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1
Combine the eggs, caster sugar, honey, and mirin in a bowl. Beat together until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is homogeneous and slightly pale. Sift the flour and baking soda directly into the bowl and fold until a smooth, lump-free batter forms. Cover and rest for 10–15 minutes. The batter should be thick enough to fall in a slow, continuous ribbon from the spoon.
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2
Set a non-stick pan over low-medium heat. Use no oil or butter — the pan must be dry. When the pan is evenly warm, ladle a portion of batter to form a round disc approximately 8–9 cm in diameter. This step decides the dish: the heat must be low enough for the surface to develop an even, deep amber colour through the Maillard reaction of the honey and mirin sugars — no dark spots, no pale patches. Watch the surface; when bubbles appear and begin to set across the entire face, the pancake is ready to turn. Flip once and cook the second side for 20–30 seconds. Transfer to a wire rack, surface side up, and cover with a clean cloth to retain moisture. Repeat for all pancakes, producing 12 rounds of equal size.
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3
Allow the pancakes to cool completely under the cloth — they should feel soft and slightly tacky to the touch, never dry or stiff. Pair each pancake with a counterpart of identical size.
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4
Place a generous mound of tsubuan (approximately 50 g) at the centre of one pancake of each pair. Set the second pancake on top and press gently at the edges — firm enough to bond the two halves, not so hard as to compress the crumb or force the anko to the rim. The finished dorayaki should hold its shape cleanly; the anko should sit flush with the pancake edge without extruding. The surface should remain honey-brown, smooth, and faintly glossy.