Fried Red-Bean Bun (あんドーナツ, An-Dōnatsu)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale
• •Heavy deep pot or wok
• •Deep-fry thermometer
• •Saibashi (long cooking chopsticks), or a spider skimmer
• •Bench scraper
• •Small parchment squares

Instructions

1. 1

   Portion the anko

   Divide the anko into 8 balls, about 40g each, and chill them while you make the dough. Cold paste holds its shape and wraps cleanly. If the paste slumps or looks wet, warm it in a small pan for a few minutes, stirring, then cool it; a wet filling pushes through the dough before the bun has a chance.

2. 2

   Knead the dough

   Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and beaten egg, then stir until a rough dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes, add the softened butter, and knead 8 to 10 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Butter goes in after the flour has taken up the liquid because fat slows gluten formation; give the dough its strength first, then make it tender.

   The dough should feel soft but not sticky enough to cling heavily to your fingers. A little tackiness is good; dry dough makes a hard bun.
3. 3

   Let it rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place until about doubled, 60 to 75 minutes. Press it gently with a floured finger. If the mark fills slowly, the dough is ready. If it springs back at once, it needs more time; if it collapses, it has gone too far and will be harder to shape.

4. 4

   Divide and rest

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 55 to 60g each. Round each piece, cover, and rest 10 minutes. This short pause relaxes the gluten so the dough opens under your fingers instead of snapping back like a rubber band, which is not a noble culinary instrument.

5. 5

   Wrap the filling

   Flatten one dough piece into a 10cm round, leaving the center slightly thicker and the edge thinner. Set one chilled anko ball in the middle, gather the edge up around it, and pinch firmly closed. Turn the bun closed-side down and cup it lightly under your palm to make it round. A thicker center protects the filling; thinner edges close without forming a heavy lump of dough underneath.

   Keep flour off the closing edge as much as you can. Flour is useful on the bench, but it keeps dough from sticking to itself when you need a tight closure.
6. 6

   Proof lightly

   Set each bun closed-side down on a small square of parchment. Cover loosely and proof 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy but not doubled. An-dōnatsu wants a lighter proof than baked anpan because hot oil expands the dough quickly. If the bun is too airy before frying, it can hollow out or split.

7. 7

   Heat the oil

   Pour the oil into a heavy pot, filling it no more than halfway, and heat to 165 to 170 C. Set the coating sugar in a shallow dish and place a rack or paper-lined tray nearby. This middle temperature is the first secret: hot enough to seal the surface, calm enough to cook the crumb through before the shell gets too dark.

8. 8

   Fry the buns

   Lower 2 or 3 buns into the oil on their parchment squares, then pull the parchment out once it releases. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning gently, until the buns are evenly golden brown. Keep the oil near 165 C as they cook. Crowding drops the temperature and makes the surface greasy, so give the buns room and fry in batches.

9. 9

   Sugar and cool

   Drain the buns for 1 to 2 minutes, then roll them in sugar while the surface is still warm and faintly tacky. Too hot and the sugar melts into a syrupy coat; too cool and it falls away. Let them rest at least 15 minutes before eating, because the anko holds heat longer than the bread admits.

Chef Tips

• •Choose anko that tastes clearly of azuki, not only sugar. Tsubuan gives the bun a beanier bite, koshian makes it smooth and neat. Both are honmono; the choice is texture, not virtue.
• •Use a thermometer for the oil. You can fry by instinct after many pots, but the thermometer tells the truth before pride has a chance to interrupt.
• •If a bun opens in the oil, do not chase it around the pot. Lift it out, drain it, and check the next batch for flour on the closing edge or overproofing. The oil is not the place to negotiate.
• •These are best the day they're fried. By the next morning the sugar softens and the shell loses its crispness, though the bun is still a fine companion to hot tea.

Advance Preparation

• •The anko can be portioned into balls and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered so it doesn't dry at the surface.
• •The dough can be kneaded, covered, and refrigerated overnight for its first rise. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before dividing so it softens enough to shape.
• •Fry the buns the day you plan to serve them. For a picnic, let them cool completely before packing, or trapped moisture will soften the sugar coat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 115g)