Salt Bread (Shio Pan) Recipe | Chewco

These golden, buttery rolls deliver everything you crave in a bakery-style treat: delicately crisp, crackly crusts and soft, airy interiors that pull apart in tender layers. Popular across East Asia as shio pan in Japan and sogeum-ppang in Korea, salt bread is shaped by wrapping each portion of dough around a core of rich butter, creating its signature light, hollow center.

Made with Chewco High-Protein Salt Bread Premix (GET FREE SALT BREAD MIX SAMPLE HERE) this version is designed for both performance and flavor, offering the perfect balance of strength and softness. The high-protein blend helps the dough rise beautifully while still producing a tender, cloud-like crumb. As the rolls bake, the butter melts and steams from within, creating that iconic airy pocket and a deeply satisfying, butter-fried base.

Despite its gourmet look and indulgent taste, salt bread is an everyday favorite in bakeries throughout Asia, simple, comforting, and endlessly versatile. Whether served fresh for a weekend brunch or enjoyed as part of your daily routine, these rolls bring professional-quality results straight from your oven with the convenience of Chewco’s expertly formulated premix.

Part A – Sponge (Pre-ferment)

Ingredients

• High-gluten flour
• Dry yeast
• Sugar
• Water
  
  

Method

1. Scale all ingredients based on 100% high-gluten flour as the reference base.
2. Mix all ingredients slow and medium speed until smooth.
3. Adjust water to reach a dough temperature of 24°C.
4. Cover and ferment at 28°C RH for ~2 hours until expanded with a light alcoholic aroma and airy structure.
   
   

Part B – Final Dough

Ingredients

• Chewco High-Protein Premix
• High-gluten flour
• SS-CL
• Sugar
• Margarine
• Salt
• Water
• Trehalose

Method

1. Add sponge and dry ingredients (excluding margarine and water) using sponge flour as 100% reference base.
2. Mix 3 min slow, then 5 min fast.
3. Add water gradually, adjusted to reach hydration of ~55–60% of total flour base.
4. Add margarine at ~8–9% of flour base, mix 2 min slow until fully incorporated.
5. Continue mixing ~6 min fast until dough is elastic and smooth.
6. Confirm full gluten development using windowpane test.
7. Target final dough temperature: ~27°C.
8. Rest dough for ~20 min at room temperature.

Processing

1. Divide dough into equal portions based on final product weight standard (100% batch scaling reference).
2. Round lightly to preserve gas retention.
3. Rest briefly for relaxation.
4. Freeze shock at -17°C for ~20 min.
5. Shape into sea salt bread form.

Final Proof

• Proof at 32°C 
• Proof until dough expands to approximately 150–170% of original size (~30 min)

Baking

1. Preheat oven for stable heat distribution.
2. Set oven temperatures:
   • Top heat: 220°C
   • Bottom heat: 180°C
3. Apply sea salt evenly on top and spray light water mist for steam effect.
4. Load trays evenly for airflow consistency.
5. Bake until golden brown and fully set (~15 min or until structure is firm and crust is evenly colored).
6. Remove and cool immediately on rack.

Topping / Glaze

Ingredients

• Butter

Method

1. Apply butter based on 100% surface coverage requirement after cooling.
2. Optional: return briefly to oven for light reheating to activate shine and aroma.