Japanese Yōshoku Bread — Melon Pan, Anpan, and Curry Pan (洋食パン) — Cook

Ingredients

For the enriched bread dough (all three breads)
400 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
7 g instant dried yeast
50 g caster sugar
6 g fine salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150 ml whole milk, warmed to 35 °C
60 g unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
For the anpan filling
200 g tsubu-an or koshi-an (sweet red bean paste), chilled; divide into 4 balls of 50 g each — paste must be thick enough to hold shape
1 tsp white sesame seeds, for topping
For the melon pan sablé crust
100 g plain flour
60 g caster sugar
40 g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp baking powder
For the curry pan filling
200 g Japanese curry, thick, cooled; divide into 4 portions of 50 g each
For the curry pan coating and frying
100 g panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying

Method

1
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and warmed milk and bring together into a rough dough. Turn onto a clean surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, incorporating the softened butter piece by piece once the dough is cohesive. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test — a small piece stretched between the fingers becomes translucent without tearing. This is full gluten development; without it, the dough will not hold the weight of any filling.
2
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to prove at room temperature until doubled in size. Press a floured finger into the centre: if the indentation holds without springing back, the first prove is complete.
3
For the melon pan sablé crust: cream the softened butter and sugar together until pale. Beat in the egg, then sift in the flour and baking powder and bring together to a soft, pliable dough. Divide into 4 equal portions and press each between two sheets of baking paper into a disc approximately 8 cm across. The dough must yield to gentle pressure without cracking — if it tears, the scored grid will split during baking.
4
Knock back the proved dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (approximately 60 g each). Shape each into a smooth ball by pulling the surface taut and sealing the base. Rest under a damp cloth for 10 minutes; the balls will relax and lose any surface tension acquired during shaping.
5
For anpan (4 pieces): flatten each dough ball into a disc approximately 9 cm across. Place one 50 g ball of anko in the centre — the filling must be thick enough to sit proud without spreading. Gather the dough edges up and over the filling, pinching firmly to seal at the base. Place sealed-side down on a lined baking tray and press a few white sesame seeds onto the top. For melon pan (4 pieces): lay one sablé disc over each shaped bread ball and press gently so it adheres to the upper surface. Using a pastry scraper or knife, score a diamond (melon-grid) pattern through the cookie layer without cutting into the bread beneath. For curry pan (4 pieces): flatten each dough ball, place 50 g of cooled thick Japanese curry in the centre, seal and shape into an oval. Dip in beaten egg wash, then coat thoroughly in panko. Set aside on a separate tray.
6
Allow all shaped pieces to prove a second time, covered, until noticeably puffed — the dough should feel airy and give slightly under a very light touch without collapsing. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake the anpan and melon pan for 12–15 minutes, until the anpan is golden and the melon pan sablé is set and lightly coloured at the edges. The melon pan crust is done when it no longer looks raw and holds the scored pattern sharply.
7
For the curry pan: heat the neutral oil to 170 °C in a deep, heavy pan. Lower the curry pan pieces in carefully and fry, turning once, until the panko is a deep, even golden brown and the crust shatters at the tap of a fingernail. Remove and drain on a rack. The crust must shatter at first bite, releasing the curry steam within.