← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 250 g Strong bread flour
• 30 g Sugar
• 4 g instant dried yeast
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 120 ml lukewarm milk
• 30 g unsalted butter, softened
• 320 g sweet red bean paste (anko)
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
• 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the egg and milk and knead for 10 min, then work in the butter and knead for 5–8 min more, until smooth and stretchy.
2. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, until doubled. Meanwhile, roll the bean paste into 8 balls of about 40 g.
3. Knock back the dough, divide into 8 balls and rest for 10 min under a cloth.
4. Flatten each ball into a 10 cm disc, set a bean ball in the centre and pull the dough up around it, pinching tightly to seal. Place seam side down on a lined tray and flatten slightly.
5. Cover and prove for 40 min, until puffy. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
6. Brush with beaten egg, press a dimple into the centre of each bun with your finger or a rolling-pin end, and sprinkle sesame seeds into it.
7. Bake for 12–15 min, until shiny and deep golden. Cool on a rack.

Tips

• Seal the seams well, or the paste leaks out and burns on the tray.
• Contains wheat, egg, dairy and sesame. Custard or matcha cream fillings are popular too.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Chopstick Chronicles