The theme this time is simple: bringing out the quiet, everyday deliciousness of bread on a deeper level.
The focus is on dough made with salt koji and the soft, chewy texture that only high hydration can produce. At the center of the new lineup sits the Rustique, a bread that lets the flavor of the wheat, the umami built up through fermentation, and the fragrance of a well-baked crust come through simply and clearly.
Beyond a striking appearance, the goal is bread people find themselves wanting to eat again at the everyday table—bread whose flavor unfolds more the more it's chewed, and that fits naturally into breakfast, lunch, or any meal of the day. That is the idea behind this second renewal.
A Year of Trial and Error Behind the New Bread: Salt Koji and High Hydration
For this second renewal, MAISON ICHI has built its bread-making around a new axis: salt koji. Development of bread using salt koji actually began about a year ago.
The aim was to harness the fermenting power of salt koji to draw out the dough's own umami and natural sweetness, while creating bread with a fragrant crust, a soft and chewy interior, and flavor that builds the more it's chewed.
In practice, though, working salt koji into bread dough proved far more delicate than expected. The pace of fermentation, the dough's water content, temperature, fermentation time, and baking—shifting the balance of even one of these could change the dough's condition, rise, texture, and aroma significantly. Dough with especially high water content demanded the same kind of delicacy as high-hydration bread in general, and getting the texture right did not always come easily.
The team adjusted the formula and baked again, revisited the fermentation conditions and baked again. The dough wouldn't rise as hoped. The texture wasn't quite right. Pushing the salt koji's umami further would throw off the balance of the dough. After repeating that cycle of setbacks many times, reviewing each condition one by one over roughly a year of testing, the bread finally arrived: the salt koji bread being introduced in this second renewal.
The power of the koji draws out a gentle, lingering umami and mild sweetness in the dough. The baked surface develops a fragrant crust, while the inside holds onto its moisture for a soft, chewy texture.
The new Rustique-centered lineup lets customers enjoy that new dough's flavor throughout, offering a fresh way to appreciate the simple deliciousness of bread itself.
The Rustique: Simple, and All the Better for It
"Rustique" is French for "rustic." Made with simple ingredients, it lets the flavor and texture of the dough itself come through directly.
For this renewal, MAISON ICHI combines the Rustique with salt koji and a high-hydration method, giving it a new character: fragrant on the outside, soft and chewy within. Enjoy it as is, lightly toasted to bring out the crust's fragrance, topped with butter or jam, or paired with a meal—a bread that fits naturally into any lifestyle, from breakfast through to the evening table.
Product: Koji Salt Rustique
Price: ¥378 (tax included)
The power of koji draws out a gentle umami throughout the dough. Salt koji brings a chewy texture and mild sweetness, set against the contrast of a fragrantly baked crust. The more it's chewed, the more the flavor of the wheat and fermentation spreads—simple, yet with a depth that makes you want another bite.
Fermented Salt Rustique
Rustique Boule
Product: Rustique Boule
Price: ¥486 (tax included)
A Rustique whose umami is drawn out with salt koji, shaped into a whole loaf sized for easy sharing at the table. The outside bakes up firm and fragrant, while the inside stays moist and chewy. Enjoy it plain first for the dough's own flavor, then try it however you like at home—a bread for every day.
Product: High-Hydration Rustique Caprese
Price: ¥486 (tax included)
A high-hydration dough made with salt koji, combined with sun-dried tomato, basil, and mozzarella in a nod to the Italian classic caprese. Amid the chewy dough, the tomato's gentle acidity meets the mozzarella's milky richness, with basil's fresh aroma layered on top for a satisfying bite in a single bread. Good on its own or lightly warmed, it works well as a light meal.
High-Hydration Rustique Caprese
High-Hydration Fig Pistachio
Product: High-Hydration Fig Pistachio
Price: ¥486 (tax included)
A high-hydration dough with its characteristic moist texture and pleasant chew, layered with the umami and sweetness of salt koji fermentation. Combined with richly sweet dried figs and fragrant pistachios, this bread's deep fig sweetness and pistachio aroma spread further with each bite, adding accent to the simple dough.
Beyond the Rustique: New Products That Let the Ingredients Shine
Product: Fleur de Pistache
Price: ¥583 (tax included)
A butter-fragrant croissant topped with pistachio cream and dried figs. A showpiece item that brings together the croissant's light texture, the pistachio's toasty aroma, and the fig's deep sweetness in one bite.
Fleur de Pistache
Honey Cream Cheese Sandwich
Product: Honey Cream Cheese Sandwich
Price: ¥486 (tax included)
A generous filling of cream cheese, honey, and nuts sandwiched together. The walnut's toasty aroma builds with each bite, with raisins and cranberries adding a sweet-tart accent. Creamy, toasty, sweet-tart—every bite brings a different flavor.
