Anman Recipe

Anman are Japanese steamed hot buns with Anko filling.  The white bread part is made from both yeast and baking powder, and it is soft and tender.  The filling is Koshian, smooth sweet red bean paste with a hint of sesame flavor.  The name Anman comes from the Anko and the cake – Manjyu.  Even though Manjyu are more traditional Japanese sweet cakes, this is a steamed Manjyu Japanese people love eating for a hot snack and light meal, just like Nikuman, the savory counterpart.

Anman originated from Chinese Dim Sum steamed buns, but Anman has made its own evolution to fit to Japanese tastes over a long time.  Anman can often be found in a hot case next to Nikuman at Japanese convenience stores.  It is usually a fall or winter seasonal food there since it is a hot dish.  You can also buy frozen Anman in the freezer section of Japanese supermarkets.  Just microwave frozen buns for a few minutes and they are ready to eat.  Our Anman may not be as convenient as microwave foods, but we promise hot homemade Anman are the best tasting ones, and you will enjoy them very much.

If you like regular Anko (Tsubuan) instead of Koshian here, you can of course use it.  Anman is a great warm snack for any time, so try it at home!

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Anman Recipe

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: anko, bread

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Ingredients

Bread Dough

• 100 ml warm water
• 2 tsp yeast
• 200 g all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp oil

Filling

• 1/2 recipe Koshian
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

• For the bread dough:
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix the yeast water and dry ingredients with oil in a stand mixer, knead for 10 minutes using a dough hook or until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
• Shape the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 30-40 minutes, until doubled. Deflate the air from the dough and it’s ready to use.
• For Anman:
• Mix Koshian with both oils.
• Cut the prepared dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Roll a ball flat into a 5″ (12.5cm) round, and put 2 Tbsp Koshian mixture in the middle of the dough round. Pinch the dough to wrap the filling, and shape into a ball (watch our video to see exactly how). Repeat for the remaining dough and filling to make 8 Anman balls.
• Place the Anman balls on 3″ (7.5cm) parchment paper squares. Put them in a hot steamer (place them 2″ or 5cm apart), and cook at medium high heat for 10- 12 minutes.

Video