An-pan Red beans buns

An-pan is a Japanese sweet roll filled with sweet red beans paste. It is one of familiarized sweet bread in Japan.
It was first made about 140 years ago when Japan was becoming more westernized. That time, they used Sake (rice wine) yeast to proof it, and filled with red beans paste.

I cooked Anko (Japanese ward for Red beans paste) by myself. I could find Azuki (red) beans at the Asian supermarket. It keeps a month in the freezer. It is cooked with the same amount of sugar like jam.

Anko Red beans paste

300 g Azuki (red) beans

300 g Casteｒ Sugar

1/4 tea spoon of sugar

1. Rinse Azuki beans, then take bad beans, it will float on the water surface.
Put them into a sauce pan, and cover with 2 cm of water and cook it with medium heat until boiling.

2. Once it start to boil, turn down to low heat, cook it for 5 minutes.
Strain the boiling water. Put them back into the sauce pan. Cover with 2 cm of water and cook it  until boiling again.

3. Repeat #2, then put them back on heat.

4. Cook them until they become soft, able to mash easily with your finger tips.
During cooking, add water if water decrease.

5. Once bean become soft, add sugar and salt. Stir regularly and mush during simmer it.
Simmer it until it becomes thick and hard. Once it get cool down, it become thicker and harder.
Cool it down.

An-pan (Red beans buns)

Dough

280 g Bread Flour

20 g Sugar

1 tea spoon of Salt

1 tea spoon of Instant dried yeast

1/2 Egg

160 g Water

30 g Unsalted butter(melt)

Filling

Red beans paste

                  

Egg wash

1/2 Egg

1 table spoon of Milk

Black sesame (optional)

1. In a bread machine or dough mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add egg and water, combine well. Knead it for 10 minutes. Add butter and knead it until it becomes elastic and smooth. 

2. Put it in a bowl and put cover with plastic wrap. Place it at warm place, proof it until it gets double size for 1 hour. 

3. Take the dough out on the floured counter. Deflate it briefly, divide it in to 10 pieces. 

Make them rough balls, and rest them with cover for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make 11 pieces of 35 g red beans balls.
Put baking sheet on the baking tray. 

4. Wrap red beans paste. 

This is my kitchen video. How to wrap anpan. 

Use a rolling pin, make 7 cm circle. Roll it out around circle edge, make it 12 cm circle (outside thin, inside thick, kind of UFO shape).

Put red beans paste ball on the center of the dough. Wrap it gently. Seal it diagonally and tightly.
Put it upside-down on the baking tray.

5. Proof them at warm place for 40 minutes. Try not to dry them out. Keep them in the moisture.
Mix egg and milk to prepare egg wash.
Preheat the oven at 190℃.

6. Brush Egg wash. Sprinkle black sesame.
Bake them at 190 ℃ for 15 - 20 minutes until it becomes golden brown.

7. Cool them down on the wire rack.

It is placed at Yeastspotting. 

Shoku-pan (Milk Hokkaido loaf)

I bought a white sandwich loaf at the supermarket to make lunch for school when I come to NZ, 3 years ago. I bought it for $2. I was surprised it was cheaper and bigger than Japanese one. But it was tasteless. I think it was last time to buy the white sandwich loaf at the supermarket.
Once I settle down to the place, I bake bread by myself. And I sometime buy them from bakery.

Today, I felt like I want eat soft and rich loaf which I ate in Japan.
Pullman loaf is Shoku-pan in Japanese. Japanese loaf is rich and little bit sweet. Do you know Hokkaido milk loaf? That is creamy rich and bit sweet, and Japanese favorites style loaf.

This is important thing to proof enough before bake. The top of the dough has to reach 7/10 pan.

And once take it out from the oven, you need to fling it on the counter, then take it off from the pan immediately after bake. Give the shock to the bread, then it will be easy to take it out.

Shoku-pan (Hokkaido milk loaf)

20x11x10cm Loaf pan

320 g Strong bread flour (high grade flour)

20 g Sugar

4 g Salt

1 Tea spoon of instant dry yeast

220 g Milk

40 g Butter

Cream cheese and Anchovy Slices

This bread was made for my friend's birthday drink.
I got invitation on that day. All the ingredients are left over in the fridge. I checked the fridge, then I found Anchovy and cream cheese. Of cause, I have flour all the time.

At first, I made mixture of cream cheese and anchovy, seasoned with pepper. It was salty enough by anchovy. Apply it on the dough. Sprinkle onion slices.
I didn't proof it before put it in the oven and bake. Because I wanted to make it thin and crispy crust.

It was delicious!! Creamy and salty, but not too fishy. Onion texture is matching with cream cheese. Cut it into slices, and bring them party. That is suitable with wine and beer.

Cream cheese and Anchovy Slices

Dough

200 g Bread flour (high grade flour)

4 g Salt

1 tea spoon of instant dry yeast

1 table spoon of olive oil

120 g Water

Filling

100 g Cream cheese (soften spreadable)

5 fillets or more of Anchovy  (chopped finely)

Ground pepper

1 Onion (sliced)

1 table spoon of Olive oil

1. In a bread machine or dough mixer bowl, combine all dough ingredients. Knead it for 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.

