mixer will be fixed soon.
Cheers :)
I made a new sweet stiff starter and the bread was perfect!. I used the old started to add to the other ingredients to make sourdough waffles which also turned out fluffy. Thank you so much as your recipes always produce fantastic results.
DeleteHi, thank you for trying this recipe and happy to hear that it turned out perfectly for you. Good idea to use the old starter for waffles.
DeleteYou are most welcome and Happy Baking :)
Hi there! It appears you're using a wet (traditional) sourdough starter and converting a portion of it into a dry/stiff starter for use in this recipe. I keep a dry starter (as outlined in the Elliott Homestead blog) and I was wondering if I can just start from there or if I'll still have to do something with it before continuing with the recipe? How can I go about completing this recipe starting with a dry starter?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi there, thanks for visiting Bake with Paws.
DeleteYou can try to use your starter. However, I do not know the hydration of starter you have and it is very hard for me to create another recipe using your starter. I would love to help but unfortunately this recipe may not be suitable for your dry starter.
Cheers :)
Hi, can i final proof overnight in chiller?
ReplyDeleteHi, I guess you can try. It is very much depend on your chiller temperature and also your stater.
DeleteCheers :)
I'm keen to try this recipe out but I'm a little confused. Do you mean we need to use both yu dane and sweet stiff starter in one recipe? Or is it either or?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for your interest in this recipe. Yes, we use both yudane and sweet stiff starter. They are totally different. Yudane is scaled dough that make the bread soft and last longer. Sweet Stiff Starter is contain sourdough starter to make the bread rise.
DeleteCheers :)
Just wanna say hi! and thanks a bunch for sharing a lot of information. Really appreciate every details you share in your blog. Will try your recipe soon, xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for your interest in this recipe. You are most welcome and I hope you will like this recipe too.
DeleteHappy Baking:)
Hi! I love the taste of this shokupan. However there were a couple of holes in my bread (air bubbles). How can I prevent it?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for trying this recipe and your feedback. It could be due to few reasons:
Delete1. It is important to get all the air out of the dough during shaping. Degas properly with rolling pin.
2. Try to control the dough temperature not exceed 26C. Use all cold ingredients if possible. Sometimes, I place some ice pack before the bowl during kneading.
3. Do not overproof the dough.
Cheers and happy baking :)
Hi YL, thank you for your recipes and always responding to comments quickly and explaining well/giving advice. Been your follower for quite a while now and have used many of your recipes and love them!
ReplyDeleteWanted to see if you can help with a problem I have when I bake sandwich loaves, not only this recipe but any other recipes I’ve tried elsewhere. The breads always come out nice with good crumb and bread is soft and shreddy, but the bottom ~1cm is always very dense. Not sure if you know what I mean or if it happen to you before. It’s always only that bottom part but the rest of the loaf crumb is very good. Do you know what could be the reason? My family doesn’t really notice and just enjoy the bread but being the baker, I always notice it.
I’ve googled many times, read that some say it’s due to overproof. Previously I used to fridge the dough after 1st proof so that I can shape and bake next day. So after reading that, I changed to do same day make dough + bake, still dense. I also used to do 1st proof for 2hrs at ~28C but after reading your recipes that only call for 30-60min rest, I also follow…but either duration still result in dense bottom. I use chefmade loaf tin, final proof until rim of tin usually takes me 2-3hrs at 28C. I really don’t know what’s the problem T_T sorry for the super long comment and hope you can help me! Thank you!
Hi, thank you for trying some of my recipes and your kind feedback. I encountered this problem few years ago when I did my Sweet Potato bread. I think that was because I added too much sweet potato.
DeleteYours could be few reasons. It could be your starter.. Sometimes the starter a little weak may make the bread rise evenly. It could be also your oven. Did you preheat your oven long enough? Maybe overproof, try to proof until slightly below the rim.
I hope the above help.
Cheers :)
Thank you for replying! Yes I have a thermometer inside to ensure the oven is at correct temp. It may be my starter is weak..how do you suggest to strengthen it?
DeleteAlso just to understand, the reason you do 1st proof for only 30-60min, is it because you use high amount of SSS which has already fermented for long period of time, so fermentation moves faster when the other main dough ingredients are added? Do I need to check if dough rise at all or can just follow own schedule? I usually just do 30min, but so far my breads have wonderful flavor despite the fast final proof thanks to the high amount of SSS. Love it!!
Hi, you may want to refer to "General Note" at the bottom of the post and click on Sourdough Maintenance. Please feed regularly or refresh your starter before baking.
DeleteYes, I rest the dough only 30 - 60 minutes because I used high percentage of SSS which already fermented for long period. I didn't wait for it to rise.
Cheers :)
Do you see any big difference in the bread between your recipes using using sweet stiff starter vs instant yeast?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for visiting Bake with Paws. Yes, of course big different. Bread make from sourdough is slightly tangy due to the lactic acid, which give this bread its sour flavor. The fermentation also took longer time compared with yeast bread recipe.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, there. I loves the detailed you provided for making a successful Shokupan loaf. Your end product looks amazing. I prepared sweet stiff starter in advance and stored it in the fridge. Could I use that starter without additional feeding? If that option is feasible what is the amount of starter should I use to make your Shokupan loaf? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe. The stiff starter has to be used when its peak. It may not work very well if you store in the fridge.
DeleteSorry I don't really understand your question about the amount of starter should you use.
You can also refer to this following recipe using the liquid levain.
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2019/05/soft-sourdough-bread-with-yudane-method.html
Thank you :)