Japanese Honey Toast (a.k.a. Shibuya) From ‘The Sugar Hit!’
This week, we’re spotlighting recipes from The Sugar Hit! Sweets That Pack a Punch! by Sarah Coates (Hardie Grant), the writer behind the award-winning blog The Sugar Hit! Try making the recipes at home and let us know what you think!
Photograph by Chris Middleton
By Sarah Coates
Shibuya Toast
Serves 2-4
I wish I could tell you a cool story about the history of this recipe; but alas, I don’t really know it. All I know is that after seeing a few Instagrams, plenty of Tumblr posts and one insane video, I had to have it. This is the kind of thing that takes no time to make (it’s mostly an assembly job), but it looks so awesome and is so munchy and crunchy and delicious, it’s the perfect thing to present to your mates at midnight. They will DESTROY it.
1/3 loaf white bakery bread
2 ¾ ounce butter, melted
To serve
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh berries
Whipped cream
Maple syrup
Turn the loaf of bread on its end and, using a small serrated knife, slice a square about ½ inch in from the edge of the loaf. Carefully scoop out the inside square of the loaf, trying not to squash it, leaving the crust of the loaf intact. Slice the inside of the loaf into large cubes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat about half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, and cook the bread cubes on all sides until golden brown and crisp. Put them on the baking tray.
Melt the remaining butter and brush it all over the crust of the loaf. Put the crust on the baking tray with the fried cubes and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp.
Pile the cubes into the shell, top with ice cream, berries and whipped cream, drizzle with maple syrup and serve.
TIP: You want a fairly sturdy loaf for this, something like pain de mie from a French bakery or ideally some Japanese milk bread.
Reprinted with permission from The Sugar Hit! Sweets That Pack a Punch! by Sarah Coates (Hardie Grant).
More Japanese-inspired desserts:
Mochi Cake from ‘Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts’
