What Is Shokupan? A Guide to our Japanese-style Milk Bread, Baked Fresh in NYC
Shokupan – or Japanese-style milk bread – is pillowy, soft, and fluffy, with touch of sweetness and a subtle milkiness that keeps it tender far longer than your everyday white bread loaf. Light and delicate, it’s perfect for your morning toast, for slicing up to making sandwiches, or making French toast.
We bake ours fresh daily here at 64 University Place, in both classic and croissant-style loaves. Pre-order a loaf (or two!) now, and you’ll know why we’re obsessed with this gorgeously delicate bread.
What Is Shokupan?
Think: soft and fluffy Japanese-style bread, often called Japanese milk bread. What sets it apart from your everyday white loaf or sandwich bread is its pillowy, tender crumb, and a subtle hint of sweetness, which is perfect for sandos, toast with butter and jam, and a decadent French toast for weekend mornings.
Classic or Croissant Shokupan? Try Both!
Papa d’Amour offers two different styles of shokupan bread: Classic and Croissant, each available as a full or half loaf.
The Classic is our go-to fluffy white milk bread, perfect for toasts and sandos.
The Croissant is a beautifully laminated loaf with a airy croissant-like crumb within, and golden and lightly-caramelized flaky layers on the outside. Enjoy on its own, or slice up and toast for a decadent treat.
Classic Shokupan Loaf
Our classic loaf is soft and fluffy on the inside, with a golden crust. It’s our go-to for sandos, buttery toast, and French toast. Inside is bouncy and pillowy-soft, and we simply can’t get enough!
Croissant Shokupan Loaf
Our croissant loaf features a light and airy croissant-like crumb on the inside, with a golden caramelized flaky layers on the outside. It’s a subtly sweet treat that’s lovely on its own, or toasted with butter or jam.
Try both and see which one becomes your favorite!
How to Store Shokupan
Shokupan tastes best on the day you bring it home, freshly baked and kept at room temperature. The texture and flavor of our shokupan does change slightly over time, and in fact, we sometimes love it even more on day 2 and 3! Here’s how to enjoy your loaf from one day to the next:
Day 1
Enjoy it fresh as is or slice it up to make sandos. It’s soft and fluffy and delicious!
Day 2
Slice and toast it up,
and enjoy with butter and jam. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Day 3
Make French toast! Slice it up, soak in a custard batter, and sizzle it up on a pan (with plenty of butter!). You can also wrap and freeze
any remaining bread to enjoy later.
Day 4
By now, you’ve probably finished the whole loaf, so it’s time for a new one! Stop by Papa d’Amour in NYC and pick up a loaf baked fresh that very same day.
How to Toast Shokupan
Toasted shokupan with butter and/or jam is one of life’s simple pleasures. Slice up your loaf (we like to slice them to about 2cm thickness) and plop them into your toaster. The inside stays soft and tender while the outside turns into a golden crisp crust. Serve with raspberry jam and a pat of butter for a sweet and satisfying bite.
How to Freeze Shokupan
Not sure you’ll finish your loaf? Just pop it in the freezer for next time! Wrap it well with plastic wrap, or tuck it into an airtight container to keep it fresh. When you’re ready to enjoy again, bring it out and let it thaw to room temp, and it’ll be good as new!
What’s the Best Bread for French Toast?
Why Shokupan Works, Every Time
Shokupan is our favorite bread for making French toast. The soft and fluffy texture of the bread soaks up custard beautifully, while the center stays moist and the crusts get beautifully golden and crisp. Soak a slice in a custard mixture, melt some butter into non-stick or griddle pan, and watch as the toast crisps up and gets golden. Top it with jam and butter, pure maple syrup, a little powdered sugar, or fresh berries and Chantilly cream.
You can also make sandos, or simply toast a slice with butter or jam.
Explore our full menu to see what else is waiting for you.
Where to Get Your Loaf
Stop by 64 University Place
Visit us here Papa d’Amour at 64 University Place, NYC. We’re open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM.
Want to plan ahead for your next treat? Pre-order our Japanese milk bread for pickup, and place your order at least 2 days ahead to skip the morning rush.
Pickup is only available on select dates, so order online or give us a call at (917) 675-6151 for the fastest service. Bread delivery in NYC is available online, and if you’re outside of the city, our loaves can be shipped nationwide through Dominique Ansel Online site. We also cater events through ezCater.
Shokupan FAQs
Shokupan is the Japanese name for the soft sandwich-style white bread, commonly called Japanese milk bread.
Absolutely! Check out our tips for making the best French toast above.
Shokupan tastes the best on the day of purchase. Follow our Day 1-4 plan above to get the most out of your bread.
Yes, you can either freeze the entire loaf or slice it up before freezing it (just make sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container.
Our Classic Shokupan is our go-to white bread with a soft, fluffy interior and a golden crust. It’s the best option for sandos, toast, and French toast. Our Croissant Shokupan has a light and airy croissant-like crumb inside with a golden flaky crust on the outside that’s lightly caramelized. You can enjoy it plain, sliced up and toasted with jam and butter, or even topped with fruit.
Pre-order Shokupan at least 2 days ahead, for pickup on the date you choose.
Yes, Papa d’Amour ships Shokupan nationwide via Dominique Ansel Online.
