Salt Bread (Shio Pan) Recipe

Imagine the softest, fluffiest bread roll with an enriched buttery and milky flavor, and then pair it with an almost shatteringly crisp bottom and flaky salt on top. That’s what this salt bread is, and I show you how to make the best version of it with my foolproof, reader-favorite step by step recipe!

I make this with bread flour and other pantry-staple ingredients, and I show how to make it without a mixer too. You can also make it dairy free or vegan with proper substitutions. You can make it all in one day if you prefer (if using a mixer), or do a cold overnight proof to develop even more flavor!

As an avid bread baker and a (self-proclaimed) connoisseur of Korean pop culture and cuisine, this shio pan is the perfect union of two distinct worlds for me! When I saw these salt bread buns going viral on social media, I knew I had to try it. Just one try, and I was in love!

There’s such beauty in simplicity with this recipe, and I’m SO excited to share it with you guys! If you like my homemade breads, I think this one’s going to be one of your absolute favorites. It’s THAT good.

Why this recipe rocks

• This is adapted from my popular Japanese milk bread recipe, so it guarantees foolproof, bakery style results!
• So fluffy and soft on the inside with the classic milky flavor infused with butter, with a delightfully crisp bottom, and a salty crunch on top. The way the textures work together is so simple yet mesmerizing at the same time.
• You can make these shio pan rolls ahead of time and freeze them for later too.
• I show you how to make these without a mixer too.
• Very customizable recipe. You can try it with different variations too.

What is salt bread?

It’s called “salt bread” because of the salted butter encased inside each roll, AND the sprinkling of salt on top of the bread. The result is a pronounced butter and salt flavor throughout these soft and fluffy bread rolls.

The bread rolls are also shaped like a croissant, where the bread is rolled up similar to croissants, but without the lamination layers.

The bottom of the bread is crisp because of the melted butter crisping it up in the oven. It also results in a visible pocket inside when done baking, where the butter was previously encased in the dough.

Japanese shio pan vs Korean sogeum ppang

You can trace the origin of salt bread back to Japan where they are called shio pan (shio = salt and pan = bread). But it became popular on social media recently with the Korean adaptation known as sogeum ppang (sogeum = salt and ppang = bread).

The main difference between the Japanese and Korean version is mostly the amount of butter in the bread.

The Japanese version typically uses less butter inside the rolls, giving it a balance of chewy and soft bread texture with buttery flavor. It’s a more classic, everyday sort of bread roll.

The Korean version uses more butter inside the bread, and can also use more butter on the baking tray, so that the bottoms “fry” as they bake, yielding a pronounced buttery flavor and richness to the rolls. (They may also sometimes incorporate different fillings and toppings.)

My preference is somewhere between the two versions and that’s what this recipe is. Larger pieces of butter encased in the rolls so I get that characteristic crispy bottom, but not add extra butter to the pan.

For the bread dough

• Bread flour – I use bread flour for this recipe. The extra gluten in this flour helps to create the soft but slightly chewy texture.
• Milk – I use full fat milk so that the bread gets the best milk flavor.
• Sugar – There is a hint of sweetness that complements the flavor of the bread.
• Yeast – You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast here. I’ve tried both, and you get great results with either option.
• Eggs – The egg is optional, but it adds extra richness to the bread. If you’d like to, you can replace the egg with more milk.
• Milk powder – Optional ingredient. The milk powder adds a lovely milky flavor and softness to the bread.
• Butter (for the dough) – I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter too. Just adjust the amount of salt in the bread dough recipe if using salted butter.
• Salt – Really brings out all the flavor in the bread. So, make sure your bread is properly seasoned.

Remaining ingredients

• Salted butter – To cut into cubes for the inside of each bun.
• Salt flakes – To sprinkle on top.
• Egg wash – To brush on top before baking.

The tangzhong paste is the secret to the super soft, pillowy texture of Japanese milk bread.

To make this, place the milk in the pot with the flour (images 1 – 2). Then whisk the flour in until you have a smooth paste (image 3). Whisk in the water (image 4).

Then heat the mixture over medium heat while constantly whisking. The mixture will start to thicken as it heats up. The mixture at the bottom will start to thicken first. So, I like to whisk the mixture off heat to evenly distribute the heat (image 5).

