Are you a big fan of Japanese pastries and baked goods? If so, you’ll enjoy Anpan, a classic Japanese pastry with sweet red bean paste inside soft bread. This homemade recipe comes with my step-by-step tutorial to guide you through the bread-making process.
Anpan (あんパン), or sweet red bean bun, is my favorite Japanese bread growing up. It’s no secret that I absolutely love anko (red bean paste), and I love this Japanese bun that has a hint of sweetness, wrapped in a soft delicious bun.
My mom is a self-proclaimed bread connoisseur, and she loves exploring new bakeries and trying their bread in Japan. Unlike the US, there are many bakeries in most Japanese neighborhood and stations and many of them are outstanding. She would buy different types of bread from each store, and among them is always, my favorite anpan.
My favorite one is from Pompadour, one of my favorite bakeries in Japan. Yokohama-born Pompadour bakes European-style bread and their baguettes are incredibly delicious. Their anpan is quite unique because unlike Japanese style soft bread, their buns are French-style and it’s more crusty (but not quite as hard as baguette).
When my mom visited me in the U.S. in the past, she used to “smuggle” them in for me! She knew how much I would love this anpan.
This is just one of my nostalgic moments with the Japanese red bean bread, and I truly enjoyed testing this recipe, daydreaming about all the delicious anpan I enjoy back in Japan…
Invention & History of Anpan
So you may wonder, who came up with the idea to put anko (red bean paste) in a roll? It piqued my curiosity as well when I decided to test my anpan recipe, so I looked up its history.
Wiki explains well here, but basically it was first made in 1875 by a samurai named Mr. Kimura. He lost his job due to the dissolution of the samurai as a social class back in Meiji period. During that time, Japan was becoming more westernized and bakeries started to appear. His new job was a baker.
Soon after Mr. Kimura founded the now well-known bakery Kimuraya, he created a bread that was more to Japanese tastes. He replaced the traditional Japanese red bean mochi with western bread instead of mochi, and this bread stuffed with red bean paste was a brilliant one.
Making Anpan あんぱん
If you plan to make anko (red bean paste) from scratch, I recommend making anko ahead of time to save time on bread making day. I love making Pressure Cooker Anko recipe with my favorite Instant Pot (recipe here). Of course, to save time, you can always buy pre-made red bean paste from an Asian grocery store.
Anpan is one of the easiest Japanese bread to make at home, if you want to try making bread for the first time. Trying to make homemade bread could be intimidating, but the more you try, the easier it becomes. And this homemade anpan recipe is relatively easy, so I hope my video and step-by-step pictures will help you go through this journey.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Anpan
Video
Ingredients
- 225 g bread flour (2 cups minus 2 Tbsp; plus more for dusting; weigh your flour or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off)
- 3½ Tbsp cake flour (you can make Homemade Cake Flour)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast (to use active dry yeast, see Notes)
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 50 ml whole milk (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp; keep at 86ºF/30ºC; I highly recommend using whole milk instead of reduced-fat milk)
- 50 ml water (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp; keep at 86ºF/30ºC, see Notes)
- 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
For the Filling
- 10 oz sweet red bean paste (anko) (I use tsubuan, a coarse red bean paste, but you can use koshian, a fine paste; you can make my Pressure Cooker Anko or Stovetop Anko)
For the Toppings
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric“ button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.
To Mix the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine 225 g bread flour (2 cups minus 2 Tbsp), 3½ Tbsp cake flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 tsp instant yeast.
- Beat 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a small bowl and add to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Add 50 ml whole milk (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp) and 50 ml water (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp), both of which you‘ve kept at 86ºF (30ºC).
- Using your fingertips or a wooden spoon, gently mix the ingredients together until combined. In the beginning, the dough is very sticky and wet, but keep mixing until it forms a loose, sticky ball. Also, use the dough to pick up the flour on the sides of the mixing bowl. This step should take about 2 minutes.
To Knead the Dough
- Dust a clean work surface with bread flour and transfer the dough from the bowl. Press the heels of your hands into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold the top half of the dough in half back toward you. Rock forward on the lower part of your palm to press it flat. Turn the dough slightly (to clockwise), fold it in half, and rock into it again with the lower part of your palm. This process is called “punching“ the dough and the goal is to lengthen and stretch the gluten strands. Repeat for 5 minutes or so. Tip: If the dough doesn‘t seem to be losing its stickiness, sprinkle more flour over the top and work it into the dough. You can lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking too much.
