Anpan — Japanese sweet-bean buns
Anpan are soft, lightly sweet Japanese yeast-bread buns filled with anko, sweetened red-bean paste. They were the first famously successful collision between European bread-baking and Japanese palate — and they remain, more than 150 years later, one of the most universally loved sweet breads in Japan.
i. Origin & history
Anpan were invented in 1874 by Yasubei Kimura, the founder of Tokyo's Kimuraya bakery. Kimura adapted Western yeast-bread techniques to Japanese taste by using sake-yeast (rather than the brewer's yeast Westerners use) and filling the bun with anko instead of jam.
Within a year the buns were being served to the Meiji Emperor, and Kimuraya — still operating today on the Ginza — became one of Tokyo's most famous bakeries. Anpan now appear in every Japanese bakery and have given their name to a beloved children's cartoon character, Anpanman.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 300 g bread flour
- 30 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 g instant yeast
- 150 ml warm milk
- 1 large egg
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened
- 300 g tsubuan or koshian (red-bean paste)
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk for glaze
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds or poppy seeds
iii. Method
- Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Beat the egg into the warm milk. Pour into the flour and bring together with a wooden spoon, then knead in the soft butter. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and prove in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until doubled.
- Knock back. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each into a 10 cm disc. Place 25 g anko in the centre, gather up around the filling, pinch to seal, and turn seam-side down on a lined baking tray. Press gently to flatten slightly.
- Cover loosely and prove another 30-40 minutes until visibly puffed.
- Heat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Brush each bun with egg-yolk glaze. Press a thumbprint into the centre of each (the classic anpan dimple) and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake 12-14 minutes until deeply golden.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Seal completely. Anpan that leak filling during baking are sad anpan.
- The dimple is functional. It prevents the bun doming so high that the filling pokes through.
- Eat warm. Anpan are best on the day they're baked, while the bread is still pillowy. They reheat respectably in a low oven.
v. Variations
Koshian anpan uses smooth bean paste (a Kimuraya original). Tsubuan anpan uses chunky paste. Sakura anpan presses a salted cherry blossom into the dimple — Kimuraya's springtime signature. Modern bakeries also do anpan with custard, matcha-bean, chestnut, and white-bean fillings.
vi. Common questions
What is anpan?
Anpan is japanese sweet-bean buns, from japanese cuisine. They were the first famously successful collision between European bread-baking and Japanese palate — and they remain, more than 150 years later, one of the most universally loved sweet breads in Japan
Where is anpan from?
Anpan is from the japanese dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does anpan keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days at room temperature.