Saka Manjū (酒饅頭, sake-leavened sweet buns)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Bamboo steamer (seiro), or a metal steamer with the lid wrapped in cloth
• •Kitchen scale
• •Bench scraper
• •Small parchment squares
• •Clean cloth for covering the dough

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the starter

   Stir the amazake, sake, and yeast together in a bowl and leave it for 10 minutes, until the surface looks slightly foamy and smells gently of rice and fruit. This tells you the yeast is awake. If nothing happens, the dough will not lift, and no amount of steaming will rescue it.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Whisk the rice flour, cake flour, sugar, and salt together, then pour in the starter. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough gathers into a soft, slightly tacky mass. Rice flour gives the skin its tender chew, while cake flour gives enough stretch to wrap the anko without cracking.

3. 3

   Ferment gently

   Turn the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 3 to 5 hours, until it has expanded by about half and feels airy when pressed. It may not double like bread dough. That is fine. You are looking for fragrance and softness, not a high loaf.

   The dough is ready when a fingertip leaves a slow, shallow mark. If it springs back at once, give it more time. If it collapses and smells sharply sour, it has gone too far.
4. 4

   Shape the anko

   Divide the koshi-an into 10 portions of about 30g each and roll them into neat balls. Keep them covered so the surface doesn't dry. A smooth filling makes wrapping easier, because dry cracks in the anko push against the dough and tear the skin.

5. 5

   Divide the dough

   Dust your hands and the bench lightly with flour. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, about 43g each. Flatten one piece into a round with the center slightly thicker than the edge, because the edge must stretch up and over the filling while the center protects the top from thinning.

6. 6

   Wrap the filling

   Set one anko ball in the center of the dough. Lift the edges around it, pinch the seam firmly closed, then roll the bun gently seam-side down. Do not trap air beside the filling. Air expands in the steamer and makes the skin blister or split, a small drama for such a quiet sweet.

7. 7

   Proof the buns

   Set each bun on a parchment square, cover with a barely damp cloth, and rest for 30 to 45 minutes, until the surface looks a little fuller and soft. This second rest relaxes the wrapped dough so it can expand evenly in the steamer instead of tearing at the seam.

8. 8

   Steam with care

   Bring water to a steady boil in a steamer, then lower the heat to maintain an even flow. Arrange the buns with space between them and wrap the lid in a cloth so condensation doesn't drip onto the skins. Steam for 12 to 14 minutes, until the buns are pale, plump, and set.

   Give them room. Crowded buns press into each other and cook unevenly, and dripping water marks the surface before it has finished setting.
9. 9

   Cool and serve

   Lift the manjū out by their parchment squares and cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. The skin firms as it settles, and the sake fragrance becomes clearer once the fierce heat has passed. Serve warm or at room temperature with green tea.

Chef Tips

• •Use amazake made from rice kōji if you can find it, not a thin drink sweetened like dessert. The thicker kōji type brings the right rice fragrance and helps the dough feel alive.
• •Koshi-an, smooth strained bean paste, is the cleanest filling here. Tsubu-an, the chunky kind, can be used, but the skins of the beans push against the thin dough and make wrapping less forgiving.
• •If your kitchen is cool, let time do the work. Set the covered dough near, not on, a warm spot. Heat that feels pleasant to your hand is enough; heat that feels hot will hurry the yeast into roughness.
• •A bamboo steamer is the good tool because it manages moisture kindly. A metal steamer works too, but wrap the lid in cloth and keep the buns clear of dripping water.

Advance Preparation

• •The anko can be portioned and rolled a day ahead, then kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it close to room temperature before wrapping so it doesn't stiffen the dough.
• •The dough may be mixed and fermented slowly in the refrigerator overnight after the first 1 hour at room temperature. Let it warm until soft and slightly airy before shaping.
• •Finished saka manjū keep one day at room temperature, loosely covered. For longer storage, freeze them once cool, then rewarm gently in a steamer until the skin softens again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 75g)