It’s fluffy and moist Kokuto steamed bread. Kokuto, known as Okinawa black sugar, creates unique sweetness and rich flavor. I made kokuto banana muffins before but I will share another recipe using kokuto today. You can make this Kokuto steamed bread without a vegetable steamer or a bamboo steamer as long as you have a large frying pan or a pot with a lid that tight fits the pan.
What is Kokuto?
I think the easiest way to say about Kokuto is that Kokuto tastes like molasses. The difference between Kokuto and molasses is that Kokuto is made by boiling down sugarcane, while molasses is made by removing the high-purity sugar from sugarcane and concentrating it. So molasses is less sweet and is more concentrated. Kokuto is sweeter than molasses and is less condensed. So it’s sweeter, lighter and powdered version of molasses. Kokuto has been used in Japanese sweets for a long time and is available at every grocery store, so we use Kokuto more often than molasses.
What you need to make Kokuto (Okinawa Black Sugar) Steamed Bread
60g (8 tbsp) powderd Kokuto – 黒糖
100g (2/3 cup) cake flour – 小麦粉/薄力粉, sub. gluten free flour such as rice flour – 米粉
1/2 tbsp baking powder – ベーキングパウダー
50ml (1/5 cup) milk, any kinds – 牛乳
1 egg – 卵
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil – サラダ油
a pinch of salt – 塩
30g (3 tbsp) raison optional – レーズン
How to make Kokuto Steamed Bread
Kokuto has lumps, so be sure to strain it with a strainer before using it. Once the Kokuto becomes powdery, put it in a large bowl and add flour, baking powder, salt and mix together.
Then add milk, egg and oil and whisk well to combine. If you use raisins (optional), add this step.
Pour the mixture into a flat heat-proof dish lined with parchment paper. It’s not easy to cook the center of the bread, not to use deep dishes. Place the dish in a large frying pan or large pot, which have a tight-fitting lid. Then fill with hot water from the side. The water surface should be right under the basket. Finally, steam with the lid on until a skewer inserted comes out clean for about 30 minutes over medium heat. Check from time to time if there is the water left and add more hot water if needed.
If you have a steamer basket or steamer pan, I recommend that you use ramekins with cupcake liners or muffin cups. Because you can make it more fluffy and shorten the cooking time by 10 minutes.
This Kokuto steamed bread is good to eat while it’s slightly warm.
Enjoy!
If you try this recipe, Let me know! Leave a review and be sure to tag a picture #matchaandtofu on Instagram!
Kokuto (Okinawa Black Sugar) Steamed Bread
Ingredients
- 60 g (8 tbsp) Kokuto – 黒糖 not rock sugar
- 100 g (2/3 cup) cake flour – 小麦粉/薄力粉 sub. gluten free flour such as rice flour – 米粉
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder – ベーキングパウダー
- 50 ml (1/5 cup) milk – 牛乳 any kinds
- 1 egg – 卵
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil – サラダ油
- 30 g (3 tbsp) raison – レーズン optional
Instructions
- Kokuto has lumps, so be sure to strain it with a strainer before using it. Once the Kokuto becomes powdery, put it in a large bowl and add flour, baking powder and salt, then mix together.
- Add milk, egg and oil and whisk well to combine. If you use raisins (optional), add this step.
- Pour the mixture into a flat heat-proof dish lined with parchment paper. It's not easy to cook the center of the bread, not to use deep dishes. Place the dish in a large frying pan or large pot, which have a tight-fitting lid.
- Then fill with hot water from the side. The water surface should be right under the basket. Finally, steam with the lid on until a skewer inserted comes out clean for about 30 minutes over medium heat.
- Check from time to time if there is the water left and add more hot water if needed.
- If you have a steamer basket or steamer pan, I recommend that you use ramekins with cupcake liners or muffin cups. Because you can make it more fluffy and shorten the cooking time.
