Japanese Salt Bread

 

Pain Maison in Japan, when we visited Oct 2025

I love Japanese Salt Bread. We got to try it when we went to Japan October 2025. We want to an amazing bakery that specializes in Salt Bread (Pain Maison). My bread did not seem to rise. Perhaps the yeast that I used wasn’t great but it still tasted good. I used the semi-hard crust dough without egg and a standing mixer. This recipe does take a lot of time so not sure if I will try it again.

 

This is what I did:

1. Weighted flours and mixed with 1/2 c water with pastry hook and standing mixer. Did not work so well though so had to mix by hand. Mixed low speed for 3 min. Let sit for 15 min covered 

2. Added sugar, salt, yeast, milk powder for 5 min. Added a little water because seemed try but maybe shouldn't have done that because dough very wet

3. Added butter but did not end up having to mix for long 

4. Shaped in ball and left covered for 80 min with oven slightly ajar.didnt rise much

5. Split into 6 parts. Didn't weigh. Stretched into long triangle. Added half tablespoon butter, cut in half and put at long end. Rolled. Did this one by one. Left others covered while working with each dough 

6. Proofed again for 45 min

7. Preheated oven around 20 min before needed to bake- 425 

8. Sprayed with cooking spray before put in oven. Baked at 425 for 3 min

9. Lowered oven to 400 and baked 12 min

10. Spread with butter and then sprinkled with salt

 

Salt Bread (Shio Pan) 塩パン Recipe - Okonomi Kitchen

 

Ingredients

Semi-hard Crust Dough (used this)

• 1 1/3 cup + 1/2 tbsp (170 g) bread flour (12.7% protein)*
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (55 g) cake flour (10% protein)*
• 2/3 tsp (3.4 g) instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (14 g) sugar
• 1 tsp (4.5 g) salt
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (16) unsalted butter or refined coconut oil, room temperature
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (14 g) skim milk powder*
• 1/2 cup + 2-2.5 (158-166 ml) water*

Semi-hard Egg Inclusion Dough

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (138 g) bread flour (12.7% protein)*
• 2/3 cup + 1.5 tbsp (94 g) cake flour (10% protein)*
• 1 tsp (4.5 g) salt
• 2/3 tsp (3.4) instant dry yeast
• 4 tsp (16 g) sugar
• 2 tbsp (12 g) skim milk powder
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (16 g) unsalted butter or refined coconut oil, room temperature
• 2 tbsp (28 g) whole beaten egg
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (145 ml) water*

Other Ingredients

• 6 butter blocks, 10-14 grams each (14-20% of the dough)
• guerande salt, pretzel salt, rock salt or fancy salt

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

Preliminary Notes:

• Please weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale for the most successful and accurate results. The imperial measurements are rough estimates of the ingredients and may vary.
• Protein content of flour: Total protein content should be about 11.6-12.2%. Because most of my viewers are US based, I tested this recipe with King Arthur bread and cake flour and used the protein content provided. When using Canadian Robin Hood Flour I use 145 g bread flour (13.3% protein) + 80 g cake flour (10% protein) for semi hard crust and 148 g bread flour + 84 g cake flour for egg inclusion dough.
• Water temperature (Use kitchen thermoemeter): 
• Target dough temperature: ~24–26°C (75–78°F) after mixing.
• Calculate water temperature:
• Water temp = (ideal temp x 3)-(room temp+flour temp+friction factor)
• friction factor is 5 if using autolyse and 9 if straight kneading
• Room temperature flour: Use water around 25–28°C (77–82°F) if your kitchen is around 22–24°C.
• Cooler kitchen: Use slightly warmer water (~30°C / 86°F) to compensate.
• Warmer kitchen: Use slightly cooler water (~20–22°C / 68–72°F).

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Kneading the Dough

Stand Mix

• Add bread flour, cake flour, and water. Mix on low (speed 2–3) for 3 minutes until a rough dough forms. Cover and rest 15 minutes (autolyse).
• Add milk powder, sugar, salt, yeast, and egg (if making egg-based dough). Mix low for 5 minutes.
• Add butter/coconut oil. Mix low for 2 minutes, then medium (speed 3–4) for 2–3 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 15–25 minutes depending on the temperature of your work environment (warm kitchen will take less rest time).
• Mix again on medium (speed 4) for 2–3 minutes until dough no longer sticks to bowl sides.
• Shape into a ball and place in a bowl.

Hand Kneading

• Combine all flours and water in a large bowl. Mix by hand or spatula until all flour is hydrated and a rough dough forms (~3–5 min). Cover and rest 15 mins. 
• Add milk powder, sugar, salt, yeast, and egg (if using). Gently incorporate using your hands — fold and press until fully mixed.
• Add butter or coconut oil in small pieces. Knead until butter is well incorporated, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest 15–25 min to allow gluten to relax and further develop.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead using traditional push-fold-turn or slap-and-fold for 5-8 mins until dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky.

