Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Vegan Sourdough Shokupan (Soft Japanese Milk Bread – No Tangy Taste)
July 10, 2021
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Updated: April 2025
By Bake with Paws
Vegan Sourdough Shokupan (Japanese Soft Sourdough Bread)
This Vegan Sourdough Shokupan combines the signature soft and fluffy texture of traditional Japanese milk bread with the mild, naturally leavened flavor of sourdough—without any dairy or eggs! The result is a delicious, plant-based version of this beloved, pillowy bread that’s perfect for toast, sandwiches, or simply enjoying with a spread of your favorite vegan butter.
Thanks to the use of a sweet stiff starter, this bread has little to no tang, giving it a mild, slightly sweet flavor that's perfect for those who prefer a more neutral-tasting sourdough.
What is Sourdough Shokupan?
Shokupan is a soft, square-shaped Japanese bread known for its light, fluffy crumb and slightly sweet flavor. While traditionally made with milk, butter, and eggs, this vegan version skips those ingredients while still preserving the essential texture and flavor using a sourdough starter. The long fermentation process results in a naturally leavened bread, but with the mildness of a sweet stiff starter, there’s little to no tang.
The unique texture of Shokupan comes from the Yudane method, a technique that hydrates some of the flour before incorporating it into the dough. This helps retain moisture and ensures a soft, moist crumb even after a few days of storage.
Why Vegan Sourdough Shokupan?
This vegan version of Shokupan eliminates dairy and eggs but still gives you that perfect soft loaf, thanks to the sourdough starter and Yudane method. Here’s why you should try it:
- Naturally Leavened: Using a sweet stiff sourdough starter creates a bread with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a soft crumb—without the tanginess that traditional sourdough breads typically have.
- No Dairy or Eggs: Perfect for vegans, lactose-intolerant individuals, or anyone avoiding animal products.
- Longer Shelf Life: Sourdough naturally helps preserve the bread for longer compared to regular yeasted bread.
- Enhanced Flavor: The slow fermentation process adds depth to the flavor and improves the texture of the bread without introducing tanginess.
Key Ingredients
- Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter: A sweet stiff starter provides a mild flavor with no tang, ideal for enriched, soft breads like Shokupan.
- Flour: Bread flour is best for Shokupan, as it has a higher protein content that helps create the light, airy texture.
- Water: Hydrates the dough and helps the gluten develop.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps with fermentation and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and controls yeast fermentation.
- Vegan Butter or Vegetable Oil: Adds richness to the dough and enhances the bread's texture.
How To Make Vegan Sourdough Shokupan
Yields: 1 loaf
Yudane Dough:
65g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
65g boiling water
Sweet Stiff Starter:
56g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak
172g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
72g water
28g sugar (I used organic light brown sugar)
Main Dough:
65g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
All yudane dough (above)
All stiff starter (above)
8g light brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
60g water / soy milk or almond milk (reserve 10 to 20g and add in later if needed) I used 60g soy milk
20g flavourless vegetable oil (But I used olive oil as I though it will be more healthy)
Utensil:
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
- Yudane:
- 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.
- Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except oil) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually torn the stiff starter and yudane dough into pieces 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 2 minutes 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 or until the dough comes together. Add in olive oil in 3 batches and knead until olive oil incorporate with the dough. It took quite a while about 6 - 7 minutes for the oil to blend into the dough. Once the oil is well incorporated with the dough, then continue kneading for another 7 - 8 minutes (approx.) or until the dough become smooth, silky and 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 45 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 28C - 29C room temperature and the dough didn't rise a lot.
- Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 3 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 :
- Let it proof in a warm place until the dough reaches 0.5cm - 1 cm below the height of the pan.
- This one took nearly 3 hours at room temperature of 29C - 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- Baking:
- Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Yudane Dough
Sweet Stiff Starter
Main Dough
Tips for Perfect Vegan Sourdough Shokupan
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- 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.
How to Store Vegan Sourdough Shokupan
Store the bread in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice the bread and freeze it. To reheat, toast slices directly from the freezer or warm them in the oven.
FAQs
Why my bread sour?
Using a weak or unrefreshed liquid starter to build the stiff starter or using the sweet stiff starter past its peak.
Why is my dough not rising as expected?
There are several reasons for dough not rising: check that your starter is active and at peak fermentation, and ensure the environment is warm enough for fermentation (ideally around 24°C/75°F).
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
You can substitute all-purpose flour, but keep in mind that bread flour has a higher protein content, which helps create the soft, airy texture typical of Shokupan. All-purpose flour may result in a slightly denser loaf.
Why is my dough sticky?
Sticky dough can be caused by high hydration, too much water, or the type of flour used. Some flours—especially those with lower protein or less absorption capacity—do not absorb water as effectively, resulting in a stickier dough. Always adjust the water slightly depending on the flour you use.
Variations to Try
- Add-ins: Incorporate ingredients like dried fruits, nuts, or seeds for added texture and flavor.
- Flavor Boost: Add a touch of cinnamon or vanilla to the dough for a sweet twist.
- Glaze: Brush the top of the loaf with melted vegan butter or a syrup glaze for a glossy finish.
