Our number 1 pick for this dishAnpan (Video) あんパン
Classic Japanese sweet pastry filled with red bean paste. Requires bread-making skill with two rising periods and topped with black sesame seeds.
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The best bread recipes
Japanese bread is a category of its own: the pillowy, faintly sweet shokupan (milk bread), melonpan with its crisp cookie top, and an array of filled buns. The signature soft, tearable crumb usually comes from the tangzhong (yudane) method, and a good recipe walks you through it.
Our number 1 pick for this dish
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Matcha Pound Cake Recipe
A delicate green tea pound cake with earthy matcha flavor and tender, fine crumb.
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Easy Fruitcake フルーツケーキ
A moist pound cake studded with dried fruit that tastes better the day after baking.
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Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake) (Video) どら焼き
Soft, fluffy honey pancakes sandwiched with sweet red bean paste, a nostalgic and cozy Japanese treat that is surprisingly easy to make at home.
dessertbreadegg
Pan Pudding (Japanese Milk Bread Pudding)
Custard-soaked Japanese milk bread cubes baked until fluffy and topped with homemade caramel sauce.
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Matcha Bagel Strawberry Sandwich (Japanese Bagel Fruit Sando)
A fresh strawberry and cream cheese sandwich on a homemade matcha bagel, chilled until ready to serve.
sandobreaddessert
Japanese Egg Sandwich (Tamago Sando) タマゴサンド
A Japanese sandwich with fluffy milk bread filled with creamy egg salad or soft-boiled eggs, just like convenience store versions.
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Rice Flour Castella Cake (Gluten-Free)
A light, airy gluten-free sponge cake made with rice flour. Naturally sweet and moist, this Japanese classic avoids wheat entirely.
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Japanese Fried Sandwich Recipe (Age Sando) 揚げサンド
Crispy deep-fried milk bread sandwiches with sweet or savory fillings like egg salad or whipped cream. Requires careful technique for the golden crust.
sandobreadegg
Fish Katsu Burger
Crispy fried fish cutlet topped with yuzu kosho tartar sauce and fresh cabbage tucked into soft Japanese buns.
katsuseafooddeep fry
An-Doughnut Recipe
Homemade doughnuts filled with sweet red bean paste, fried golden and coated in sugar.
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Katsu Sando Recipe
Satisfying sandwich layering crispy pork cutlet, cabbage, and savory sauce between soft bread.
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Melon Pan
Soft Japanese bread rolls with a crispy cookie coating and sugar sparkle, sweet enough for dessert or snack.
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Nikuman Recipe
Pillowy steamed pork buns filled with savory meat, mushrooms, and vegetables. Comfort food worth the dough-rising time.
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Yakisoba Pan Recipe
Stir-fried noodles with cabbage and egg packed inside crispy bread, drizzled with tangy yakisoba sauce.
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Tamago Sando Recipe
A Japanese egg-salad sandwich on soft shoku pan bread with creamy mayonnaise. Quick and satisfying any time of day.
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Katsu Sando (カツサンド)
Juicy fried pork cutlet glazed in spiced fruit sauce and nestled between toasted bread with crisp cabbage for lunch.
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Koppe Pan Recipe
Soft, pillowy Japanese bread rolls with a tender crumb, often filled with jam or cream for sweet eating.
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Cream Pan Recipe
A cream-filled sweet bread pastry with homemade custard and yeast dough.
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Kasutera Cake Recipe
A honey-sweetened sponge cake with a fine, tender crumb achieved by careful folding and baking until golden.
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Fruit Sandwich Recipe
Delicate slices of Japanese milk bread layered with fresh fruit and whipped cream for an elegant, indulgent sweet treat.
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Shokupan Recipe
Pillowy soft Japanese milk bread with a tender crumb, made with long rising times for perfect sandwiches or breakfast toast.
breadbreakfastsnack
Egg Salad Sandwich たまごサンド弁当
Japanese egg salad sandwich with Kewpie mayo and a hint of sugar for a classic soft bread lunch.
sandoeggvegetarian
An Pan Recipe (Bread Roll with Sweet Red Bean)
Sweet red bean-filled bread rolls made with yeast dough and topped with black sesame seeds.
breadvegetariandessert
Anman Recipe
Steamed sweet bun filled with smooth red bean paste, made from scratch yeast dough with two-stage rising.
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Common questions about bread
What is shokupan?
Shokupan is Japanese milk bread, a soft, fluffy white loaf with a tight, tearable crumb and a slightly sweet, milky flavour. It is baked in a rectangular pan, sometimes with a square lid for a flat top.
What makes Japanese milk bread so soft?
Most recipes use tangzhong (or the yudane method): a portion of the flour is pre-cooked with liquid into a paste, which helps the dough hold more moisture and stay soft for days.
What is melonpan?
Melonpan is a sweet bun topped with a thin layer of crisp cookie dough scored in a criss-cross pattern. The name comes from its melon-like appearance, not a melon flavour.