I would be a fool to say that I do not like bread. Bread of any kind is my favorite thing ever, but sweet, delicious, warm, filled with red sweet bean paste…mmm! You feel me now? Well, you simply cannot say you do not like it because this bread is absolute, positively amazing.

This type of sweet bread is popular across Asia; from Japan (an-pan), Korea (danpat-bbang), China, Philippines etc. and of course, every country have their favorite way of making a similar type of bread.

However even here in the USA, you can find Asian baked goodies in almost any International or Asian Market, some are imported from another state, and some are made right there in the bakery if they have it.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE TASTY BREAD RECIPES

Also, I must add that Sweet bun, bread, and pastry of similar kind are widely popular all over the world, of course, probably mostly filled with some sort of jam.

Now, I got to mention that I do not use anything for kneading except my hands. You got to feel the dough, work with it to get the right moment to stop and let it rise.

Magical, I know!!! With that being said, you are more than welcome to save time and your hands just by using an attachment for kneading. 

Also filling is optional, you might like sweet cheese better, sweet potato, green tea paste, Nutella or jam. I just happen to love, love sweet bean paste. I could eat it with the spoon like an ice-cream! Who else is guilty? I know you are out there.

We are bread eating family so my family loves it, and of course, two full pans of sweet bread were gone before you know it! Try it and I am sure you will love it too.

I separated the step by step instructions so you can see how I am making this bread. Little cuts or slips are completely optional, too. You can make it pressed and round without cutting, roll it into little a log, or make it like a dinner roll.

1. In the large mixing bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar; Mix all together and set aside. 
2. In the separated cup add yeast, with 1/2 cup of warm milk or water and a pinch of sugar, let the yeast get activated first. 
3. In the flour mixture add lightly mixed egg and activated yeast from step 2. Slightly mix, then start adding rest of the liquid (milk and water) mix and add butter (melted or room temp.). ADD liquid little bit at the time so you don’t end up with pancake mixture. (about 1 1/2 cup of liquid on 2.2 cups of flour -adjust liquid/milk to the amount of flour)
4. Mix the dough very well with the wooden spoon. Once combined, transfer it to a lightly dusted working surface. Add more flour if needed. 
5. Knead the dough for good 25-30 minutes. Place it back in the clean oiled mixing bowl, turn it few times so the dough could get glossy from oil. Cover and let it rest.

1. Once the dough doubled in size, knead for a minute or so, then separated into 9 or more equal portions (make balls). Set aside!
2. Take the Sweet Red Beans out of the can and set aside. *You can make your own too! 
3. Take each ball and roll out into thinner (1/2 inch thick) pancake about 4-5 inches wide disks. 
4. Take the rolled disk into your hand and in the middle place about a tablespoon or so of sweet red bean paste. 
5. Close all ends and make a ball, but make sure it is closed. With your whole hand press down on the filled dough ball into *approximately 1 to one and a half (1-1/2) inches thick disk. 
6. You can leave it as it is, but you can make slips with your knife, scissors or pizza cutter. You can also roll into a log or any other shape.

1. Brush with melted butter or mixed eggs.
2. Sprinkle with any topping that you desire as mentioned in the ingredient list.
3. Place each sweetbread onto parchment paper lined the pan, or lightly oiled.
4. Let the sweet bread rise for 15 more minutes before placing it into the preheated oven on 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  
5. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes or more, if needed. 
6. Allow to cool down for at least 15 minutes before eating. 

Print

Sweet Bread filled with Red Bean Paste

Serves 6 | Total time: 1hr. 45 minutes (approximately) Prep time: 35 min. | Rising time: 45 min. | Cook time: 20-25 min.

Course Bread, Brunch

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Keyword korean, bread, baking

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Rising time for at least 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 2.2 520g-3 cups All-purpose Flour + more for dusting
• 1/2 tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tbsp. Salt
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Dry Yeast + Pinch of Sugar
• 1/4 cup warm Water or milk to activate the yeast
• 1 Egg  lightly mixed
• 1 cup 236ml Warm Milk
• 3 Tbs. Butter unsalted (room temp.) + for brushing
• 1 Tbs. Oil for greasing + more for dough

Filling:

• 1 Can Sweet Red Bean Paste or any other of your choice

Topping options:

• Sugar, white or brown
• Crushed nuts
• Sugar and sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In the large mixing bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar; Mix all together and set aside.
2. In the separated cup add yeast, with 1/2 cup of warm milk or water and a pinch of sugar, let the yeast get activated first.

3. In the flour mixture add lightly mixed egg and activated yeast from step 2. Slightly mix, then start adding rest of the liquid (milk and water) mix and add butter (melted or room temp.).

   ADD liquid little bit at the time so you don’t end up with pancake mixture. (about 1 1/2 cup of liquid on 2.2 cups of flour -adjust liquid/milk to the amount of flour)

4. Mix the dough very well with the wooden spoon. Once combined, transfer it to a lightly dusted working surface. Add more flour if needed.

5. Knead the dough for good 25-30 minutes. Place it back in the clean oiled mixing bowl, turn it few times so the dough could get glossy from oil. Cover and let it rest.

6. Once the dough doubled in size, knead for a minute or so, then separated into 9 or more equal portions (make balls). Set aside.

