Name: 100% Sponge Hokkaido Milk Loaf ❤️ Feijuan's Classic Formula
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: Sponge (Chongzhong): Bread flour 250g; Sponge (Chongzhong): Heavy whipping cream 70g; Sponge (Chongzhong): Milk 75g; Sponge (Chongzhong): Egg white 18g; Sponge (Chongzhong): Instant dry yeast 3g; Sponge (Chongzhong): Butter 5g; Main dough: Egg white 20g; Main dough: Sugar 35g; Main dough: Milk powder 15g; Main dough: Instant dry yeast 1g; Main dough: Butter 5g; Main dough: Salt 3g

Question 1

Instead of a Pullman loaf, can I use this dough to make shaped sweet buns?

Accepted Answer

For shaped buns, I recommend adding old dough (pâte fermentée) to a direct-method recipe, like the dough in my Japanese Sea Salt Butter Rolls post, which is much easier to handle and shape. My room temperature is usually around 22°C.

Question 2

My sponge didn't rise at all after 15 hours in the fridge; it looks almost the same size as when it went in. I let it sit at 20°C room temperature for 1 hour beforehand, and the yeast worked fine in a recent bake. I used cold heavy whipping cream straight from the fridge and room-temperature ingredients for the rest. Could that be why?

Accepted Answer

Using cold heavy whipping cream shouldn't stop fermentation; I always use mine cold from the fridge. Did it still not rise after sitting at room temperature for another hour? That is puzzling. In summer, 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature is usually enough to kickstart the yeast before refrigerating.

Question 3

Can I add the main dough yeast together with the butter later in the mix? It is so hot right now that I worry adding it early will cause premature fermentation.

Accepted Answer

You can, though in this 100% sponge formula, most of the yeast and all of the flour are already fermented in the sponge, and there is only 1g of yeast in the main dough. If your sponge already has a nice web structure inside, go ahead and mix it right away while keeping the dough temperature cool. Also, for baking time, 30 to 32 minutes is usually plenty for a standard pan, or even shorter if you use a low-sugar Pullman pan.

Question 4

Can any high-hydration recipe be converted to a sponge method? Is there anything to watch out for?

Accepted Answer

You have to balance the flour and hydration ratios carefully across the sponge and main dough; you can check the various sponge recipes on my page for reference. For ultra-high-hydration loaves, I usually prefer using a Tangzhong (water roux) rather than a 100% sponge. As for ingredients, I have a separate post covering my favorite flour brands, and Nestlé milk powder works great for baking.

Question 5

Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe?

Accepted Answer

You can reduce it slightly. Reaching the full windowpane stage will ensure a fine, tender crumb structure.

Question 6

My stand mixer ran for over half an hour before getting a thin membrane, and it still wasn't a full windowpane. My final dough temperature hit over 31°C 😂😂

Accepted Answer

I have been there too! Once the dough temperature gets too high, the dough refuses to smooth out and the baked crumb won't be fine and tender. Summer dough temperature control is tough! Upgrading to my higher-wattage KitchenAid 8-quart mixer definitely shortened my mixing time.

Question 7

My dough turned out super sticky on my hands.

Accepted Answer

Do you mean it was sticky after you finished mixing? If it truly reached the full windowpane stage, lightly dampen your hands with water, pull the dough taut, and shape it into a tight ball (boule); it shouldn't stick. If it stays wet and sticky, it hasn't been mixed to full gluten development yet.

Question 8

Is it normal for the dough to feel very wet and sticky when first mixing the sponge and main dough ingredients together?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that is completely normal! Once the torn sponge pieces and main dough ingredients fully incorporate and you keep mixing to develop the gluten, the dough will gradually pull away from the bowl and become smooth and non-sticky.

Question 9

After mixing the sponge, can I put it straight into the refrigerator without fermenting at room temperature first?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can put it straight into the fridge! In fact, I do that most of the time. Master Wu Keji suggests letting it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes first, but since I worry I might forget it on the counter, I usually pop it straight into the fridge.

Question 10

I made the sponge today and it felt so dry and stiff! It was really hard to bring together.

