Yudane is a Japanese bread improver. It is made by scalding a portion of the flour in a recipe with boiling water. This method gelatinizes the starch which then makes the crumb of the bread soft and fluffy and makes it stay softer for longer.
This is not my first ‘Japanese’ style burger bun recipe. One of my most viewed and popular recipes which I made when I first started off on YouTube was a Japanese milk bun recipe. But I mistakenly made the dough with another bread improver called Tangzhong, which is in fact a Chinese style bread improver. So, this recipe is here to fix my past mistakes.
Unlike Tangzhong which is a roux made of milk and flour that is then cooked in a pan until thickened, Yudane is made by simply mixing flour and boiling water at a 50/50 ratio and leaving it to sit for several hours. I left mine in the fridge to cool down completely.
There are other recipes that use a similar method called scalding. Flour and other ingredients are mixed with boiling water and the mix is kept at a steady temperature for several hours to gelatinize the starch. It is the same principle, but yudane takes less time. Perhaps a yudane could also be kept at a steady higher temperature to gelatinize the starch even more.
But it works just fine the way I demonstrate in this recipe without spending too much time.
I use the stretch & fold method for kneading this dough. Not because of the hydration (which is not high), but because the dough is quite sticky. This kneading method makes it easy to knead.
You will get 4 large burger buns from the given ingredients. To make more simply multiply the amounts. You can also shape this into a loaf and bake it in a tin to make a super soft sandwich loaf.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the yudane –
50g (1.75oz) white bread flour
50g (1.75oz) boiling water
For the main dough –
250g (8.8oz) white bread flour
150g (5.3oz) cold milk *
4g (0.14oz) instant dry yeast or 4.8g (0.16oz) active dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) fresh yeast
20g (0.7oz) sugar
20g (0.7oz) soft butter
1 egg yolk, around 20g (0.7oz)
6g (0.21oz) salt
* To learn more about dough temperature control click here.
1 egg white for glazing
Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Method
- Make the yudane. Mix the flour with boiling water until there is no dry flour left. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold.
- Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the milk, yeast, salt, sugar, and egg yolk. Mix to dissolve the salt and sugar and to hydrate the yeast. Add the yudane and the flour. Mix to a dough.
- Tip the dough out on the table and leave to rest for 15 minutes to let it hydrate. It will be easier to knead afterwards.
- Knead for 6 minutes using the stretch & fold method. Tear in the butter and knead for 3 minutes longer. *Desired dough temperature 25C – 26C (77F – 79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
- Cover and ferment for 2 – 2.5 hours.
- Divide the dough in 4 equal pieces and give them a light pre-shape.
- Rest for 20 minutes.
- Final shape.
- Final proof will take around 2 hours. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
- Brush the buns with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Press the seeds in with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown all over. You can turn the tray around halfway through the bake to get a more even crust colour.
Leave to cool down and enjoy! Check out some more recipes in the Enriched Dough playlist.
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
Watch the video here
