---
title: 'Three-cheese shokupan toastie'
slug: 'three-cheese-shokupan-toastie'
kind: 'recipe'
revision: 1
source: 'mcp'
created: '2026-09-29T17:21:20.871Z'
url: 'https://noble-notations.ryanjnoble.dev/recipes/three-cheese-shokupan-toastie'
---

# Three-cheese shokupan toastie

_Cheddar, Emmentaler and mozzarella on shokupan, toasted inside first and cooked low_

A grilled cheese on shokupan for 2. Cheddar gives the flavour. Emmentaler and mozzarella give the melt and the stretch, and they hold the cheddar fat in. Toast the inside faces first so the soft crumb does not go gummy. Cook at medium-low heat, because shokupan browns fast.

## Why this revision

First version. Made to go with the roasted San Marzano tomato soup. Cheese mix of cheddar, Emmentaler and mozzarella as planned, on a tangzhong shokupan loaf.

## Categories

- **Cuisine**: American
- **Texture**: Crisp
- **Course**: Main
- **Technique**: Toasting

## Ingredients

- 4 slice Shokupan
- 30 g Butter, softened
- 60 g Aged cheddar, grated fine
- 60 g Emmentaler, grated fine
- 30 g Low-moisture mozzarella, grated

## Method


### Prepare

1. Mix the three grated cheeses. Leave the mix at room temperature. _(30 min)_
   > Cold cheese melts slower than the bread browns. Do this while the soup cooks.

### Toast

2. Heat a dry pan on medium-low heat.
3. Toast one face of each slice until light gold. _(1 min · Toasting)_

### Build

4. Put the cheese mix on 2 toasted faces. Close each sandwich with the toasted faces inside.
5. Spread the butter on the outside faces.

### Cook

6. Cook on medium-low heat with a lid on the pan. _(3 min)_
   > The lid holds heat in, so the cheese melts before the crust gets too dark.
7. Turn the sandwiches. Cook with no lid. Press once, gently. _(3 min)_
   > Hard pressing crushes the soft crumb of the shokupan.

### Serve

8. Put the sandwiches on a rack. Then cut them diagonally. _(1 min)_
   > A plate traps steam under the bread and softens the crust.

## Notes

### Why three cheeses _(science)_

Calcium holds the proteins of cheese together. As cheddar ages, its proteins break down into small, tight groups. When heated, these hold on to each other and the fat leaks out as grease.

Emmentaler and low-moisture mozzarella are younger and more elastic. Their protein network stretches around the cheddar fat and holds it in.

Ratio by weight: cheddar 40, Emmentaler 40, mozzarella 20.

### Why shokupan needs lower heat _(science)_

Shokupan is made with tangzhong, a cooked flour paste that holds much water. It also holds milk and sugar. Milk sugar and added sugar let the crust brown at a lower temperature than plain bread.

On high heat the crust goes dark before the cheese melts. Medium-low heat for longer lets the heat reach the cheese first.

Conditions: medium-low heat · lid on the first side

### Sources for the method _(research)_

Mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter. It browns evenly and spreads to the edges of the bread without tearing it.

One method toasts the inside faces of the bread in butter before the cheese goes in. It also coats the outside with mayonnaise, butter and grated hard cheese for a crisp crust.

Sodium citrate replaces some of the calcium that holds cheese proteins together. The cheese then melts smooth with no fat leak.

- Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-make-grilled-cheese-with-mayonnaise
- Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/the-best-ever-grilled-cheese-sandwich/
- Source: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/7649-cook-s-illustrated-explains-sodium-citrate

### Butter and mayonnaise on the outside _(idea)_

Mix some mayonnaise into the soft butter. The butter keeps the taste. The mayonnaise browns more evenly and does not burn as fast. Kewpie also adds MSG.

### Cheese crust _(idea)_

Press grated Parmesan, or some of the cheddar, onto the buttered outside faces. It fries into a crisp cheese shell.

### Dijon mustard inside _(idea)_

Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the inside faces. Its sharpness cuts the fat, and it helps keep the cheese emulsified.

### Chipotle in the cheese _(idea)_

Mix a pinch of chipotle powder into the cheese. The smoke then ties the toastie to the tomato soup.

### Cheese crisps for the soup _(idea)_

Fry small spoonfuls of the cheese mix in the pan until they are lacy and crisp. Put them on the soup.