2. Put the dough in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place it at the warm place. Proof it 40 minutes until it becomes double size.

3. Meanwhile, make cream cheese filling.
Combine cream cheese and chopped anchovy in a small bowl. Season it with ground pepper.

4 .Take it out on the floured counter. Deflate it briefly. Reshape in to a ball. Rest it with cover for 15 minutes.
Put baking sheet on the tray.

5. Preheat oven at 200℃
Use a rolling pin, make it the Baking tray size square.
Transfer the dough on the tray. Stab with a folk few times.
Apply cream cheese filling all over.

Sprinkle onion slices. And drip olive oil on the onions.

6. Bake it at 200℃ for 15 minutes until crust become brown color.

Slice it and serve!!

It is placed at Yeastspotting. 

Pirosiki (Pirozhki)

Pirosiki is Japanese version, Pirozhiki (Russian stuffed buns). It is deep fried and stuffed with beef mince, boiled eggs, onions and etc. And it is breaded with Panko (bread crumb) before deep fry.

My recipe is deep-fried buns like Curry buns. Filling is made from beef mince, boiled eggs, onion, cabbage, carrots and spring onion. Actually I got all left over vegetable for the ingredients. Chopped all vegetables, and stir-fry with beef mince and veges. Seasoned with tomato sauce and salt and pepper. How easy it is!!

Pirozhiki 

(8 buns)

Filling

300g Beef mince

1/2 Onion (chopped)

1/8 Cabbage (chopped)

1/2 Carrot (chopped)

3 table spoon of tomato sauce

1 table spoon of flour

salt and pepper, oil

2 Boiled eggs (mashed)

Make mince filling. 

Heat up the sauce pan, cook beef mince until evenly browned. Add chopped vegetables, cook together. 

Season with tomato sauce and salt, pepper. Stir well,. Remove it from the heat, add 1 table spoon of flour,  combine well. 

Cool it down. 

Dough

300 g Bread flour

5 g Baking powder

1 tea spoon of Dried instant yeast

10 g Sugar

5g salt

180cc Water

20 g unsalted Butter (soften)

Panko (bread crumb)

Deep fry oil

1. In a bread mixer bowl, combine all ingredients except butter. 

Once it becomes a dough, take it out from the bowl, and knead it on the floured counter for 10 minutes. Add butter and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic. 

2. Put the dough in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place it at warm temperature (30℃) for 1 hour until it becomes double size. 

3. Pour the dough over on the floured counter. Deflate it gently. Divide it into 8 peaces. 

Rest them with cover. 

4. Make shape.

Use rolling pin, make 12 cm round shape. 

Put beef filling and boiled egg on the dough. Fold the dough and seal it with your finger tips tightly. 

Fold the sealing part ◎. Press gently and make nice shape. 

Put the sealing part as bottom. Pat gently and make it nice shape.

Soak it into water, and dip and cover with  panko (bread crumb). Put them on the baking sheets.

5. Proof them for 30 minutes without cover. Keep them dry.
Preheat oil at 170℃.

6. Deep fry them each side at 170℃, until it becomes brown color for 5 minutes.

7. Cool them down on the wire rack.

It is placed at Yeastspotting. 

Beer Batard

There are lots of kind of beer all over the world. Recently I drink more craft beer. According to Shiggy (my partner), craft beer brewer, Craft beer   = brewed with more care, more flavour and love....and usually with more thought, which results in getting more body and flavour. 

I got leftover craft beer from last-night drinking. Why not put it in the bread?! 

And I wanted practice '' coup'e'' , slash on the bread. 

This is my coupe knife. I made it by myself before. It is made from disposal wooden chopsticks and a razor blade. It is quite sharp and easy-to use.

 

I was surprise when I had taste of the bread. 

This bread taste like Miso!!...and it taste little bit tangy because of hops. But it depends what kind of beer I used. I used red ale. It was quite hoppy taste.

Beer Batard

(make 2)

Starter

200g Bread flour

230g Beer (ale)

Pinch of dried yeast

1.  Day before, combine all starter ingredients well in a small bowl. Set it 10 - 12 hours with the  cover to ripen in the warm room temperature.

Final dough

300g Bread flour

10g Salt

120g  Beer (ale)

All starter

2. In the mixer or bread machine, combine all ingredients, and knead it 5 minutes. Ferment it 2 hours, and fold it. Another 2 hours later, fold it again. Ferment it totally 8 - 10 hours at warm temperature until it get double size.

3. On the floured counter, pour the dough. Pat it with your palm gently, try not to press air out. 

Divide into 2 piece. 

4. Shaping.

 Pat it and make it oval shape gently. Fold over 1/3, using your palm.(a) 

Fold over it and seal top and bottom part. Use your finger tips to seal it tightly. 

Make another batard shape. 

5. Place them on the floured cloths as sealing bottom. Proof it until they get bigger size for 1hour. 

6. Preheat oven 220℃ and the baking tray together. 

Take out the baking tray from the oven. Put baking sheet, and transfer the doughs on it. 

