Plump & Fluffy Anpan with Yomogi (Japanese Mugwort)

Name: Plump & Fluffy Anpan with Yomogi (Japanese Mugwort)
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 220 grams Bread (strong) flour; 30 grams Plain flour; 25 grams White sugar; 3 grams Dry yeast; 4 grams Salt; 7 grams Honey; 160 grams Milk; 55 grams Prepared yomogi (Japanese mugwort), with the moisture squeezed out; 20 grams Unsalted butter; 240 grams Azuki bean paste; 1 Poppy seeds or toasted sesame seeds; 1 Egg white or milk to finish

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

My mum sent me prepped yomogi greens, so I made anpan.

The cooked yomogi will still carry a lot of moisture even after squeezing, so adjust the amount of milk required.
If you make 6 anpan with these ingredients, the resulting rolls will be quite big. If you prefer smaller ones, divide the dough into 10 portions. Recipe by La Land

My mum sent me prepped yomogi greens, so I made anpan.

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

My mum sent me prepped yomogi greens, so I made anpan.

Saved

Ingredients

6 servings

220 gramsBread (strong) flour
30 gramsPlain flour
25 gramsWhite sugar
3 gramsDry yeast
4 gramsSalt
7 gramsHoney
160 gramsMilk
55 gramsPrepared yomogi (Japanese mugwort), with the moisture squeezed out
20 gramsUnsalted butter
For the filling
240 gramsAzuki bean paste
For the toppings
1Poppy seeds or toasted sesame seeds
1Egg white or milk to finish

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Steps

1

Even if the yomogi has already been prepared, chop to ensure they're very finely cut. Divide the adzuki bean paste into 6 portions and form small balls.
2

Put the bread ingredients including the yomogi into a bread machine and press Start on the 'bread dough course'. After 5 minutes, add the butter.
3

Take out the dough and knock back gently to deflate. Divide into 6 portions and form small balls. Cover with a tightly wrung damp cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
4

Place the dough on your work surface with seam side up, knock back and roll out into a circle 11 cm in diameter. Make the center a touch thicker than the edges.
5

Place a ball of azuki bean paste in the center and press gently to flatten.
6

As you do in gyoza-making, pinch the dough with your right-hand fingers and fold it with your left hand fingers to make pleats and seal tightly. Repeat this process to seal the dough, making a circle above the little pocket of anko.
7

The dough should look like this.
8

Place the dough on the palm of your left hand. Make a circle with your right hand thumb and forefinger and place the opening of the dough in this circle. Start to seal the opening by rotating the dough.
9

The dough looks like this after sealing.
10

Tightly seal the seams.
11

Put the dough with the seam side down and roll into perfect balls. Roll and press the dough so as to compress the dough and anko inside.
12

Place the prepared dough balls onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Leave to prove until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile preheat oven to 210℃.
13

Brush the egg white mixture on top and position the toppings.
14

Lower the temperature of the oven to 190℃ and bake for 14 to 18 minutes until nicely golden brown on the surfaces.
15

After baking, gently place on a rack to cool. Here's what it should like inside. The yomogi gives colors this bread in a vivid green. The rolls are very moist, fluffy and warm.
16

After you master putting the filling inside the dough, you can omit Step 5-7. Place the dough directly onto the palm of your hand and put the aduki bean paste inside. Start to wrap the aduki bean paste with the dough and seal tightly. Practice makes perfect.