This Strawberry Açaí loaf is a showstopper-both in flavor and in appearance.

Imagine cutting into a soft, pillowy loaf that is almost too pretty to eat. The subtle pink from the freeze-dried strawberries combined with the darker tones from the Açaí create a beautiful, dark pink shade that blends both flavors into one stunning color, very similar to Starbuck's Strawberry Açaí Refresher.

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Strawberry Açaí Shokupan

Maria Baradell

Get a taste of summer with this super soft loaf inspired by the beloved Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 1 45

Yield 1 loaf

Ingredients

300 milliliters (1 ¼ cups) warm coconut milk about 100°F (38°C)
35 grams (3 tablespoons) caster sugar
8 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) salt
7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
400 grams (3 ⅓ cups) bread flour
20 grams (¼ cup) freeze-dried strawberries
6 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) pink pitaya powder
4 grams (1 teaspoon) açaí powder
30 grams (2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter
Optional for a darker color: 5 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) red yeast powder

Inclusions

35 grams (⅓ cup) freeze-dried strawberries (8.8%)

Instructions

Pulverize 20 grams of freeze-dried strawberries
Using a food processor or blender, pulse 20 grams of freeze-dried strawberries until they form a fine powder. Make sure there are no large chunks remaining, as this will help evenly distribute the strawberry flavor throughout the dough.
Mix Dough
In a bowl, whisk together the warm coconut milk. You can use the microwave or stovetop to get it up to ~100°F (38°C), sugar, and yeast.
Set the bowl aside in a warm spot (like the oven's proof setting at about 95°F (35°C) for 10 minutes. If by the end of the 10 minutes it becomes foamy, the yeast is working well. If it's not foamy, then the yeast might be too old and the bread won't rise as well.
In the bowl of the mixer, combine the flour, salt, pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, pink pitaya powder, açaí powder and optional red yeast powder.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix on speed 1 until the dough becomes shaggy (about 1-2 minutes)
Increase the speed to 3 and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
Add the softened butter and mix at speed 4 for about 8 more minutes.
Window Pane Test
Take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If the dough stretches thin enough to form a translucent "window" without tearing, it means the gluten has developed properly and the dough is ready for the next step. If it tears easily, knead the dough for a few more minutes and try again. This test confirms that the gluten network is strong enough to trap the gas from fermentation, resulting in a soft and airy crumb in your finished loaf.
Add the 35 grams of freeze-dried strawberries
Add the remaining freeze-dried strawberries to get the look of a true Strawberry Açaí Refresher. Mix on speed 1 for 1-2 minutes and speed 2 or 3 for 1-2 minutes until they are evenly distributed.
First Rise
Cover the mixer bowl with a damp cloth and set it aside in a warm spot (like the oven's proof setting at about 95°F (35°C) for 45 minutes. You can transfer the dough to a different bowl if you prefer. You might want to grease it for easy release.
Poke Test
Dust your finger with flour and gently poke the dough all the way down. If the hole closes quickly, the dough needs more time to rise. If the hole remains, the dough is ready to move on to the next step.
Shape the Dough
Grease the pan with butter
Punch down the dough in the bowl to release as much gas as possible, and dump it out on a flour dusted counter.
Divide and weigh the dough in 3 equal pieces (of about ~283 grams each)
Roll one piece into a rectangle of about ~10 inches wide and about ~22 inches tall
Fold it in thirds.
Roll it from the top down, or the bottom up, it doesn't matter.
Place it in the greased pan with the seam down, and repeat with the other 2 pieces.
Final Proof
Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm spot (like the oven's proof setting at about 95°F (35°C) for about 1 hour, until it has almost reached the top of the pan.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 415°F (213°C).
Grease the lid and close the pan with it.
Bake the loaf covered for 28-32 minutes, until the temperature reaches 200°F (93°C) inside.
If baking uncovered, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C) and brush the top with an egg wash (mix one egg with 1 tablespoon of water). Bake the loaf uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the temperature reaches 200°F inside. Be sure to check the color of the crust often, as egg wash will give it a beautiful golden-brown finish, but we don't want it to over brown.
Cool & Slice
Let it cool 3-4 hours or even better, overnight before slicing.