Kelly, of A Messy Kitchen, was our Kitchen of the Month for February. Kelly challenged us to make Black Sesame Shokupan, using a different technique for making milk bread: yudane (yoo-dah-nay). You combine flour and boiling water and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. The resulting bread is soft and tender and has a longer shelf life, although, to be honest, this type of bread doesn't last very long.
We had the choice of making a marbled bread using black sesame paste, or, a more traditional looking bread. I couldn't resist the marbled bread! I bought a jar of black sesame paste (before the recipe had been added to Kelly's post), which is a good thing because I need it for other bakes (orange-black sesame cookies, for one).
I had fun creating the marbled effect. The end result was glorious! Each slice shows a different pattern, and each slice is truly a work of art. I should have photographed each slice to show the progression (overkill maybe?). I was truly sad when the bread was gone. Definitely a bread I will make again. (Thinking of County Fair time this summer.)
This was a terrific choice for our first 2024 challenge. Forgive the geological humor in the title, but I couldn't resist.
For the recipe, go to Kelly's website.
And, to see how the other Babe's did, check out their websites as well.