Tag Archives: anpan

Food, Recipes

RECIPE: アンパン – Anpan

Leave a comment

A personal favorite, anpan is a Japanese bread (pan) filled with sweet red bean paste (an).  It is particularly popular with young children due to the character “Anpanman”.

Anpanman

My version of anpan isn’t 100% authentic, as some of my native Japanese friends have described them as more “buttery” than the anpan they are used to.  Despite this, however, they have also said that it’s some of the best anpan they have ever had.

I’ve made my anpan this way over half a dozen times, and each time it has not failed to be a hit with friends and family.  Please give it a try!

How to Make Anpan

Ingredients (Makes 12)

  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Yeast
  • 4 ½ tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 ½ Egg
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 ½ tablespoons Butter
  • 1 can of Koshi-an (Smooth Red Bean Paste)

Directions

  1. Put the flour, yeast, sugar, and half the egg in a bowl. Add the water.
  2. Turn the mixture out onto a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle in the salt and knead some more. Add the butter a little at a time, folding over to create layers. Knead another 15 minutes.
  4. Let rest for 50-60 minutes. At the end of the 50-60 minutes, poke with your finger into the middle of the dough. If it stays down, the dough is ready.
  5. Flatten dough to press out air, and cut into about 12 pieces. Roll into balls, and place under a towel for about 10 minutes.
  6. Flatten a ball of dough in the palm of your hands, place a small scoop of koshi-an in the center of the dough and then gather all sides and pinch them together in the middle. When sealed, roll gently between your palms to make it round and put the sealed side onto your baking sheet.
  7. Repeat until all the dough and koshi-an is used up.
  8. Leave under a towel for another 40 minutes. When finished, coat the top of each anpan with the remaining egg.
  9. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit and bake for 8-12 minutes.
  10. These taste good hot or cool, but give them some time to cool a little out of the oven if serving while still warm because the red bean paste can get extremely hot and burn one’s mouth/tongue.