Special Kneads: Bean Bun, Trial 1

Bean buns are one of my favorite foods. When I was in college, there was a place called "VP2" (still there?) around the corner from my dorm on Washington Square West, that served amazing baked and steamed buns with beans and fake meat. A few years ago, I found a great place in London's Chinatown that sold fresh steamed bean buns for £2. Here in Portland, I can only buy frozen ones at Uwajimaya. Though still a good choice, I've decided to try crafting my own, in a few different varieties.

For this baked bean bun, I used my usual weekly bread dough, filled the rolls bean paste from this recipe, and baked them off.

They were great! We had them with soup, and I froze the rest for quick breakfasts to take to work. They tasted like a bialy, and the paste was the perfect taste, if just a touch dry. Next time I'll add 2 tsp of oil to the mix after mashing.

Next up: I'm going to use my Krumkake maker to craft pancake-style bean treats, like Angela's store-bought variety, maybe with sesame seeds on top? I'm working my way up to the coveted steamed kind. Any tips, anyone?