NYC Gets First Japanese Salt Bread Bakery
New York City's first bakery dedicated exclusively to Japanese-style salt bread has opened at 58 Second Ave. 'Justin's Salt Bread' serves the buttery, chewy roll that has become a social media sensation, with lines at the new bakery-café suggesting a new trend for the city's foodies.
The popular roll, known as "shio pan" in Japan, was first created in the early 2000s at a bakery called Pain Maison in Japan's Ehime Prefecture. The baker was reportedly inspired by the popularity of salted breads in France and developed the recipe using leftover baguette dough. The goal was to create a simple yet deeply satisfying bread that highlighted the pure flavors of butter and salt. Its unique texture comes from a specific baking process where a piece of cold butter is rolled inside the dough. As it bakes, the butter melts and seeps out, essentially frying the bottom of the roll to create a crispy, golden-brown crust. This results in a delightful contrast between the crunchy, buttery base and the soft, chewy interior. While originating in Japan, the bread became a viral sensation in South Korea, where it is known as "sogeum-ppang." Korean bakeries embraced the trend, often innovating with various fillings like garlic-cream cheese or sweet red bean. This social media-fueled popularity has now spread globally, leading to dedicated salt bread bakeries in cities like London and, now, New York. Justin's Salt Bread is operated by the same team behind the popular East Village noodle shop, Okiboru House of Udon. The minimalist cafe focuses on the salt bread itself, sold in packs of three, alongside dipping creams and specialty drinks like salt coffee and salt matcha lattes.
