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Red Bean Sweet Buns

Red Bean Sweet Buns

In Japan, sweet red bean paste is a dessert staple, and one of its most famous homes is anpan: a soft bun with a red bean center. A former samurai turned baker, Yasubei Kimura, created it at his Kimuraya bakery in Tokyo's Ginza district in the 1870s, and in 1875 anpan was presented to Emperor Meiji. Kuze Fuku Red Bean Spread packs that smooth, gently sweet filling into a jar, and it's one of the jars in our Sweet Spreads Ride, our lineup of sweet spreads from around the world. Tuck it into soft Hawaiian rolls and you've got a toaster-easy take on a Japanese bakery classic.

Fun fact: Red bean in a Hawaiian roll? It's a match made in Hilo. More than 1 in 5 people in Hawaii have Japanese roots, and the rolls themselves were born at a Hilo bakery in 1950, opened by Robert Taira, the son of immigrants from Okinawa, Japan. You know it today as King's Hawaiian. Japan meets Hawaii, right in your toaster.

No baking skills needed. If you can spread, you can make this.

Servings: 9 buns (one 9-pack of slider buns)

Toast Time: until golden, on medium

Equipment

  • Parchment paper
  • Rolling pin (or just your hands)
  • Fork
  • Small bowl
  • Pastry brush (or a spoon)
  • Toaster oven

What You Need

  • 1 tablespoon Kuze Fuku Red Bean Spread per bun
  • 9 Hawaiian slider buns (or any soft rolls)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

How to Make it

  1. Cut the rolls in half. Slider buns usually come pre-sliced. If yours don't, slice each roll across the middle so you have a top and a bottom.
  2. Flatten each half. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top and press down with your hands, or roll over it with a rolling pin until each half is thin and flat.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of red bean spread. Spoon it onto the center of each bottom half.
  4. Brush the edges with egg wash. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it around the edge of each bottom half. It works like glue to seal the bun shut.
  5. Cover with the top half. Lay a flattened top over the filling and press the edges together.
  6. Crimp the edges. Press a fork all the way around to seal the filling in, like a mini hand pie.
  7. Toast on medium. Pop the buns into your toaster oven on the medium setting until golden brown.
  8. Enjoy warm! Fresh out of the toaster, they're ready to eat. Careful, the filling stays hot.

Our Tips

Wanna put a fun spin on flavor? Make this same recipe with a different spread from your Sweet Spreads Ride. New place, new taste!

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