ANPAN - JAPANESE RED BEAN BUNS

My baking destination of choice this week just had to be Japan, and as I wait for a Reykjavik guide book to be delivered to the office (if they don’t knock it down before then) and secretly, or not-so-secretly, go back over my steps and stare in a mixture of shock and excitement at tickets for a plane that instead will take me half a world away in under three weeks’ time, I kind of see a pattern there.

This time, your favourite escape (and bake) artist (that would be myself. Hi) is sharing a recipe for some fluffy vegan Japanese bread buns that are filled with sweet red bean paste, and do not contain any traces of maple syrup, dates (that’s probably for the best), nor Atlantic halibut (definitely for the best).

Two mouthfuls and you can forget other people's sinking ships and perhaps also your ones, and let your compass (head?) spin again for a little while.

ANPAN

2 tablespoons sugar

200ml (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) lukewarm soya milk or other non-dairy milk

1½ teaspoons active dry yeast

240g (2 cups) strong flour

60g (1/2 cup) cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon coconut milk powder or other non-dairy milk powder (optional)

2 tablespoons margarine, room temperature

280g (9.8oz) red bean paste (use this stuff or make your own)

Mix sugar, lukewarm milk and yeast together in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes or until it bubbles up. In a separate bowl, combine strong flour and cake flour, and add to the yeast mixture. Add salt and milk powder if using and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes or until smooth. Add the margarine and knead for another 4-5 minutes until completely incorporated. Place the dough in a bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

In the meantime, divide the red bean paste into 8 balls of about 35g each.

Once doubled in size, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces of 70g each then roll them into small balls. Cover and leave for 15 minutes.

Flatten each ball of dough with a rolling pin into a round. Place a read bean paste ball in the center of each round, wrap the dough around it and pinch it to seal.

Place the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush them with soya milk and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. Let rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes or until the buns turn dark golden brown.

Turn into Anpanman and devour.