When the mixture resembles a thick but still flowing paste, remove it from the heat and scrape into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool down to room temperature (image 6) (or slightly warmer).

Step 2 – Activate the yeast

If you’re using active dry yeast, it’s crucial to activate the yeast first. Dry active yeast granules are larger in size and need to be dissolved and activated.

If you’re using instant yeast, it doesn’t need to be activated. However, if your yeast is old, it would be good to activate it first anyway to make sure it’s still active.

Place the lukewarm milk in your mixer bowl with a couple of teaspoons of sugar (or honey). Whisk to dissolve the sugar and sprinkle in the yeast (image 7). Then whisk to dissolve the yeast in the milk.

Let it sit for about 10 – 15 minutes. The yeast should start to form a frothy mixture on top (image 8). This shows that your yeast is activated and is fresh.

Next, add the wet ingredients into the bowl. The tangzhong, egg, remaining white sugar (sugar is considered a wet ingredient most of the time in baking) (image 9). You can whisk to combine if you want, but it’s not crucial.

Step 4 – Add the dry ingredients and mix

Add the milk powder, bread flour, and finally the salt over the flour, so it doesn’t make contact with the activated yeast (image 10).

Now, mix the ingredients together to form a scraggly dough (image 11). You can do this with a spatula, or the dough hook of your mixer.

Step 5 – Mix the dough

This dough will need time to properly knead. Our goal is to develop enough gluten to create a lovely chewy texture. With time, the dough will go from being sticky to smooth.

The dough is sticky because there’s a lot of hydration and enrichment, but that is what makes the dough soft. So, please avoid adding extra flour to make it “less sticky”, as it will make the final result dry and heavy.

Start kneading the dough for about 5 – 7 minutes until the dough starts to look smooth (image 12). You will need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is uniformly kneading.

We’re giving the dough a head start in developing gluten, before adding butter. Butter (or fats) make it harder for the gluten to develop.

Step 6 – Add butter

Add the softened butter that’s cut into smaller portions, and knead until the butter is mixed in with the dough (images 13 – 14).

This will make the dough stickier and loose, but don’t worry, it will come together.

Step 7 – Knead the dough

After incorporating the butter, it’s time to knead the dough until the gluten is developed.

This can take as little as 12 minutes, or up to 20 minutes, depending on your mixer and speed.

The dough will start off sticky (image 15), and will easily break when you try to pull it.

Once the dough is kneaded, gluten will form and create a stronger structure. So, the dough will become smoother (image 16), and stretch more when you try to pull it.

How to tell when the dough is done kneading

There are two keys ways to tell when the dough has developed enough gluten.

• The window pane test – The tried and true method. When you stretch a small portion of the dough, you should be able to stretch it thinly enough so that you can see your fingers through the dough, i.e. “a window pane”. This is especially helpful if you’re using the dough the same day.
• Lifting the dough from the bowl – I use this method if I know the dough will be resting in the fridge overnight. This dough might be very close to passing the window pane test, but not quite there. However, if you try to lift the dough out of the bowl, the whole dough will pull off cleanly from the bowl without breaking, or leaving any dough behind. That happens when the dough has sufficient gluten to give it structure.

Step 8 – Shape the dough

After kneading the dough to the correct consistency, place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and shape the dough into a tightly formed ball.

Fold the edges of the dough towards the center and flip it over to form a tight ball. Place this back in the bowl (image 17), and cover loosely with a plastic wrap.

You can do this either at room temperature, or over 12 – 24 hours in the fridge.

• Room temperature – Let the dough proof at room temperature for about 1 hour to double in size. Ideally, the room shouldn’t be too warm, because it’s best to let the dough double in size over an hour. Don’t overproof, as this can lead to a beer-like aroma at the end.
• Overnight slow proofing in the fridge – Here, we proof the dough slowly in the fridge. The longer proof time allows for more flavor to develop through slow fermentation. It also helps to develop more gluten in the dough as it rests. The dough will be chilled, and a little easier to work with too.

Step 10 – Prepare the butter

Cut the salted butter into cubes (image 18). I like to weigh out each portion to make sure everything is even. Each portion can be between 10 – 15 g.

