Matcha Red Bean Buns

4.85 from 13 ratings

This pastry is a combination of my 2 favorite things: red bean and matcha. This matcha red bean bun has a matcha flavored bun with a filling of red bean paste.

Prep Time12

Cook Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: matcha red bean buns, red bean buns

Servings: buns

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Ingredients

Red Bean Paste

1/3 cup adzuki beans
2 ½ cups water
1/3 cup sugar

Dough

1 tbsp matcha powder
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup & 1 tsp granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Red Bean Paste

Soak the adzuki beans in water overnight.
Drain the beans. Combine the beans and water in a small sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 2 hours until the beans are mushy. Use a blender to blend the bean mixture until a smooth consistency.
Add the sugar and continue to heat the beans until a thick mixture forms (1-2 minutes). It should look like a very thick bean soup.
Set aside the red bean paste. The paste will thicken as it sits.

Dough

Add matcha powder, flour, and baking powder to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
Heat the milk until warm (100-110 degrees F). Transfer the milk to a small bowl. Add yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar and mix. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until it starts to foam. Add vegetable oil and the rest of the sugar. Stir until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl and add in your dry ingredients from step 1. Combine with your hands. Once all the ingredients come together, dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Add flour if the dough is too sticky. The dough has been kneaded enough if you poke the dough and it slowly springs back at you. Once done, transfer it to an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour.
Once the dough is finished proofing, divide it into 16 equal pieces.

Make the matcha red bean buns!

Roll out each piece into a thin circle that is 3-4 inches in diameter. The outer edges should be thinner than the center. Make sure the center is not too thin.
Add 1 tablespoon of red bean paste to the center of the dough.
Envelop the filling with the outer edges of the dough. Gather the outer edges of the dough with your fingers and pinch to close. Place the bun, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper.
Prepare your steamer by bringing water to a simmer. Steam your buns for 10 minutes. Make sure there is at least 1 inch of space between each bun since they will expand.

Notes

What if I don’t have a warm space to proof my dough – It’s important to have a warm space to get your dough to rise. I didn’t have a place, so I turned on the oven to the lowest setting for a few minutes and then turned it off. I then put my dough in the oven with the door closed. Make sure the oven isn’t too hot if you do this.
Sift the matcha powder to prevent clumping - Matcha powder tends to clump up, so sifting the matcha powder helps reduce that. I still got a few clumps in my dough, but that's okay!
Add oil to the bowl you use to proof your dough – Adding oil to your bowl before proofing is important because it prevents the dough from forming a dry skin.
Storing the matcha red bean buns – You can freeze the buns to eat at a later time. When you’re ready to eat them, pull them out, defrost them, and reheat in the microwave. You can also store them in the freezer pre-steam.
Reheating the buns – The best way to reheat these buns is to cover it with a wet paper towel and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Adding a wet towel helps rehydrate the dough because it starts to dry out as you store it in the fridge.

Nutrition