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1
Whisk together the eggs, caster sugar, and honey in a bowl until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Add the mirin and whisk briefly to combine. Sift the flour and baking soda together over the egg mixture and fold until a smooth, lump-free batter forms. Add the water gradually, stirring, until the batter reaches a thick but pourable consistency. Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The rested batter will show a uniform, fine-bubbled surface — restless batter produces irregular bubbles during cooking and an uneven pancake face.
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2
Place a flat non-stick griddle over medium-low heat. The surface is ready when a drop of batter sets at the edges within five seconds without immediate browning — if it colours in under three seconds, reduce the heat. Lightly wipe the surface with a very thin film of neutral oil on a folded cloth. Pour a measured round of batter approximately 8–9 cm in diameter; work in batches without crowding. The pancake is ready to turn when the surface is matte, set across the entire face, and the underside — visible at the edge — shows an even amber-brown. This is where the dish lives or dies: too pale and the Maillard notes that define dorayaki's flavour are absent; too dark and the honey scorches to bitterness. Flip once and cook the second side for 30–40 seconds until lightly coloured. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat until all sixteen pancakes are cooked.
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3
Arrange the pancakes in a single layer on the rack and allow them to cool completely to room temperature. They are ready when the surface is no longer warm to the back of the hand and no steam rises from the stack. Assembling over warm pancakes is the most common error; even slight residual warmth softens the anko-contact surface unacceptably.
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4
Before assembling, assess the tsubuan: it must be firm but not dry, holding its shape when scooped without weeping liquid. If using commercial anko, taste for sweetness and test texture now — overly sweet or gummy paste makes inferior dorayaki and cannot be corrected at assembly. Discard any batch that weeps or smells fermented.
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5
Place one cooled pancake flat-side up. Set a generous tablespoon (approximately 50 g) of tsubuan at the centre and press gently to a disc that leaves a 1 cm border clear. Place a second pancake flat-side down over the filling and press evenly until the dorayaki is of uniform thickness throughout — the filling should reach but not overflow the edge. The assembled confection should sit level without doming. Too much anko requires force that distorts the shape; too little loses the filling-to-pancake balance that defines the form.