Inspired by the Gas Station Men's Room egg salad sandwich from the anime Futurama. Features homemade Japanese shokupan (milk bread), house-made mayo, and lightly torched tomatoes, paired with a flavorful egg salad infused with pickled vegetables and Japanese spices.
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1
Make the tangzhong: combine 135g milk and 75g bread flour, cooking over medium heat for about 2 minutes until a thick paste forms, stirring occasionally (or microwave on high for 1 minute 20 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds).
2
In a stand mixer bowl, combine 720g bread flour with the cooled tangzhong, working it in with your hands until evenly distributed like making pie dough.
3
Add 45g sugar, 7.5g salt, and 7.5g instant yeast; toss together until evenly distributed.
4
Add 405g milk, 90g heavy cream, and 60g honey. Attach the dough hook and knead for 8–12 minutes on medium speed until soft, supple, and bouncy. While kneading, slowly incorporate 45g butter in small pieces, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
5
Form the dough into a taut, smooth ball, place in an oiled bowl covered with a moist cloth, and proof in a proofing drawer at 86°F and 85% humidity for 45 minutes until about 50% larger and springs back only slightly when poked.
6
Divide the dough into four equal pieces using a scale. Shape each piece into a taut ball and arrange them shoulder-to-shoulder in a buttered 13×5×4 inch Pullman loaf pan, slightly compressing the center two balls to control expansion. Butter the lid and cover.
7
Return the covered pan to the proofing box for about 30 minutes until the dough reaches about 80% the height of the pan.
8
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 45 minutes until the loaf fills the pan completely and reaches 205°F at its thickest point.
9
Immediately after removing from the oven, tap the pan several times and turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely (at least 4 hours) before slicing.
10
Hard-boil six large eggs by gently lowering them into boiling water and cooking for exactly 12 minutes. Immediately plunge into an ice bath for 30 minutes, then peel and roughly chop.
11
Make basic egg salad: combine chopped eggs with 1 rib finely chopped celery, 1/4 finely chopped onion, a generous pinch of kosher salt, a sprinkle of granulated sugar, and about 1 cup mayonnaise. Mix until combined; season to taste with black pepper if desired.
12
Slice tomatoes, drizzle with a little vegetable oil, and broil until blackened.
13
Make Kewpie-style mayo: combine 2 large egg yolks, juice of half a lemon, a small pinch of dashi powder, 1 tsp granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, a pinch of MSG, and 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar in an immersion blender cup and blend until smooth.
14
Slowly emulsify: carefully add 1 cup combined equal parts vegetable and MCT oil, pulsing the immersion blender upwards to slowly incorporate. If the emulsion breaks, crack in another whole egg and start over. Continue until thick and creamy.
15
Make gourmet egg salad: crush 6 eggs into a bowl, add several generous spoonfuls of the house-made mayo, season with white pepper, kosher salt, sugar, and MSG. Stir in chopped celery and chopped chives (instead of onion) and combine.
16
Add flavor complexity: stir in a few tablespoons of spicy pickle juice, spicy giardiniera, and togarashi. Adjust seasoning with salt and additional togarashi as needed.
17
Prepare torched tomatoes: slice brown kumato tomatoes, arrange on a wire rack, sprinkle with sugar, and torch until bubbly and lightly browned.
18
Assemble: thickly slice the shokupan, butter one side of two slices, toast in a nonstick pan until golden, and cool with toasted side down. Spread a generous layer of egg salad on one slice, top with torched tomatoes, and cover with the second slice. Cut on the bias and serve.
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