Red Bean/ Tou Sha/Japanese An Pan Buns

Choosing to migrate to Brisbane and not glorious Sydney with its ample supply of Asian eateries and chinese bakeries meant I've had to learn to bake and cook everything I miss, especially my favourite Tou Sha red bean buns--they sell for an arm and a leg here and yet taste rather like leather purses.  You know what I'm talking about--we want our buns like back in Singapore: soft and spongy, sweet to the bite and just that teensy bit of crustiness to the surface for extra texture.

I went through great pains to fine-tune this recipe, pinching bits from many recipes until I managed to perfect the ultimate An Pan red bean bun I so adore. I hope you'll try it and tell me how you went. After you've mastered the dough recipe you could virtually add any type of filling to your buns...I've even made kaya, tuna and custard ones. Just YUMMMMYYY.


KAT'S RED BEAN / ‘TOU SHA’ AN PAN JAPANESE BUNS – makes 12 small buns

Ingredients:
125g Full Cream Milk (warmed slightly), less than ½ C
75g heavy cream (warmed), less than 1/3 C
½ tsp + ¼ tsp salt
1 large egg (room temp)
40g sugar
300g plain flour (+ 1 C plain flour during middle of cycle)
1 tsp yeast
3 tsp milk powder


Method:


1. Load all the ingredients into your bread machine (liquids before dry ingredients), set it to the dough cycle.
2. When dough is ready, remove from the machine and punch down to release air.
3. Divide dough into 12 pieces, roll into balls and flatten.
4. Add filling to middle of flattened piece, then seal with fingers and roll into a bun shape.
5. Transfer buns into lined muffin tray and proof for further 25 min with a spritz of water in the oven for 30 min till doubled in size.
6. Bake at 170 degrees for 15 min.


Glaze for bun:
Mix 2 T melted butter with 1 T sugar till dissolved, brush on tops of buns.
Sprinkle sesame seeds.


Red Bean Filling:
1 ½ C red kidney beans
4 C water
½ C oil/butter
1 C castor sugar


Method: Boil till beans are soft, drain, then puree. Transfer to medium bowl with oil and sugar to make a thick gooey paste. Cool before filling the buns.