Anpan - sweet red bean bun

Anpan is one of the easiest Japanese bread to make at home, if you want to try making
bread for the first time.  Trying to make homemade bread could be intimidating, but the more you try, the easier it becomes.

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 225 g (1 ¾ cup) bread flour and extra for sprinkling
• 25 g (scant ¼ cup) cake flour (No cake flour? See Note)
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 4 g (1 tsp.) kosher salt
• 3 g (1 tsp.) dry yeast
• 1 large egg (46-50 g/ml)
• 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp.) whole milk, keep at 86F (30C) (See Note)
• 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp.) water, keep at 86F (30C)
• 35 g (2 ½ Tbsp.) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling

• 280 g (35 g x 8) Anko, sweet azuki red bean paste (See Note)

Toppings

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. black sesame seeds
  

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine 225 g (1 ¾ cup) bread flour, 25 g (scant ¼ cup) cake flour, 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar, 4 g (1 tsp.) kosher salt, and 3 g (1 tsp.) dry yeast.
   
2. Beat 1 large egg in a small bowl and add to the bowl with flours.
   
3. Add 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp.) milk and 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp.) water, both which have been kept at 86F (30C).
   
4. Using your fingertips or a wooden spoon, gently mix the ingredients together until they are combined. In the beginning, dough is very sticky and wet, but keep mixing until it forms a loose, sticky ball. Also use the dough to pick up the flour on the sides of the mixing bowl. This step should take about 2 minutes.
   
5. Sprinkle a clean, stable surface with flour and transfer the dough from the bowl. Press the heels of your hands into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold the top half of the dough in half back toward you. Rock forward on the lower part of your palm to press it flat. Turn the dough slightly (to clockwise), fold it in half, and rock into it again with lower part of your palm. This process is called "punching" the dough and the goal is to lengthen and stretch the gluten strands in the dough. Repeat for 5 minutes or so. Tip: If the dough doesn't seem to be losing its stickiness, sprinkle more flour over the top and work it into the dough. You can lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking too much.
   
6. After “punching” for 5 minutes and the dough gets more elastic, press and stretch the dough for 10 inches (25 cm). Then put small cubes of 35 g (2 ½ Tbsp.) unsalted butter on top of the dough. Roll up the dough tucking the butter in, and then continue the kneading process.
   
7. Your hands, dough, and the working surface will get oily and messy in the beginning. I recommend using a metal/silicone dough scraper to collect the dough stuck on the working surface.
   
8. As you knead, the dough will absorb the butter and it will eventually become very smooth and easier to work with.
   
9. When the dough becomes smooth, start banging the dough onto the counter and fold it over away from you. This helps develop gluten (elasticity). Bang the dough, turn it 90 degree, and “punch” it, using the lower part of your palm. Continue this process for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, supple, and silky. Tip: Don’t let go of the dough when you are banging onto the counter. Don’t let it rest for too long between turns.
   
10. Near the end, pull the end of your dough with your thumb and fingers. Keep spreading the dough with your fingers, stretching the dough into thin translucent membrane. This test is called Windowpane Test to see if the dough's gluten has been developed enough. Your dough is now ready to rise. If the dough tears, the gluten isn’t quite ready yet. Knead the dough for another 2 minutes and test again.
    
11. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling all sides of the ball to the bottom and pinching them together.
    
12. Place the dough in a bowl (the seam on the bottom) and cover with a plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for a few hours until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. I use a Proof setting (100F / 38C) in my oven.
    
13. Once the dough has doubled in size, dust your index finger with flour and put it in the center of the dough. If the hole doesn’t close, then the dough is ready for next step.
    
14. Press the dough with your hands to release gas in the dough and deflate.
    
15. Fold both sides of the dough toward center.
    
16. Then fold in thirds toward the middle. Flip, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
17. Shape the dough into a ball, rotating (clockwise) with both hands while the seam line is touching the work surface.
    
18. Using a dough scraper cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. If you need to adjust the size of dough, pinch off the center of the big dough and add to the center of the small dough and knead to combine well.
    
19. Shape each dough piece into a nice round ball, pulling from all the sides and tuck into the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
    
20. Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent from drying. Rest the dough for 15 minutes at the room temperature.
    
21. After resting, flatten the dough with your hand, fold in thirds twice (just like you did earlier), and shape it into balls.
    
22. Press the dough so stretches to 3 inch (8 cm) diameter. Then put 35 g of red bean paste in the middle of the dough. Then pull all sides of the dough around and wrap the red bean paste tightly to seal.
    
23. Pinch the seam very well and put the seam on the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand a few times, keeping the seam side on the bottom. Put the dough back into the baking sheet, seam side on the bottom.
    
24. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent from drying. Let the dough rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes (I used the Proof setting (100F / 38C) in my oven). When the dough has risen half way, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Note: If you are using the oven for proof, you have to transfer the dough to a warmer place so you can preheat the oven.
    
25. In a small bowl, add 1 egg and 2 Tbsp. water and whisk very well. Using a pastry brush, brush all sides of the dough with an egg wash.
    
26. Put 2 tsp. black sesame seeds in a small bowl. Dip the flat round side of a rolling pin (about ¾ inch diameter) in the egg wash and black sesame seeds and stamp on top of the dough. Alternatively, you can simply sprinkle the black sesame seeds on top.
    
27. Bake at 400F (200C) for 13-15 minutes. Toward the end of baking if you see the bread is not being browning equally, rotate the bread once so that the bread gets equal color.
    
28. Once bread is baked, transfer to a wire rack and let it cool. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or bag after it’s been cooled. Enjoy!
    

Notes

Prep Time includes resting time for dough.

Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour and corn starch. Here’s how.

1 cup AP flour - 2 Tbsp. AP flour + 2 Tbsp. cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour

Be sure to sift the flour to distribute the cornstarch well before using it in your cake batter. 

Whole milk: I highly recommend using whole milk instead of reduced fat milk, but it's up to you.

Red Bean Paste: I use coarse red bean paste but you can use fine paste. Pressure Cook Anko recipe here and Stove Top Anko recipe here.

http://www.justonecookbook.com/anpan/