- After “punching” for 5 minutes, the dough will become more elastic. Press and stretch the dough until it measures 10 inches (25 cm). Then, put small cubes of 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter on top of the dough. Roll up the dough, tucking in the butter, and then continue the kneading process.
- Your hands, dough, and the working surface will get oily and messy in the beginning. I recommend using a metal/silicone dough scraper to collect the dough stuck on the working surface.
- As you knead, the dough will absorb the butter and it will eventually become smoother and easier to work with.
- When the dough becomes smooth, start banging the dough onto the counter and fold it over away from you. This helps develop the gluten (elasticity). Bang the dough, turn it 90 degrees, and “punch” it, using the lower part of your palm. Continue this process for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, supple, and silky. Tip: Don’t let go of the dough when you are banging onto the counter. Don’t let it rest for too long between turns.
- Now, it’s time for the windowpane test. Either pull on a part of the dough or tear off a small piece. Hold the dough in both hands and gently pull it into a square with your fingers. It should be very elastic, smooth, and shiny. If it‘s strong enough to stretch to a super-thin membrane without tearing and light can pass through the center, your dough passes the test. If it doesn’t stretch or it tears too easily, knead it again for another 2 minutes and test again.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- Shape the dough into a ball by pulling all sides of the ball to the bottom and pinching them together.
- Place the dough in a bowl, seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1–2 hours. I use the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, use the finger test. Dust your index finger (or the top of the dough) with flour and use your index finger to poke the middle of the dough. If the hole does not close up, it’s ready for the next step. If the dough closes up immediately, proof the dough a little longer and test again.
To Divide the Dough
- Press the dough with your hands to release the gas and deflate the dough.
- Fold both sides of the dough toward the center.
- Then fold it in thirds toward the middle. Flip, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
- Shape the dough into a ball, rotating (clockwise) with both hands while the seam line is touching the work surface.
- Using a dough scraper, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. If you need to adjust the size of dough, pinch off the center of the big dough and add to the center of the small dough and knead to combine well.
- Shape each dough piece into a nice round ball, pulling from all sides and tuck into the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
- Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. Rest the dough for 15 minutes at room temperature.
To Form the Anpan
- After resting, flatten the dough balls with your hand, fold in thirds twice (just like you did earlier), and shape into balls again.
- For each dough ball, press it so it stretches to a 3 inch (8 cm) diameter. From the 10 oz sweet red bean paste (anko), scoop 35 g and place in the middle of the dough. Then pull all sides of the dough around and wrap the red bean paste tightly to seal.
- Pinch the seam very well and put the seam on the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand a few times, keeping the seam side on the bottom. Put the dough back into the baking sheet, seam side on the bottom. Continue forming the rest of the anpan.
The Final Rise (Proofing) and Oven Preheat
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. Let the dough rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes (I used the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven). When the dough has risen halfway, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Note: If you are using the oven to proof, you have to transfer the dough to a warmer place so you can preheat the oven.
- In a small bowl, add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) and 2 Tbsp water and whisk very well. Using a pastry brush, brush all sides of the dough with an egg wash.
- Put 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds in a small bowl. Dip the flat round side of a rolling pin (about ¾ inch (1.9 cm) diameter) first in the egg wash, then into the black sesame seeds, and finally into the top of the dough to stamp it with the seeds. Alternatively, you can simply sprinkle the black sesame seeds on top.
To Bake
- Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 13–15 minutes. Toward the end of baking if you see the bread rolls are not browning equally, rotate the baking sheet once so that the anpan brown evenly.
- Once the bread is baked, transfer to a wire rack and let it cool. Serve warm or at room temperature immediately. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the bread in an airtight container after it’s been cooled and store at a cool place for 2–3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Thanks for sharing, very yummy! I did it!!
Hi Sarah! Wooo hooo! So happy you tried this recipe! Hope you enjoyed. 🙂
Good evening, I was wondering if I could put the anpan in the fridge overnight to bake for tomorrow and is it possible to fry them?
Hi Tienna! Do you mean to put the shaped and ready-to-go anpan dough in the fridge, and transfer to the oven in the morning? The dough will be cold and I’m not sure how that will affect the baking time. Also, I’m not an expert in baking, but I remember you’re not supposed to leave it out for too long before baking… but forgot the scientific reason…. Sorry! Maybe google and see if anyone asks questions about it? It doesn’t have to be anpan. 🙂
Thanks for the tip! Some sites on Google says its fine to put dough in the fridge overnight I’ll have to just wait on the dough to become room temperature. Thanks for the help! ????
