Anpan あんパン

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5 from 14 votes

Anpan is a sweet Japanese bread filled with smooth azuki or white bean paste. The bread dough is enriched with milk, egg, butter, and sugar, combined with a pre-prepared yudane (scalded flour) to create softness and texture. The dough is kneaded thoroughly, allowed to rise, then shaped into small buns filled with sweet bean paste before baking to golden finish.

Prep Time

2 hrs 10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 12

Calories: 178 kcal

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

Azuki Bean Paste (Kuro-An)

50 g azuki beans 1/4 cup
50 g caster sugar (1/4 cup)

White Bean Paste (Shiro-An)

50 g White beans 1/4 cup
50 g caster sugar (1/4 cup)

Yudane

50 g bread flour (3/8 cup or 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
40 ml water 2 tbsp + 2 tsp, boiling hot

Bread dough

120 ml milk 1/2 cup, room temperature
1 egg 1, large, room temperature
25 g sugar (2 tbsp)
3 g yeast 1 tsp, dry
250 g bread flour (2 cups)
4 g salt (1 tsp)
40 g butter 3 tbsp, chopped, room temperature

Instructions

Sweet Bean Paste

Cup of Yum

Start to soak both beans 2 nights before baking day with 4/3 cups of water. See how to make bean paste in two separate posts. *2
This amount makes about 160g (5.6oz) each of Azuki and White bean paste.

Yudane

Make yudane a night before baking day. Place the bread flour in a small mixing bowl and pour in the boiling hot water. Combine them with a wooden spatula.
When it is cooled down, wrap with cling wrap and leave it on the kitchen bench in winter or leave it in refrigerator in summer.

Making Anpan Bread

Combine the milk, egg, sugar, instant dry yeast, bread flour and salt in a bowl of a stand mixer. *3
Set the stand mixer with a hook attachment and knead for about 15 minutes. *4
Add the butter and continue to knead a further 15 minutes. *5
Roll the dough round and place the dough into a greased bowl. Wrap with cling wrap to rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F (30°C) or until double the size. *6
Divide the bread dough into 12 equal sized balls and let them rest on the kitchen bench covered with well wrung out damp cloth.
Meanwhile, divide the sweet bean pastes (azuki and white) into 6 equal sized balls (so all together 12 ) and set aside.
Roll out one dough ball until it is slightly flat and place one white bean paste ball in the centre, then mold the dough around it to form a bread roll. *7
Repeat for the remaining dough and all bean paste balls.
Place them on a cooking paper lined oven tray and cover with a clean damp cloth for the second proofing for about 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size again. *8
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C)
Gently brush with beaten egg or milk, and stamp with sesame seeds.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven tray and cool them on a cooling wire rack.

Notes

Use 50 g large eggs (approximate weight per egg) for accurate dough hydration.
Soak beans for two nights prior to making azuki and white bean paste for best texture and sweetness.
Knead dough with a stand mixer on speed 4-5 or by hand for 15 minutes, add butter and knead an additional 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Proof dough at about 86°F (30°C) until doubled in size, using a warm, humid environment such as a styrofoam box with hot water if necessary.
Roll the dough evenly for consistent bun size; optionally proof buns in a muffin tin to maintain shape.
The times for making sweet bean pastes and yudane are separate from the bun preparation time.

Nutrition Information

Calories 178kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 171mg (7%) Potassium 89mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 155IU (3%) Calcium 22mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178

% Daily Value*

Calories	178kcal	9%
Carbohydrates	31g	10%
Protein	5g	10%
Fat	4g	6%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Cholesterol	15mg	5%
Sodium	171mg	7%
Potassium	89mg	2%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	11g	22%
Vitamin A	155IU	3%
Calcium	22mg	2%
Iron	1mg	6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.