Conclusion
This Vegan Sourdough Shokupan combines the best of both worlds: the soft, fluffy texture of traditional Japanese bread with the mild, sweet flavor and natural leavening of sourdough, all without the use of dairy or eggs. With the right technique, you'll create a delicious loaf that's perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just enjoying on its own.
Tried This Recipe?
If you try this recipe, I’d love to see your creations!
Tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws or leave a comment below if you have any questions—I’m happy to help!
More Vegan Breads To Try
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
Hi, hv always love your recipes as they give consistent results.
ReplyDeleteCan we use homemade soy milk. Thank you
Hi, thanks for trying and your kind feedback. In fact, I used homemade soy milk.
Deletecheers :)
Hi, what is the different bet sweet stiff starter and sourdough starter? I'm newbie here :)
ReplyDeleteHi, sweet stiff starter is also sourdough starter. It is 50% hydration sourdough starter and fed with sugar. Liquid starter is 100% hydration sourdough starter.
DeleteCheers :)
Last night i was thinking of baking a loaf bread and luckily this morning i found your Fb Post. I give it a try next days. Thanks a lot
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe and your comment. I hope you will like it.
DeleteCheers :)
when is our starter normally peak? For temperature 29 degree celcius,4-6hrs after feeding? thx
ReplyDeleteHi, mine usually took about 3 - 5 hours at RT 28 - 30C.
DeleteCheers :)
Hello, I have tried your recipe. This vegan sandwich is the most delicious I have ever made and eaten!. I must confess, I did not use peak SD starter. It still worked, but waiting time for stiff dough to rise and proofing time is forever. Taste is delicious and proof really well (5hours). Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. To be honest, sometimes I used discard to prepare the stiff starter and it worked very well too.. But, it is safer to mention to use at peaks.. lol
DeleteMy pleasure to share..
Happy baking and stay safe:)
Thankyou for sharing these beautiful recipes. I'm going to make the vegan sourdough shokupan loaf and also the yudane white soft loaf.Can l use oat milk in the vegan sourdough loaf
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome. Thanks for interesting in the recipes. I tried using oat milk before and found the texture a bit crumbly, but still soft.
DeleteCheers :)
Thank you for this recipe, I can't wait to try it after learning more about SD! As I'm still a newbie at SD baking, may I know what is the baker's percentage for this recipe? I know how to calculate for yeasted breads but SD seems more complicated and this also has sweet stiff starter included.. hope you can help break it down, thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for your interest in this recipe.
DeleteFor Yudane Dough, you can see more details in Bread Making Method on the top bar. I used 20% of total flour to make the yudane dough.
For sweet stiff starter -
I used very high percentage. It is almost 98% of the total flour. Total weight of SST over total of flour. Most of the bakers do not used such a high percentage of SST. I prefer this method as the bread rise faster.
It is 50% hydration sweet starter. It means the stiff starter contain 100% of flour and 50% of water.
Sweet Stiff Starter:
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 light brown sugar)
Total flour in SST is 210g
Toal water is 105g
Sugar is about 16 -20% of 180g flour used to feed the stater.
The flour (180g) used to feed the starter is 3 times of the liquid stater used.
Sorry, I am not very good in explaining the percentage.
I hope it is clear.
Cheers and happy baking:)
Oh wow thank you so much for the long explanation! I will go and digest it a bit. However may I ask, if I do not want to make a sweet stiff starter for this recipe, is it possible to make the yudane then add all the other ingredients for the SST and main dough together? Of course, making sure that the starter is used at peak. Also, have you tried doing final cold retard in fridge overnight instead of a few hours at room temp? Thank you!!
DeleteHi, you are most welcome. Yes, of course you can use the liquid starter instead. You may want to refer to this recipe for reference.
DeleteSourdough Shokupan (Liquid Starter)
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2019/05/soft-sourdough-bread-with-yudane-method.html
I have tried before overnight cold retard. However, I found the bread slightly more sour. However, some prefer the sour taste.
Cheers :)
Cheers :)
Hello! I have been feeding my starter 1:5:4 all along, so I guess this means it’s a 80% hydration starter? Can I still use it in the sweet stiff starter instead of the 100% hydration starter that you mention in the recipe?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for your interest in this recipe. Yes, you can. You may want to increase the water to at least 50% of the sweet stiff starter when you build the SST. Otherwise the starter will be too stiff and hard to handle.
DeleteCheers :)
Ah sorry what do you mean by that? I am still new to sourdough journey >.<
DeleteHi, it means you need to use more than 75g of water in below Sweet Stiff Statter Ingredients. The hydration of this SST is 50%. Means there are 210g of flour and 105g of water.
DeleteSweet Stiff Starter:
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 light brown sugar)
Btw, why you feed your starter with 80% hydration? I find it is abit hard for calculation.
Cheers :)
Oh! I get it now. Thank you for explaining :) I got the starter from a friend who has been feeding 1:5:4 and i read that the ratio should not change so often as it will affect the starter's strength. Do you think it is ok to change the ratio to 1:5:5 instead so that it become 100% hydration?
DeleteHi, great that you got it. Yes, it should be fine. But, please keep the mother starter incase it doesnt work.
DeleteTry to feed 1:1:1 first. If the starter is tripled in 3 - 4.5 hours in room temperature (28C) then it is working. If starter take longer than 5 hours then feed again until you get tripled in 3 - 4.5 hours.
I hope this help.
Cheers :)