Hi Tienna! Thanks so much for letting us know! Hope it’ll work out. Good luck! 🙂
Hello Nami,
As usual this is another wonderful recipe that you have demonstrated so clearly with all the details and wonderful photography for anyone to be successful in making Anpan.
I have made the anko on my stovetop pressure cooker and it looks great and as you say in your demonstration the pressure cooker is a great time saver.
What if we take it another step further and make the dough in a bread maker instead of a mixer or by hand?
I just purchased a Panasonic bread maker model SD-YR2500 and i would like to experiment with this recipe. Would I still need to continue any of the kneading after the machine has finished?
Thank you so much for all the effort you put you put into your wonderful site. We truly are so lucky to reap the benefits of you hard work.
Best regards,
Ken Cameron.
Hi Ken! I apologize for my late response. I do remember reading your comment, and also remember answering… but somehow my response is not here. Maybe it didn’t go through before I closed window or something. I am sorry I couldn’t write you back sooner.
Thank you for your kind words about my recipe. 🙂 It’s great to hear you use your stovetop pressure cooker to make anko!
You can totally make the dough with bread maker! I am still hesitant to purchase it, because I won’t be able to share a recipe using it (it’ll be much less people who would purchase it, unlike a pressure cooker, for example). I even made the bread dough with hands (for people who don’t have a stand mixer.. :)).
You do not need to knead (besides reshaping to small dough pieces etc) on top of what bread maker does for you. It’s going to be much easier for you to make bread! 🙂
Thank you for your kind words and support, Ken!
I decided to try making these, because I’m really bad at baking in my own opinion, and the instructions are so good I figured I couldn’t fail. And I didn’t!!:D
These were a complete success, although I had no ankommen at home and still haven’t managed to make it right, so I used apples and cinnamon instead. Lots of apple bits in cinnamon and a little sugar- it’s like the perfect snack/treat for when you want something fluffy but also filling!
Thank you Nami for the highly detailed instructions – couldn’t have done it without:)
Hi Julia! I’m so happy to hear you made this recipe already and it came out well! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m glad my recipe and instructions worked for you! The filling sounds delicious! My daughter who loves apples said she wants this filling, so I have to give it a try! 🙂 Thank you!
Oh YES! Definitely on the list of my all-time favorite treats. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Damie! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! One of my favorites. Up to what steps can this be made in a stand mixer? I can’t wait to try these out.
I also grew up on a fried an pan, rolled in granulated sugar. So, good!
Thanks again.
Hi Helene! All the kneading process can be done in a mixer (with hook attachment). Ohhh what is that called in Japanese… Ah I remember, it’s called Agepan (揚げパン)! That was my favorite “dessert” in school lunch menu! So nostalgic… 🙂
I’m glad that you shared this recipe! I will make it on my next day off. I have anko in the freezer. 🙂
Near us there is a japanese restaurant and grocery store where I used to buy anpan and one another type called melonpan. Both are my favorites.
Have you got the recipe of melonpan too? Dough is similar as anpan’s and has a sweet, biscuit crumbs layer on the top.
Hi Majacica! I hope you will enjoy this recipe! I’m working on Melon pan recipe… Hope to make a video soon (but I’m booked with other recipes so I have to wait a bit). 🙂
Hello Nami, I have tried this recipe several times and I must compliment you it comes out perfect everytime!
Your recipes are truly excellent.
I just wanted to ask you, my father is vegetarian and does not consume egg, can you suggest what I can use to substitute the egg in the recipe?
Hi Urvi! Awww that’s such a sweet compliment! Thanks so much for trying this recipe many times! I wish I have more knowledge about egg-less cooking, but I am not… 🙁 I have never used the egg substitute or try making baked goods without eggs before. I’m so sorry I can’t help. 🙁
These look so good! My favorite Japanese buns are the ones with sweet custard, I dont know what they are called. I wish I could get anpan where I live, or maybe not because I would eat too much. Beautiful job photographing these.
Oh and that is a great new year resolution, good luck on that Nami!
Your favorite bread is called Cream Pan and it’s our favorite too! Maybe I’ll make it one day! I also have problem with the portion control when it comes to delicious bread…. it’s so dangerous! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’ll try my best on my resolution. 😀
Please do give a recipe for that! I have tried it once and have been wishing I could have it again.
Thank you Emy! It’s on my list already. 🙂 I just have so many recipes that I want to share… so little time to film and edit. 🙂
I look forward to it! Then again, I look forward to them all.
