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1
Rinse the adzuki beans and place in a saucepan with cold water to cover by 5 cm. Bring to the boil, drain, and refill with fresh cold water. Simmer over low heat until three-quarters of the beans are tender and beginning to burst and a quarter remain whole — this is the borderline of breakdown that defines tsubu-an. Drain, reserving a little cooking liquid. Return the beans to the pan with the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and holds its shape. Individual bean forms should still be visible in approximately 30% of the mass. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
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2
Whisk the eggs, caster sugar, and honey together until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is pale. Dissolve the baking soda in the water, then stir into the egg mixture. Fold in the sifted flour until a smooth, lump-free batter forms. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes — this rest period is not optional; it enables the baking soda and honey to react fully and produces a lighter, more even crumb. The rested batter will have relaxed slightly and feel marginally thicker.
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3
This is where the dorayaki lives or dies. Set a copper plate or flat non-stick pan over medium-low heat to reach approximately 160°C — a consistent, even, low heat. Lightly oil the surface. Pour a ladleful of batter to form a round of approximately 10 cm diameter. Cook without disturbing until bubbles appear evenly across the surface and the edges are set — the pancake should be pale golden with a slight sheen, never dark brown. A dark surface means the plate is too hot; the pancake will taste bitter and the delicate honey character will be destroyed. Flip once and cook for a further 30 seconds until the underside is just-set. The surface char pattern — the amber-hued grid from the copper plate — should be even. Repeat to produce 8 pancakes. Set aside without stacking.
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4
Assemble while the pancakes are still warm. Place one pancake, patterned side down, on a clean surface. Mound the tsubu-an in the centre — a quantity approximately equal in volume to the depth of one pancake, spread to flush with the edges but no further. Excess filling will squeeze out and make eating untidy; the filling should be flush with the circumference. Press a second pancake, patterned side up, gently onto the filling. The gentle residual heat continues to set the an against the pancake, improving adhesion. Cold pancakes produce a dry, crumbling sandwich.