Bread and photo by Orange Piggy, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips
Soreike! Anpanman (Go! Anpanman!) This is Anpanman, is one of the most popular anime cartoon series for young children in Japan. One night, a Star of Life falls down the chimney of a bakery nestled deep in the forest, causing the dough in the oven to come to life. The Anpanman character was inspired by Yanase's struggles to survive as a soldier in World War II. See also our Teddy Bear Rolls recipe.
BREAD RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
Custard filling:
10 g cake flour
5 g cocoa powder
100 ml 2% milk
1 egg yolk
25 g sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 g butter
10 g milk chocolate
Bread:
4g instant active dry yeast
100 ml warm water; about 120 to 130 degrees F measured with an instant read thermometer
20 g granulated sugar
20 g egg (about 1/2 large egg — save the other 1/2 for cookie dough)
200 g bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 g butter, soften
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cookie dough:
30 g cake flour
5 g cocoa powder
20 g butter
20 g sugar
1/2 large egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Make custard filling:
1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder, set aside
2. Whisk the yolk and half of the sugar until light and pale then add the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
3. In a small saucepan, combine milk and remaining sugar and bring just to a boil. Stir in hot milk into yolk mixture.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning until thickened. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Mix until incorporated.
5. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool completely and refrigerate until needed.
Make the bread:
1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve and let stand for about 8-10 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine dissolved yeast, sugar, egg, 1 cup of flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining flour, salt and butter and knead on low speed for 3 minutes.
3. Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough stop sticking to the bowl.
4. Remove the dough from the stand mixer bowl and form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl then cover tightly with a plastic wrap and let rest for 40 minutes or until double in size.
5. Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and deflate the dough. Roll the dough out and fold the dough into thirds.
6. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Divide a small piece (6 g) from each ball and divide the small dough into 3 pieces (for cheeks and nose) flatten the pieces.
8. Flatten the dough and put custard filling (15 g for each). Wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the seam.
9. Attach cheeks and nose on each dough by applying a little water to adhere the pieces. Place the finished dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper with seam side down.
Cover loosely with damp cloth and let rise for 40 minutes or until double in size.
10. *Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. While the buns are rising, make piping cookie: In a small bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder, set aside. In another small bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat butter and sugar then add the egg and beat until creamy. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Spoon the piping cookie dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 3 mm (about 0.1 inch) tip.
11. Brush the buns with beaten egg. Pipe the faces with cookie dough.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the faces are brown.
13. Cool on wire cake rack.
STORAGE
Refrigerate leftover buns for up to 3 days.