Slash them with sharp knife. 

7. Bake them with steam with 210 ℃ for 15 minutes, turn it down into 180℃ for 10 minutes until they gets golden-brown. 

8. Cool them down on the wire rack. 

 It is placed at Yeastspotting.

Maple Bacon Donuts

At HASHIGO ZAKE, the craft beer bar in Wellington. They had an event to sell Rogue Voodoo Donuts Maple bacon Ale with Maple Bacon donuts.
They asked me to make 50 maple bacon donuts.

 Problem.... I have never tried that donuts before. I could not imagine maple syrup and bacon taste together. If you are in Oregon State, you have tried it.
I have tried that beer before. It was sweet like maple and smokey.

Anyway I tried to make the donuts. I looked up recipe and photo on Internet.
That is photo I made it at first time. I brought them to the bar to try.

I needed to put more bacon and maple to improve them.

Then, Second one...

 I thought it was much better than before. But still they wanted to put more bacon to make it smokey.
But I needed to change the shape to make it like the original.

Finally I could make the recipe for beer donuts.

I found a interesting item.

Maple smoke extract

I put bit of  it into the dough and grazing to make it bit smokey

I write down recipe below. But if you want it to match with the beer, you can add some smokiness to the donut.

Maple Bacon Donuts

(make 10)

250g Plain flour

20g Sugar

3g Salt

1 tea spoon of dried yeast

3g Baking powder

1 Egg yolk

55g Water

40g Maple Syrup

20g Unsalted butter (soften)

60g Diced bacon

200g Icing powder sugar

Maple syrup

Water

5 slices of Bacon(cut in to 1/4)

1. In the dough mixer bowl, Put the ingredients except butter and diced bacon. 

Knead it 8 minutes until it becomes smooth. 

Add butter and knead it till butter combine well and get elastic and smooth. 

On the floured counter, combine the dough and diced bacon, knead it until it is completely combined. 

2. Put it in the container and put cover. Place it at the warm place (30℃) for 1hour until it becomes double size. 

3. Meanwhile cook the slices of bacon with frying pan until it gets crispy.
Cool it down.

4. Pour the dough on the floured counter, Deflate it and divide it into 5 pieces. Make them rough ball and rest them for 10 minutes.

5. Make them oval shape. Pat them your palm and make them flat lightly. 

6. Poof them at room temperature for 1 hour. 

7. Heat oil in the deep fryer or deep large, heavy sauce pan at 180℃.
Slide donuts in the hot oil, fry them each side until they become bigger and golden brown.  Remove them on the wire rack to drain oil.

8. Cool them down.
Meanwhile, make glaze. In a bowl, combine icing powder sugar and 2 table maple syrup, put a table spoon of water at a time until it become smooth but not watery. It was quite thick.

9. Once the donuts get cool down, dip them into the glaze. Top the bacon on top. Cool them down.

It is placed at Yeastspotting.

Maple Brioche Loaf

Before, I made stick danish loaf with 6x6x20cm loaf tins which I bought in Japan. 

I quite like them. I can make small size slices. It is perfect for tea time snack size.

 

 

I like maple syrup. When my friends go to Canada, I ask them to buy maple syrup for me. But it never work....they give me maple syrup flavour cookies.
One day I want to go Canada, then I want buy good quality one. 
Anyway, I buy the maple syrup by myself at the supermarket or international food shop.

It is first time to bake something with maple syrup. I have used it for pan-cake lots of times.
I put it into the brioche dough.

It has golden brown color crust and brownish soft crumb.
It smell rich butter maple aroma.  It is better to have toast and extra maple syrup.

Maple Brioche Loaf

(make 2 of 6x6x20cm loaf)

250g Bread flour

4g Dried Yeast

4g Salt

60g Maple syrup

1 Whole egg

1 Egg yolk

70cc Milk

Unsalted Butter 70g

Egg wash

1. In the mixer or bread machine, combine all ingredients except butter. Mix it 10 minute till it becomes smooth and elastic.  Then add butter and knead it for 8 minutes until combine butter well.

2. Put it into the container, then proof it at warm place (30℃) for 30 minutes. 
Wrap it with plastic wrap. Put it into the fridge (4℃) for overnight or 8 - 12 hours. 

3. Pour the dough onto floured counter, then deflate it, knead briefly. 

  Divide it into 8 pieces, preshape them into rough balls and rest it with cover for 20 minutes. 

 

4. Shape into final loaf. 

Pat the piece of the dough with your palm. Roll it out with a rolling pin, make it 15cm oval. 

Fold 1/3 sides.  
Fold it  1/3  up-side loosely. 

 

  Roll it down and place it sealing side down. 

Place 4 pieces each in the loaf tin. 

 5. Place them at warm place (30℃)　for 40 - 50 minutes...until the dough reach the top of tin. 
Preheat oven at 190℃.

 
6. Brush egg wash on the top.
Bake them at 180℃　for 25 minutes.

7. Take the bread out from tin while they are hot. 
Cool them down on the wire rack.

It is placed at Yeastspotting.