Product: Gentle Fruit Baguette
Price: ¥410 (tax included)
A mild-flavored baguette packed generously with six kinds of nuts and dried fruit. Which fruit or nut turns up changes depending on where you bite, making for a bread that stays interesting all the way through.
Gentle Fruit Baguette
Taste Five at Once: New Additions to the Popular Trial Set
The popular "TRIAL SET," which lets customers sample a little of several MAISON ICHI breads at once, is also getting an update to match the second renewal. This time the set includes:
- Fermented Salt Rustique
- Fig and Cream Cheese
- Toasty Chestnut and Caramel Bread
- Chocolate-Scented Viennoise
- Pistachio and Cranberry Rich Bread
Soft, chewy, and fragrant—the set lets customers sample a little of each texture and ingredient combination and find their own favorite.
From August 24 to August 31, a limited renewal-commemoration price applies, available in a limited quantity of 20 sets per store per day during that period.
TRIAL SET: ¥1,501 (tax included) / ¥1,389 before tax
From September 1 onward, it will be priced at ¥1,566 (tax included) / ¥1,450 before tax.
Quantities are limited, so this is a good opportunity to try MAISON ICHI's new breads side by side.
Sales Overview
Renewal date: Second renewal, Monday, August 24, 2026
Stores: MAISON ICHI Nishimagome, Kyodo, and Tokyu Food Show Edge
- Availability and quantities may vary by product.
- Limited-quantity items will end once sold out.
- Some conditions apply to certain campaigns.
From the First to the Second Renewal: Bread You Want to Eat Every Day
The first renewal, which began on July 27, refined mainstay items—including the Croissant au Beurre, made even better with a new formula—while also introducing new additions to the lineup.
Now, with the second renewal on August 24, the focus returns to the fundamentals of bread-making: salt koji, high hydration, and fermentation.
Not just for special occasions, but bread people reach for naturally in daily life—waking up in the morning, choosing something for lunch, or gathering with family at the table.
Mainstay items made even better, and new products that offer something to discover: MAISON ICHI plans to keep building products that add a small daily pleasure, from the moment of choosing bread through to the aftertaste once it's eaten.
On the thinking behind the renewal
Because bread is such a familiar part of the everyday table, MAISON ICHI sees the deliciousness that makes people want to come back for more as essential.
Through the renewed bread, the brand hopes to offer existing customers a fresh discovery, and give those trying MAISON ICHI for the first time the enjoyment of choosing bread.
Made From Scratch: MAISON ICHI's Approach to Bread
Marking its 20th anniversary this year, MAISON ICHI values a hands-on approach in which bakers make everything from scratch, using quality ingredients throughout.
Rather than chasing novelty for its own sake, the aim is bread that doesn't grow tiring even when eaten every day, yet still leaves an impression.
MAISON ICHI's signature methods
Long, cold fermentation: the dough is fermented at low temperature (typically 4–7°C in a refrigerator) over 12 to 24 hours. This slows the yeast's activity and lets the dough mature gradually, drawing out the wheat's natural umami and aroma for bread with a rich flavor.
Yudane method: a Japanese technique in which flour is combined with boiling water before being worked into the dough. This improves the dough's ability to retain moisture, producing bread with a soft, chewy texture.
Made from scratch
From the Development Team
Chef Boulanger Hoshi Takeru
Chef Boulanger Profile
Takeru Hoshi entered the world of bread-making at age 18, learning the fundamentals at "Couronne," a scratch bakery based mainly in Ibaraki. He went on to train further at "Maison Kayser," gaining experience across stores, factories, and hotels. He joined MAISON ICHI in 2022, working on product development and building out operations, and was appointed head of production in April 2025, where he now leads quality control and new product development. His specialty is hard bread, and his aim is bread that draws out the character of each ingredient and brings a smile to customers' faces.
Store Information
- Website: https://maison-ichi.jp/
- MAISON ICHI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maisonichi/
Store List
MAISON ICHI Tokyu Food Show Edge
Address: Shibuya Scramble Square Shop & Restaurant B2F, Tokyu Food Show Edge, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6427-5140
Hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed: Follows the facility's holiday schedule
MAISON ICHI Nishimagome
Address: Ozawa House 1F, 2-2-1 Nishimagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5742-5162
Hours: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Closed: Irregular holidays
MAISON ICHI Kyodo
Address: 3-1-31 Miyasaka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Kyodo Terrace Garden
Phone: 03-5799-7991
Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Closed: Irregular holidays
MAISON ICHI Workshop
Address: 505-12 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