If you go higher than 15 g, the rolls will be very rich and buttery. My preference is to use butter that’s about 1 tbsp in size, which is about 14 – 15 g per bread roll.

This recipe makes 12 rolls, so make sure you have 12 butter portions. Keep the butter in the fridge until needed.

Step 11 – Portion and bench rest the dough

After doing the bulk fermentation (at room temperature or in the fridge overnight) (image 19), portion the dough and let it rest before doing the final shaping.

I prefer to weigh my dough out and then divide the dough into 12 portions equally by weight (images 20 – 21).

Once you’ve portioned the dough, shape each portion into a ball by bringing the edges towards the center (image 22) and pinching them together and then rolling the dough on the work surface to form a smooth ball (images 23- 24).

Then use your palm to roll one end of the dough ball to elongate it into a carrot-like shape (see pictures for reference) (images 25 – 26).

Place these on your work surface or a lined baking sheet, and cover them to let each dough portion rest for about 10 – 15 minutes (image 27).

Step 12 – Shape the buns

The croissant like shape for these buns comes from rolling out each portion into a long triangle shape, and then rolling it up with a piece of butter in the middle.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the thinner edge of the carrot shaped dough (images 28 – 29). This will make the narrow end stick to the work surface. Then slowly, use the rolling pin to roll out and stretch the thicker edge (image 30). It should only be slightly thicker than the width of your butter portions (about 2 – 3 inches wide), but the dough triangle will be fairly long (image 31).

Don’t flour the work surface too much, especially under the narrow end of the dough, as it helps to have the dough stick to the surface on the narrow side.

Then place a butter portion on the wide end of the dough (image 32), and start rolling up the dough with the butter piece inside (image 33). I like to gently stretch the dough as I roll it up to make the dough narrower to create the “croissant-like” shape (images 34 – 35).

The longer the dough, the more “layers” you create. I prefer to keep it to only about 4 – 5 rotations (with 3 – 4 visible).

Step 13 – Final proof

Place each shaped bun on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spaced well apart. In a half sheet pan, I only place 5 – 6 buns spaced out evenly (image 36). The images below show a full size sheet pan, that can fit 12 buns instead of 6.

Then cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap, and let it proof until doubled in size, or properly proofed (image 37).

Step 14 – Bake

While the buns are proofing, preheat the oven to 350 F and place a baking rack in the middle of the oven. Once proofed, the buns are ready to be baked, but first you have to brush them with an egg wash (image 38).

You can brush the bread rolls with,

• a whole egg whisked together, OR
• an egg yolk whisked with 2 tbsp cream or milk OR
• a milk wash (milk or cream only)

An egg wash will give you a more golden, shiny color when baked.

Then sprinkle the flaky salt on top (image 39). The wash will help the salt stick to the bread.

If you want to make your salt bread richer, and extra buttery like the Korean version (soggeum paan), then place a few pieces of butter on the half sheet pan as well (image 40). Then place the rolls in the oven and reduce the heat to 325 F.

Bake the bread rolls in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the bread becomes a beautiful golden brown (image 41), and the bottom is nice and crisp!

The baking time will depend on the oven and the baking tray too (darker baking trays will bake faster than lighter ones).

The butter will melt out of the bread rolls and pool on the baking tray. The butter will also start to turn golden brown as it turns into brown butter. This is normal, so don’t worry!

Step 15 – Let the bread rest

After baking, remove the salt bread from the oven and let it rest on the baking tray with the melted butter. The bread will absorb some of the butter as it cools.

Then transfer the bread rolls onto a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or a little warm (because ain’t no way you’ll be able to wait for them to cool down completely, ha!)

Salt bread variations I’ve tried

This classic version is hard to beat, but there are a couple of different versions that I really love!

• Garlic butter salt bread – I made garlic butter and placed that inside the dough instead of regular butter. SUPER delicious garlic bread rolls!
• Cheesy salt bread – Add some grated cheese to the dough to make cheesy salt bread rolls! I didn’t like placing the cheese in the middle, because the cheese will melt and harden as it cools down. But the cheese in the dough will infuse the bread with the cheese flavor, which is so much better!