7. Take the Sweet Red Beans out of the can and set aside. You can make your own too!

8. Take each ball and roll out into thinner (1/2 inch thick) pancake about 4-5 inches wide disks.
9. Take the rolled disk into your hand and in the middle place about a tablespoon or so of sweet red bean paste.
10. Close all ends and make a ball, but make sure it is closed. With your whole hand press down on the filled dough ball into *approximately 1 to one and a half (1-1/2) inches thick disk.
11. You can leave it as it is, but you can make slips with your knife, scissors or pizza cutter. You can also roll into a log or any other shape.
12. Brush with melted butter or mixed eggs.
13. Sprinkle with any topping that you desire as mentioned in the ingredient list.
14. Place each sweetbread onto parchment paper lined the pan, or lightly oiled.
15. Let the sweet bread rise for 15 more minutes before placing it into the preheated oven on 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

16. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes or more, if needed.

17. Allow to cool down for at least 15 minutes before eating.

Recipe Notes

Kneading is a very important step, and should not be skipped.

Filling options are up to you. It can be in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, just reheat a bit and eat. The dough can be in the fridge for 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Make sure to thaw it before using.

 

[amazon_link asins=’B00OWDUK4W,B00886CZNI’ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’welcosblog00b-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’95212e1e-e40e-4768-853e-bff877d550dc’]

The other night I was too tired to stand and cook a large dinner. I had to feed some hungry people that get pretty grumpy if their stomachs start to grumble. In other words, these Japanese Omelette Parcels were made pretty fast.

Therefore, I cooked the rice, then added some shiitake mushrooms and made an omelet. Which, of course, I sliced into thin strips and mixed with the rice.

Furthermore, my family loves when I put on the table varieties of veggies and meat every time I make rice bowls for dinner.

Everything cooked is usually leftovers from the nights before. It was less cooking for me, and dinner gets in front of my family much faster. I added a bit of sesame oil with soy sauce in my rice bowl and kimchi on top.

Above all, it was undoubtedly delicious. However, I had some of that mixed rice leftovers and then these quick Japanese Omelette Parcels came to my mind.

Click here for more Asian Inspired Meals

It was a simple and delicious lunch the next day. All I had to do was to make a thin Japanese omelet (Usuyaki Tamago).

Since I was not able to make a trip to the Asian market, instead of kampyo, more traditional way to tie these parcels, I used chives.

I served with two kinds of dips; soy sauce, which is pretty basic and wasabi sake Dijon mustard, by the way really delicious and unique.

Kampyo: Long, beige, ribbon-like strips of gourd that are dried and used as edible ties for various Japanese food packets, filling for rolled sushi etc. A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae.

The gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash etc.

However, you will find it mostly sold in Japanese food markets dried that needs to be prepared by simmering before using. This is called Fukusa Sushi or Zushi.

What is Fukusa?

A Fukusa is a small handkerchief used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It is folded in different ways as part of the ceremonial performance.

I hope you will give this a try next time you have some leftover rice or you can make sushi rice.

Also, this could be a wonderful addition to your lunch box so you can take it to school or work. I had a few people over for lunch that day and everybody enjoyed it very much.

Note that these are usually stuffed with prepared sushi rice (rice vinegar, sugar, salt). I used steamed rice with a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce to season and taste.

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Japanese Omelette Parcels

Print

Easy and delicious Japanese Omelette Parcels , also known as Fuksa Zushi

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time to make rice 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups short grain, cooked rice
• 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp. Soy sauce
• 6 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, stir fry and season with a drizzle of soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. Sesame seeds
• 6 Thin Japanese omelets, recipe in the notes
• 6 Chives or scallions, green part, seasoned kampyo may be used if any

Instructions

1. Mix cooked rice with sesame oil and soy sauce (you can make sushi rice and skip sesame oil and soy sauce), then add sliced and stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and toasted sesame seeds, stir to combine. In the mixture, you will add later thin strips of omelet from cutout omelet leftovers. 
2. Make omelets and place on a clean surface of your cutting board. Cut the edges into squares, roughly 8x8in. note*cut leftover omelet into thin strips and add to the rice mixture. 
3. Spoon about 1 1/2 -2 Tbs. Rice mixture into omelet square. 
4. Position the omelet so that one corner faces you. Fold this lower corner over the filling to meet the top corner, then one after the other, fold in the side corners to meet at the center. 
5. Now fold the omelet over the top corner to form a rectangular parcel. 
6. Use the chives to tie around the omelet parcel. 

Notes

Thin Japanese Omelette Recipe (Usuyaki tamago)

Makes 3-4 

Ingredients:

1 tsp. Cornstarch

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk 

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tbs. Vegetable oil

Directions:

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water. 

Mix the eggs and combine it with dissolved cornstarch. 

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, wipe the excess oil with a paper towel then pour in enough eggs to thinly coat the bottom of your pan. 

Flip with your spatula or chopstick if you are an expert and do not let it burn. Eggs/omelet needs to be beautiful bright yellow in color without burning. Continue with making the rest of the omelets to use up the rest of the mixed eggs. 

If you poured correctly, this mixture could make up to 4 omelets in a medium-sized pan, but 3 would be perfect too. 

Note*

Without ruining the traditional food I would like to suggest wonderful additions that could be added in these parcels with the rice, such as sauteed peas, or steamed fish, glazed carrots etc. 

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest