Red Bean Bun

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YIELD: 16

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 1/2 Cups Red Bean Paste
  • 2/3 Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 2/3 Cup Lukewarm Milk
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Butter, Melted
  • 2 tsp Fast Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Some Melted Butter (for Brushing)
  • Some Black Sesame Seeds (to Garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. lace 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour in a big mixing bowl. Make three holes in the flour, and then put 1/4 cup of sugar, 2 tsp of yeast, and 1 1/2 tsp of salt in each hole. Gently cover the holes with the flour.
  2. Pour 2/3 cup of lukewarm water and 2/3 cup of lukewarm milk in the flour mix. Mix everything together with a fork or your hands.
  3. Pour 1/4 cup of melted butter into the dough and knead the dough. If you have a bread machine, let it mix the ingredients and knead the dough.
  4. If you knead the dough by hand, knead the dough for about 30 minutes. Knead the dough strongly, as if you are washing clothes.
  5. When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, it is done.
  6. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place, such as an oven with the light turned on, for about 40 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, obtain 2 1/2 cups of red bean paste. You can use homemade red bean paste using my recipe, or you can use canned red bean paste from a Korean or Asian grocery store.
  8. Divide the bean paste into 16 pieces and make round ball shapes out of the pieces. It will be about 1 1/2 Tbsp of red bean paste for each ball.
  9. When the dough has risen into a nice big size, take the dough out of the bowl and press down in the center to remove some of the air in the dough.
  10. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and make a round ball out of each piece.
  11. Flatten a ball until it is about 3 inches in diameter and place 1 red bean ball in the center.
  12. Fold the dough up and over the red bean paste to cover it. Seal the center tightly so that the red bean paste will not come out.
  13. Put the sealed part face down on a mat and press the dough into about a 2 inch diameter.
  14. Cut 8 decorative slits around the edge, equally spaced apart.
  15. Put some black sesame seeds in the center of the dough. Press gently to help them stick to the dough. You can substitute regular sesame seeds, crushed walnuts, or crushed pecans.
  16. Place the dough on a cooking sheet and set it aside to rise again for about 15. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350°F.
  17. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. You can brush the surface of the bread with egg before baking, or you can brush melted butter on top right after it comes out of the oven, as I did. Those steps will give the bread a nice and shiny look. 🙂

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