Hi Nami san,
I have looked at the recipe used by bakers for doing “pains au lait”. I wanted to know exactly the differences between this french recipe and yours.
The two differences are:
The weight of sugar, double for you
The weight of butter, 35 g yours and 50 g mine…
You can use milk liquid or dry, it doesn’t matter.
About the yield if you use fresh just x3 the weight of the dry one…
all the best
JP
Hi JP! You know, Japanese breads are influenced highly by European bread (not American), so I completely agree that this is similar to pains au lait.
I read a documentary on Japanese bread on TV before, and I remember Japanese bread (majority) is slightly sweet (and sugar in the recipe – not American’s). The reason is that our tastebuds are so used to eating rice, that has sweet taste, so when we introduced bread culture in Japan, sugar was added to the dough.
And the butter – this recipe can have more butter for sure, and I’ve seen some recipes with more butter. But it’s extremely difficult and time consuming to include more butter if kneading by hands. Even with 35 g, it takes a long time for the dough to become smooth… but I know 50 g butter will be very nice for bread. 😀
Can the buns be eaten the next day? Or only fresh on day it is baked?
Hi Vivienne! Keep them in the air-tight plastic bag or container, and next day is great! 🙂
Yesss! Thank you so much for filling my request Nami! Super! I love this recipy <3.
Love
Skye
You’re very welcome Skye! Thank you so much for your request! 🙂
Oh I am so glad to read this anpan recipe! I would like to try it out and make my own homemade anpan, the reason why I haven’t done it before is the fact that I can eat gluten because of celiac disease… Have you any recipe that I can use baking glutenfree anpan?
And by the way, I’m wondering about eating glutenfree/lactosefree in Japan? Is it easy to find such alternatives in restaurants/groceries? Am I right, people don’t drink/eat much milk products in Japan, anyway, it’s not so common with milk products in japanese recipes? Is it common eating/buying/cooking glutenfree, too?
Hope you’ve had a wonderfull beginning of the new year Nami!
Hi Genus! I’m sorry but I haven’t tried making GF anpan recipe before. I wonder if swapping with GF flour will work… Japan started to be more aware of GF products and GF dieting. Some people do it because of celiac disease, and some do it because of trend they see from oversea (more like healthy diet type). But overall, it’s not easy to eat out if you’re GF (even in the US it’s not always an easy option). Lactose free is more common, and milk is treated differently, I think as most of Asians are lactose intolerant. We do have many milk products in Japan, but it’s just treated differently I think. 🙂
Hi Nami san,
Your recipe is nearly the same as the one of “Pains au lait”, a classic french recipe. I use it to prepare “tresse”, “couronnes”, “petits pains au lait”, “petites boules au sucre”….
The flour used is T45 which gives much elasticity to the dough (gluten)…
I use milk powder not liquid one and fresh yeast…not many differences in fact.
Amazing…
All the best and thank you for your work !
JP
Hi JP! Yes, it’s very similar. I love European style bread more than American bread and it’s so delicious! Thank you for reading my blog! 🙂
Hello Jean Pierre. I am living in Paris and when I went supermarket it was difficult to find out which flour i should pick. So i will try with T45!. My first anpan trial didn’t go well, but i won’t give up!.
こんにちは。初めて投稿します。美味しそうなあんパンレシピですね。
イーストをぬるま湯で溶かさずにそのまま粉物と一緒に混ぜてしまうと、イーストが溶けず粒々が残ってしまったのは私だけでしょうか?イーストは先に必ず液状の材料と一緒に溶かしておいた方が良さそうです。そのせいか、パンの膨らみが悪かったです。次回は イーストを溶いて使います。
こんにちは、さくらさん!優しいお言葉、どうもありがとうございます。Instant Dry YeastとActive Dry Yeastがあって、私はInstantの方を使ったので、ぬるま湯なしで、直接ドライのパウダーのまま混ぜれます。でもActive Dry Yeastの方は、必ずぬるま湯に入れて、ちゃんと溶けてから使うイーストです。種類によって使い方が違うので、気をつけて下さいね。あともう一つ。Activeの方は、ぬるま湯に入れた後、イーストが生きているかチェックするのも大事です。Expiration Dateがまだ大丈夫でもイーストが死んでしまった可能性あるので、必ず新しい日付のイーストを買うのをおすすめします!同じ日にちでも、パッケージによっても違ったりするそうなので、念入りにチェックした方が良いです。
アクティブイーストの注意書きが下に書いてあったのに今気がつきました!そしてインスタントイーストの存在に今気が付きました。笑 とても御丁寧な返答をありがとうございます。昨晩このあんパンできました。家族にも好評でした!強力粉を普段使わないので、全部オールパーパス粉を使いましたが、ちゃんと美味しく出来上がりましたよ。個人的にはクリームチーズと一緒に食べるのが好きです。是非お試しください! 素敵なレシピありがとうございます😊これからも頑張ってくださいね!(私はカナダbc州在住です)
さくらさん、あぁ〜良かった!ご家族の方にも気に入ってもらえて良かったです!クリームチーズと餡、合いそうですね。どこかで食べた事あるような?!木村屋のバターと餡のコンビのあんぱんも好きです!カナダBCいいところですね。数回バンクーバーとビクトリアを訪れた事があります。これからもどうぞよろしくお願い致します!
