Tom Cat Bakery, an organization operating in New York’s Four-Star dining scene for approximately 40 years, announced its latest creation: a line of artisanal Japanese Milk Bread products for both retail and foodservice customers. Developed in collaboration with Japan’s renowned Yamazaki Baking, these breads seamlessly merge authentic Japanese baking traditions with Tom Cat’s American artisan standards.
Before Japanese milk bread became popular, Tom Cat Bakery embarked on developing the best milk bread in the US. Working with the experts at Yamazaki Baking of Japan, Tom Cat acquired special equipment to follow the yudane method, in which flour and water are pre-cooked and added to the dough, creating the signature springy and fluffy texture expected in a true Shokupan. In keeping with Tom Cat’s tradition of using all-natural ingredients, the Japanese milk bread gets its rich flavor from generous amounts of heavy cream and honey.
In addition to the Shokupan sandwich loaf, Tom Cat has also created a seeded pullapart roll and a burger bun to offer professional and home chefs new ways to use this milk bread.
The Japanese Milk Bread products are available to foodservice customers through Dot Foods and to grocery retailers in new Tom Cat-branded retail packaging.