Japanese Dorayaki and Anpan: Red Bean Confection Vehicles — Cook

Ingredients

For the dorayaki batter
3 eggs, room temperature
80 g caster sugar
30 g honey, acacia for neutral colour and flavour; buckwheat for a more complex, adult result
120 g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
30 ml water, to thin the batter to a pourable consistency
For the filling
400 g an (azuki bean paste), koshi-an (smooth) or tsubu-an (chunky); at room temperature — not cold

Method

1
Whisk the eggs, sugar, and honey together in a bowl until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Sift the flour and baking soda directly into the bowl and whisk to a smooth, lump-free batter. Add the water and stir to loosen to a pourable consistency. Cover the bowl and rest the batter for 30 minutes at room temperature. The rested batter will appear slightly relaxed and will coat the whisk in a smooth, even ribbon.
2
Set a flat pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with a neutral oil and wipe away the excess with a folded cloth — the surface should be barely filmed, not slick. Pour a ladleful of batter (approximately 60 ml) onto the pan without spreading. This is where the dish lives or dies: the heat must be low enough that bubbles form uniformly across the entire surface and the interior sets gently before the underside colours — high heat browns the outside before the centre cooks, and the pancake will be dense rather than fluffy. When bubbles cover the surface evenly and the edges appear just set, flip the pancake in one clean motion. Cook for a further 30–40 seconds. The finished pancake is evenly golden on both faces, with no pale or scorched patches.
3
Transfer each cooked pancake to a wire rack, smooth side down, and allow to cool to room temperature. Do not stack hot pancakes; they will steam and soften their own surfaces unevenly.
4
Ensure the an is at room temperature. Place one pancake smooth side down. Mound the an generously in the centre — approximately 100 g per sandwich, which is roughly 1:1 by volume with the pancake pair. Press a second pancake smooth side up onto the filling, applying gentle, even pressure so the an reaches the edges without splitting the pancake. The assembled dorayaki should feel substantial in the hand, the filling visible at the perimeter.
5
Serve at room temperature. A cold dorayaki develops a firm, unpleasant pancake texture that misrepresents the preparation. If made ahead, wrap individually in cling film and rest at room temperature for up to one day.