How would we go about freezing this? If at all possible? Thank you!
Hi Serena! Yes you can freeze the baked anpan in an airtight bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350-375 ºF till warm. 🙂
I love anpan but usually buy mine at the Happy House Hippo pastry shop at Mitsuwa Marketplace. (the one near Chicago). I’ve tried some from various shops in Chicago’s Chinatown, but prefer the ones from Happy House Hippo. I do make taiyaki with sweet bean paste, but haven’t tried making my own anpan. I’ll have to give your recipe a try.
Hi Linda! We’re lucky to get Anpan in a Japanese bakery and grocery store. Though I have to say homemade anpan is soooo awesome… If you have a stand mixer, the process is a bit easier. I was working out by kneading so I feel better eating more anpan. 😉
Hi Nami,
I know this is going to sound very lazy but is it possible to knead the dough (all or in part) in a stand mixer rather than by hand? I’d love to try making this for my Mom.
I’ve just ordered my Instant Pot and am eagerly awaiting its arrival so I think your tsubuan is in one of the first things I’ll make as I’ve had a craving for Zenzai for about two years! Mom’s homemade mochi in the freezer, azuki beans in the cupboard just waiting…
Hi Rumi! Yes, totally you can! I know a lot of people don’t have a stand mixer and this is a popular recipe so I wanted to show the way without a stand mixer. You can shorten kneading process – see the dough texture in the video/pictures and compare with yours when you use a stand mixer. 🙂
I”m so excited about your Instant Pot! You’ll love it! Homemade zenzai is the best, especially you have your mom’s homemade mochi! So nice!!!
Hi Nami! Instant Pot came last week and the first thing I did (after the water pressure test) was make your pressure cooker tsubuan and then zenzai. It was perfect! Then I made Osekihan with the drained liquid from the anko. Happy dance!
Today, my four year old niece and I made my Mom some Anpan. I doubled the recipe for the dough, threw everything in the mixer and waited. They lack the gorgeous colour of your anpan and I didn’t have any black sesame seeds but they are a hit! (I forgot the water in the egg wash so they came out a bit spotty instead of all over consistency.) My niece isn’t a fan of anko so we made four chokopan. Everyone’s happy (except maybe my jeans…)
Thanks for all the easy to follow directions!
Hi Rumi! AWESOME! I hope you had fun making anko! I love homemade zenzai…and pressure cooker anko is so easy to make! Your osekihan must be so delicious. Chocopan is a great idea! I’m so happy that your family enjoyed the recipes! Thank you for writing your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi, would pausing the yeast development by putting the dough in the fridge overnight after step 13 have any negative effects on the end result? I know some doughs can be finnicky about delayed rise
Hi Tyler, We have never tried leaving this dough in the fridge before, and we are not sure how the outcome will be… Please let us know how it goes!
Hi Nami,
I’m baking Anpan today and I’m thrilled to see the final result. I used a stand mixer to kneel the dough. Will this recipe work for other breads like hotdog bun or BBQ bun, too?
Hi Catherine! Hope your anpan comes out well. Yes, you can use that for those buns. 🙂
Hi Nami,
They came out dry ☹️ and the texture is more like bread. My oven may be too hot. I will try it again this weekend.
I made a dozen of variety “asian style” bread with the dough ingredients, turned out great! Because the bread itself is not really sweet, I made with both sweet and savory fillings 🙂
FYI I use All-purpose flour and stand mixer to knead. Don’t know what the taste would diff with bread flour but AP is good enough for me (I knead for a longer time)
Hi Danielle! Thanks so much for your kind feedback! So glad you’re enjoying the Asian bread with different fillings!