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A futuristic Cyberpunk-style photo showing a Dorayaki (Japanese red bean pancake) in front and a stack of them in the back.
Print Recipe

Dorayaki

Sweet Japanese pancakes stuffed with homemade red bean paste!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Simmering time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 8 dorayaki

Equipment

  • 1 blender / food processor for homemade red bean paste
  • 1 fine-mesh sieve for homemade red bean paste

Ingredients

For the pancakes

  • 4 eggs
  • 140 g sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 160 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp water
  • some neutral oil for frying

For the red bean paste

  • 100 g azuki beans aka adzuki beans
  • 100 g sugar
  • 0.25 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 pot water

Instructions

Make the bean paste (optional)

  • Briefly rinse the beans, then put them in a small saucepan.
  • Add enough water to cover the beans plus a few extra centimeters.
  • Put the pot on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
  • Boil briefly, then drain the beans using a fine-mesh sieve.
  • Put them back into the pot and add the same amount of fresh water again.
  • Keep simmering over medium low heat for about 90 minutes. Check in sometimes and top up with water to keep the beans submerged..
  • Once the beans are easy to squash between your fingers, they're ready.
  • Drain the beans again, but keep 125 ml (0.5 cup) of the cooking liquid.
  • Transfer them to a blender or food processor. Blend and add cooking liquid until you have a smooth and somewhat liquid paste. I usually all the reserved water. The paste will thicken again over the next steps.
  • Put the paste back into the pot and turn the heat to medium low.
  • Slowly add in the sugar and keep stirring until it is fully dissolved.
  • Keep going for a few minutes to let the paste thicken. Once you can draw a line at the bottom of the pot that doesn't close quickly, it's thick enough.
  • Stir in the salt.
  • Take it off the heat and store the paste in a bowl or food container. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days in a closed container.

Make the dorayaki dough

  • Crack the eggs and whisk in a large bowl until foamy.
  • Gradually add the sugar and honey, and keep whisking until well-integrated.
  • Sift the flour into the bowl and thoroughly whisk again.
  • Put the bowl in the fridge and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, up to a few hours.
  • Take it back out and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water. Stir until well-mixed.

Fry the pancakes

  • Put a large frying pan on your stove over medium low heat. (My electric stove goes from 1 to 9, and 4 was just right.)
  • Put some neutral cooking oil on a paper towel and wipe it through the pan. You want to create a thin and even layer that's barely visible. If needed, take a clean paper towel to wipe off excess oil. This is important for even browning.
  • Wait a few minutes until the pan is fully heated up.
  • Slowly pour 30ml (2 tbsp) of batter into a spot in the pan. The batter should extend from there to an even disk 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.
  • After 3 minutes, carefully separate the pancake from the pan and flip it over. Fry for another 2-3 minutes from the other side.
  • Store all finished pancakes under a damp towel or cheesecloth so they don't dry out.
  • Repeat until all pancakes are done. If your pan is big enough, make 2 at a time. The default amount of dough should yield 16 pancakes (8 dorayaki).

Assemble dorayaki

  • Distribute the red bean paste to half your pancakes using a spoon. Put more in the middle and less around the edges.
    (The pancakes often have a rounder side, which should be outside, and a flatter side, where the paste should go.)
  • Add a second pancake on top of each one. Press down around the edges a little so the dorayaki is slightly curved. It doesn't need to fully close.
  • Enjoy!
    If you don't eat them all, wrap the leftover dorayaki in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge for up to a few days.