Gather all the ingredients. Precise measurement is extremely important for this recipe; therefore, please weigh your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, salt, and honey. Mix well together. Then, add the yeast. Whisk it all together and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the bread flour and dry milk powder in a stand mixer bowl. Mix it together. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.

Once you confirm the foamy surface on the yeast mixture, pour it into the well of the flour mixture, scraping out every bit of the liquid with a silicone spatula or dough scraper. Then, mix it until combined.

Set up the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough on Speed 2 for 2 minutes. Next, increase the speed and knead the dough on Speed 4 for 4 minutes. Add the butter cubes to the dough. Knead again on Speed 2 for 2 minutes, then knead on Speed 4 for 4 minutes.

Knead the dough on Speed 6 for 3 minutes. The dough should look really shiny, silky, soft, and smooth.

To check the dough's texture, perform the windowpane test. If it stretches to a super-thin membrane without tearing, your dough passes the test.

Once your dough passes the windowpane test, lightly dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto the work surface.

Pick up the dough ball, slam the smooth side onto the work surface, and fold the dough in half. Repeat this process 5 times.

Place the dough ball in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic. Let the dough rise for 40 minutes or until it triples in size.

Once the dough has tripled in size, dust some flour on top and use your index finger to poke the middle of the dough. If the hole does not close up, it’s ready.

Invert the bowl to release the dough onto your work surface. Gently press down and deflate the air bubbles in the dough.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces for a rectangular shokupan loaf. Form each piece into a ball with a smooth, taut skin.

Cover the dough balls with a damp towel and rest them for 15 minutes.

Roll out each dough ball into a rectangle, fold it in thirds lengthwise, and roll it up. Pinch the edges to seal.

Place the dough rolls in the greased shokupan mold, seam side down. Cover the mold with plastic and place in a warm environment for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). For a flat-topped shokupan, lower the oven temperature to 415ºF (210ºC) and bake for 25–30 minutes. For a round-topped shokupan, lower to 385ºF (195ºC) and bake for 30 minutes.

When it’s done baking, drop the mold firmly 1–2 times on the work surface to allow the water vapors to escape. Let the shokupan cool completely on a wire rack.