Bread Machine

• Add all ingredients except refined coconut oil/butter to the bowl of the bread machine. Run on bread kneading course for 10 minutes. Add the coconut oil/butter and let it knead for another 20-25 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Turn off the bread machine and allow it to proof.

First Proof

• Cup your hands around the dough and gently pull it toward you to create surface tension, rotating as you go, until the dough forms a smooth, tight ball. Place the dough into a bowl and cover.
• Ideal dough temperature: ≈25°C
• Let dough rise for 80-100 minutes at 28-30°C, or until doubled in size.

Prepare Butter Blocks

• Use 10-14 g butter per piece of dough. 
• Recommended size of butter blocks: Cut butter into about 2 cm x 4 cm for round salt bread and 1 cm x 6 cm for long or crescent shaped salt bread.
• Keep in freezer after preparing. 

Shaping

• Lightly dust the surface of the dough. Use a flexible bench scraper to remove the dough. Punch dough down, transfer to work surface. Lightly dust the dough again. 
• Like cutting a pizza, divide into 6 triangular pieces (≈70 g each). Cut off small bits to make them even and place the scraps in the middle of the triangle. 
• For each piece, pinch opposite ends together to form a thin icicle shape. Roll gently to elongate slightly to about 15 cm if needed. Place seam side down. Cover and rest 15 minutes (gluten relaxes).
• Take the first piece, rough side up. If the dough is sticky, very lightly dust with flour. Flatten it gently with the base of your hands. Roll the dough into a long icicle shape. Be sure to roll it firmly to remove built up gas. If there are any air bubbles along the edges, press them out with the base of your palm. 
• I find it easiest to start at about 1/3 of the way down, holding the base and rolling upwards. Then from the same spot, lift the tail and roll downwards until desired length. You can either start rolling upward or downwards, depending on the pre-shape and whichever feels more natural to you. This way you can control the width of the dough from top to bottom. 
• Optional: to make clean and even rolls, use a bench scraper to straighten out the sides of the dough.
• If the dough isn’t stretched long enough or is uneven, lift the thicker sections at the top or bottom and roll gently up or down to even it out. This should only take 1–2 passes. If the dough resists or shrinks while rolling, let it rest a bit longer before continuing.
• Note on shape: 
• round, thicker roll → shorter base (4-5 cm), 40-50 cm length
• longer roll (crescent shape) → longer base (10-12 cm), 25-35 cm length

Adding Butter

• Place a butter block at the base of the dough and fold the top edge over it, rolling down. The roll should be snug but not too tight or loose. Every so often, lift the roll slightly and pull back gently to create light tension. The butter doesn’t need to be completely sealed on the sides — it will be covered during proofing — but take care that it doesn’t completely stick out. 
•  Press the very end tip into the dough gently. Place dough onto a (parchment lined or unlined) dark coloured baking tray, tail side down. Keep covered and repeat with remaining dough.
• Baking directly on a dark tray will get you the crunchiest fried bottom but you must use a non-stick pan. I rub a thin coat of butter on the pan for insurance. 

Second Proof & Preheating Oven

• Let dough rise for 55-65 minutes at 30-33°C or until doubled in size and looks airy and puffy. I typically proof at 32°C for 60 minutes. 
• To test, poke gently. It should springs back slowly, leaving a faint indent. When moving the pan it should jiggle. 
• Preheat the oven 20–30 minutes before you expect the proof to finish to the highest temperature (mine is: 232°C/450°F).

Pre-Bake Preparation

• Remove the cover and lightly spray with water and sprinkle with salt from one edge to the other.

Baking*

Steam Oven

• As soon as you place it into the oven, set to steam mode for 3-5 minutes. 
• Reduce heat to 210°C and bake 12–14 minutes or until golden and crispy on both sides.
• Rotate tray towards the last 5-8 minutes of baking for even browning.  

Convection/Conventional Oven

• Spray dough 10 times right before baking. Avoid over spraying as it can make the crust tough. 
• Once salt bread is in the oven, quickly spray 15 times into the walls of the oven and close the door immediately and bake for 3 minutes.
• Convection oven: Reduce heat to 190-200°C/374-392°F and bake for 12 minutes or until deeply golden on both sides. 
• Conventional oven: Reduce heat to 200-210°C/392-400°F bake for 12 minutes.  
• Rotate the baking pan during the last 5-6 minutes of baking for even browning. Keep an eye on them, especially the last 5 minutes of baking and adjust oven temperature as needed. 

Toaster Oven

• Once preheated, if your toaster oven has a manual steam function, add 1 tbsp hot water. If not, spray the interior about 15 times.
• Spray the dough 10 times before placing it in the oven. Avoid over-spraying, as this can make the crust tough. Immediately close the door.
• Bake for 4 minutes. Then, if needed, open the oven door briefly to remove built up steam and reduce the heat to 190–200°C (375–392°F). Bake for another 8–10 minutes, or until golden and crispy all around.

Finish

• Remove from oven and brush the leaked butter on tops of the salt bread. Serve fresh and enjoy!!