If you’ve been on social media recently, chances are that you’ve come across videos showcasing the most delicious-looking bread pastries called salt bread, or shio pan. Similar to a croissant, salt bread is known for its soft, fluffy interior and its crispy, buttery, and golden brown outer shell. Unsurprisingly, the secret to achieving this combination is by using copious amounts of butter. By rolling a portion of cold butter inside each roll, you give the salt bread that beautifully layered center, which just unravels when pulled apart and allows the bottom of the bread to crisp up in all the butter that seeps out. If you’ve been dying to try making salt bread at home but aren’t too familiar with baking, this recipe is perfect for you, whether you try the original or garlic butter version!
Disclaimer: This recipe measures ingredients in grams. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use this handy website for converting grams of flour, sugar, butter, milk, etc. into cups. https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/cooking/grams-cups.php
For the garlic butter version, you first have to start by making the garlic butter that will go inside each roll. Combine the following:
- 120g softened salted butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (but you can use more if you want, of course!)
- 2 tbsp fresh or dried herbs
Once mixed, grab a piece of parchment-paper and lather the garlic butter onto it. Then, shape the garlic butter into a regular stick of butter. Try to aim for a stick large enough to cut ten 12g pieces to roll into the dough later. Put this into the freezer or refrigerator to harden.
Next, for the general recipe, you need to prepare a tangzhong starter for the dough. Combine the following in a saucepan over medium-low heat:
- 22g bread flour
- 60g water
- 60g milk
Stir the mixture with a spatula constantly until it becomes a very thick paste. It should cling to your spatula in thick globs. Take it off the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge completely.
Now for the dough, you will need:
- 7g active dry yeast
- 120g milk (warmed in the microwave for around 1 minute)
- 10g sugar
- 1 egg
- Tangzhong starter
- 375g unbleached bread flour
- 40g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 60g softened unsalted butter
To make the dough, follow these steps:
- Either in a stand mixer bowl or a regular large bowl, add in the milk, active dry yeast, and sugar. Mix these until combined, and let sit for around 5 minutes to bloom the yeast. The mixture should have large-ish bubbles when the yeast has bloomed.
- Next, add in all the bread flour and mix on low speed for around 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, mix until you end up with a shaggy and sticky dough (5-10 minutes).
- Add in the softened butter and continue to knead on low for around 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add bread flour as needed. Kneading by hand will take longer, around 30 minutes. Ultimately, the dough should be smooth and bouncy, and should pass the windowpane test (meaning that when you stretch it in 4 directions with your fingers, the dough shouldn’t break up easily).
- Shape the dough into a large, tight ball and place into a large, greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (next to the stovetop or in a warmed oven is perfect) for an hour to an hour and a half.
- After it has proofed and doubled in size, divide the dough into ten to twelve 65-70g portions. Roll the dough into tight balls, tucking in the sides under each ball. Then, cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
To shape the dough:
- Roll out each ball into a cone shape around 6 inches long, keeping one side large and spherical and the other like a thin tail.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the fatter part of the dough, gently pulling on the thinner side, until it is rolled flat. You should end up with a triangle shape, similar to a croissant, before being rolled up. Try not to make the fatter end of the dough too wide.
- Place one 12g piece of the garlic herb butter on the fatter end, and roll tightly until you reach the end. Make sure to tuck in the thin end at the bottom of the roll, so that it doesn’t unravel when baked.
Lastly, you need to proof one more time before baking. In a baking sheet, lightly grease the surface and lay 6-8 of your salt breads onto each sheet. Spray each bread with water, either using a spray bottle or just lathering your bread with a brush. Proof them in a warm area for around an hour, or until each piece doubles in size.
To bake, spray each salt bread with lots of water and sprinkle with salt before putting them into the oven. In a 400°F oven, bake them for 12 minutes first. Then, lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for 10 minutes.
Once they’re out of the oven, brush them generously with garlic butter, made with the same ingredients as the garlic butter used inside the rolls, while they’re still hot. The butter should sizzle a little bit and give the bread that shiny, glossy appearance. Let cool for a little, then enjoy!
