Strawberry Açaí Shokupan
Get a taste of summer with this super soft loaf inspired by the beloved Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher!
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 strawberriesUsing 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 DoughIn 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 TestTake 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 strawberriesAdd 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 RiseCover 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 TestDust 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 DoughGrease the pan with butterPunch 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 tallFold 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 ProofCover 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.
- BakePreheat 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 & SliceLet it cool 3-4 hours or even better, overnight before slicing.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
