Hahah I think cheap bread is the key. The expensive stuff is always too hard for panko.

Both of those methods are great for making Japanese-style sandwich bread at home. I guess it's one of those things I should have a recipe for but I'm not much of a baker.

In reply to Marc.

Yeah, you've made me jealous of your panko for some time now. I have inexpensive sourdough sandwich bread which is a household staple, so I always have that around. It has its own distinctive flavor, but my family prefers it.

I think if you tried a buttermilk sandwich loaf or a potato loaf it might be similar to the Japanese bread, but I haven't tried it.

I suppose one could bake their own bread for this; it would be worth trying if you're into Japanese sandwiches. I bake bread using the Tangzhong method (https://www.chainbaker.com/tangzhong-yudane/) and it comes out airy and chewy. It has milk, butter, and egg in it, so it's close to the flavor and texture of Japanese bread. It's not that complicated an extra step, and the results are certainly worth it!

Thanks Kathy! This is a great idea! Japanese sandwich bread has the softness of spongecake (but not the crumbliness), and elasticity of French bread (but not the hardness) which makes it kind of unique, but I think a sourdough loaf that isn't too hard could work really well. Thanks for the suggestion!

Hi Bkhuna, please read the section in the headnotes under Ingredients where I explain about the type of bread you need to use.

Perfect technique, Marc! Yes, it requires the right type of bread to get the gorgeous panko that you use in your recipes. I have the stuff in the box and it doesn't come close. I checked the ingredients today, and it only contains flour, yeast, and salt. No wonder it doesn't taste as good as real Japanese sandwich bread!

I can't always get Japanese bread here, but I've made "panko" with sourdough bread and it's really good! The sourdough is chewy enough and airy so it tears into nice, big shards.

And I agree, fresh is best! Thanks for teaching me.😊

The only ingredient in this recipe is Japanese Sandwich Bread. So I really don't understand your statement.

The type of bread the Japanese use is different than western bread. You can make crumbs that look like Panko but it's not the same.