Sourdough Meets the Islands: The Spam Musubi Inspired Loaf
If there is one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am a massive fan of Spam. Whether it’s fried up for breakfast or tucked into a classic Spam Musubi, it is the ultimate comfort food. Naturally, I had to see if I could translate those iconic flavors into a sourdough loaf.
When I first teased this on TikTok and Instagram, the comments section went wild! I want to clear up a little bit of the confusion right away: this is an inspired bake. While it captures the soul of a musubi, we aren’t literally stuffing a block of rice inside a loaf of bread. After some experimentation, I decided to skip the cooked rice inclusions (it just felt a little “off” for the texture I wanted) and swapped traditional Nori sheets for a generous coating of Furikake seasoning.
The result? A loaf that is salty, sweet, and packed with that deep umami flavor we all crave.
Why Furikake is the Secret Weapon
Instead of using large sheets of seaweed, I went with Furikake Nori Komi Seasoning. By laminating this directly into the dough along with the caramelized Spam, you get a beautiful marbling of seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt throughout every single bite. It adds a complex savoriness that balances the sweetness of the glaze perfectly.
The Verdict
The smell of toasted sesame and soy sauce wafting through the kitchen is unlike any other bread I’ve baked. The cheddar cheese creates these little pockets of saltiness that play so well with the sweet mirin glaze on the Spam.
It’s unique, it’s bold, and despite what the skeptics in my comments might have thought—it is absolutely delicious. If you’re a Spam lover, this one is non-negotiable!
Have you tried putting “weird” inclusions in your sourdough? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
Spam Musubi Inspired Sourdough
Created by Sue Mun
Makes One Sourdough Boule
Ingredients:
For the Sourdough:
- 110g ripe starter (feed it the night before—1:4:4 at 75F. It would take about 10-12 hours until it reaches peak)
- 350g water
- 490g flour
- 10g salt
Cooked Spam Mixture (Spam Musubi style):
- 1/2 can spam, small diced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp mirin
Inclusion for Laminating:
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked spam mixture from above
- 3-5 tablespoons Furikake Nori Komi Seasoning
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Coating the Sourdough:
- 2-3 tbsp sesame seeds for covering
Instructions:
Make the Dough:
- In a large glass or ceramic bowl, mix together the warm water and the ripe sourdough starter.
- Add in the bread flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Stretch and fold #1. Using west hands, stretch the dough into itself about 6-8 times or until gluten develops. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #2. Using wet hands, stretch and fold the dough into itself until it can not stretch anymore. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #3. Repeat the steps from above. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #4. Repeat the steps from above.
- Cover and bulk ferment for 6-10 hours. Or until the dough has doubled in size and the dough peels away the sides of the bowl easily. If not, continue to proof longer.
- While you are waiting for the dough to bulk ferment, prepare the cooked spam mixture.
- In a medium pan, over medium heat, add in the diced Spam and cook until lightly browned. Add in the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce mixture has thickened to a thick glaze and the Spam is caramelized. Pour into a bowl and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
Shape the Dough:
- Flip the dough over and gently stretch to a long rectangle. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the prepped Spam mixture on top and sprinkle some scallions and furikake seasoning. Perform a book fold. Sprinkle more of the spam, scallions, and furikake seasoning on top and gently roll the dough up. Then gently push/pull dough into a tight round in a candy cane motion.
- Cover the outside of the shaped dough with some sesame seeds and place into banneton bread mold.
- Gently pull the edges of the round into the center of the dough. Just so it adds tension to the dough and helps improve oven spring when it bakes.
- Cover and proof in the fridge overnight (8-16 hours)
The Bake:
- Preheat oven to 450F and place dutch oven in the oven to also preheat.
- Flip onto silpat or parchment and gently score the top of the dough using a lame knife.
- Carefully place the sourdough into your hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
- Bake at 450F for 25 minutes with the lid covered.
- Lower the oven to 425F. Uncover the lid and bake again for 15-25 more minutes. Or until the internal temp is above 190F.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before garnishing with more of the cooked Spam mixture and cut/serve!
