red bean paste bread

How to Make Red Bean Bread: A Complete Guide

Red bean bread, a beloved treat across East Asia, combines soft, fluffy dough with sweet, fragrant red bean paste. Here’s a simple guide to crafting this delightful pastry at home.

Ingredients: For the dough, you’ll need 300g bread flour, 30g sugar, 5g salt, 30g unsalted butter, 1 egg, 150ml warm milk, and 2g instant yeast. For the filling, use 200g store-bought or homemade sweet red bean paste.

Steps:

1. Prepare the dough: Dissolve yeast in warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix flour, sugar, salt, and egg in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and knead until smooth. Add butter and knead for 10 minutes until elastic.

2. First rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours until doubled.

3. Shape the bread: Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Flatten each, wrap a tablespoon of red bean paste, and seal tightly.

4. Second rise: Place rolls on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.

5. Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush tops with milk or egg wash and bake for 15–18 minutes until golden. Cool before serving.

Tips: For extra flavor, add a pinch of matcha to the dough or sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Enjoy these sweet, pillowy treats fresh from the oven!