Accepted Answer

The sponge is supposed to be quite stiff because the rest of the liquids (egg white) are added to the main dough the next day. Just press and squeeze it together by hand into a rough ball; if it truly refuses to come together, you can add a few drops of water.

Question 11

I didn't see a first proof (bulk fermentation) listed in the main dough steps. Does the overnight cold fermentation of the sponge count as the first proof, even though the butter and full windowpane aren't there yet? Thank you 🙏

Accepted Answer

Yes, that's right! The overnight cold fermentation of the 100% sponge serves as the first proof (bulk fermentation). Even though the final ingredients and full windowpane happen the next day, all the flour has already gone through a long, slow fermentation for 12 to 17 hours.

Question 12

The dough still looked workable, so I went ahead and continued as if using the direct method to see if it still turns out.

Accepted Answer

Sounds good! Wishing you a successful bake!

Question 13

My sponge didn't rise after 15 hours in the fridge and looks the same size as when I put it in, even after 1 hour at 20°C room temperature. I used cold heavy whipping cream from the fridge and room-temperature ingredients for the rest. Is that why?

Accepted Answer

Cold heavy whipping cream shouldn't prevent fermentation; I always use it cold from the fridge. In warmer weather, 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature before chilling is enough for the yeast to activate.

Question 14

Is it normal for the chilled sponge to have a fermented yeast aroma?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a pleasant fermented aroma is completely normal.

Question 15

When fermenting the sponge at room temperature for an hour before chilling, what is your room temperature?

Accepted Answer

Mine is around 18°C. If your kitchen is warmer, 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature is plenty. In the middle of hot summer weather, you can put it straight into the refrigerator.

Question 16

What is the difference between a poolish and a sponge (Chongzhong)?

Accepted Answer

A poolish is a liquid 100%-hydration preferment, whereas a sponge is a firmer dough preferment. The workflow differs slightly, though both produce soft, flavorful bread, so you can choose whichever method you prefer.

Question 17

When I took my sponge out of the fridge after 12 hours, it smelled slightly over-fermented. Is that normal?

Accepted Answer

A mild fermented tang is completely normal for an overnight sponge.

Question 18

How long does the second proof (final proof) take to reach 80% full in the pan?

Accepted Answer

For some bakers with a warm proofer it takes around 45 minutes; at my house it usually takes about 1.5 hours.

Question 19

Do you bake this open-top without a lid?

Accepted Answer

I baked this as an open-top mountain loaf, but you can bake it as a lidded Pullman loaf too! Just adjust your baking time and temperature slightly according to how your oven runs.

Question 20

Is there really no bread flour in the main dough?

Accepted Answer

Correct! Because this is a 100% sponge (Chongzhong) formula, all of the bread flour is in the sponge.

Question 21

Is the butter amount really that low?

Accepted Answer

The heavy whipping cream already contributes plenty of milk fat! If you love a richer butter flavor, you can add up to 15g more butter without any issue.

Question 22

I tried this method today and proofed the shaped dough to 80% full, but it had zero oven spring during baking. Do you know what might have caused that? Also, with the 100% sponge method, after mixing to full windowpane, we skip the first proof and go straight to bench rest and shaping, right?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you skip the first proof after mixing and go straight to bench rest and shaping. As for having no oven spring during baking, there are a few common culprits: 1. The dough wasn't mixed to a strong windowpane; 2. The second proof went too far (over-proofed), causing the gluten structure to weaken; 3. The bottom heat in the oven was too low; 4. Under-proofing (which wasn't the case for you since it reached 80% full); or 5. Using flour with insufficient protein content. Wishing you success on your next bake!

Question 23

What if I don't have milk powder?

Accepted Answer

If you don't have milk powder, you can simply omit it.

Question 24

Can I make this without heavy whipping cream?

Accepted Answer

If you don't have heavy whipping cream, I recommend trying a classic milk loaf recipe instead, since heavy whipping cream is the signature ingredient that gives Hokkaido loaves their rich flavor.

Question 25

I don't have milk powder. Can I replace it with liquid milk?

Accepted Answer

Just omit the milk powder rather than adding extra liquid, so the dough hydration stays balanced.

100% Sponge Hokkaido Milk Loaf ❤️ Feijuan's Classic Formula

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