Dorayaki (どらやき) Japanese Red Bean Pancakes

A beloved Japanese confection, Dorayaki (どらやき) are light snacks that will satisfy your sweet cravings! These mini treats are made by enclosing sweet azuki bean paste between two soft and fluffy honey pancakes. A must-try!

Ingredients

▢ 100 g cake flour ^{Note 1}
▢ 1 tsp baking powder
▢ 1 tbsp honey
▢ 1 tbsp mirin
▢ 2 tbsps water
▢ 2 large eggs each weighing 60 - 63 grams (2 - 2.25 ounces) with its shell
▢ 80 g sugar
▢ 300 g red bean paste (anko) for dorayaki, I prefer tsubuan, a thick, chunky red bean paste but you can use koshian, a smooth, fine-grained red bean paste.
▢ cooking oil as needed

Instructions

Make the pancake batter

Combine the flour and baking powder, and sift twice into a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, combine honey, mirin, water, and vanilla extract (if using) and stir until well mixed.
Note: Depending on the flour used (cake/pastry/plain or all purpose), you may need to add a bit more water after resting the batter.
In a separate mixing bowl, break the eggs and lightly beat with a whisk for 10 - 15 seconds. Add the sugar to the eggs and continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the egg mixture lightens in colour, about 2 - 3 minutes by hand.
Add the honey mixture and the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. The batter should be a bit thick, and not too runny. It should be able to run off the whisk or spoon smoothly.
Cover the bowl with a tea cloth or seal with cling wrap. Place it in the fridge to rest the batter for 30 minutes.
Note: After resting, the pancake batter will be noticeably thicker because the flour would have absorbed the liquids. If needed, add a bit more water 1 teaspoon at a time to thin the batter to the ideal consistency.

Cook the pancakes

Heat a frying pan or pancake pan over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes until moderately hot, about 160℃ (320℉). Brush the surface of the pan very sparingly with a bit of oil. Wipe off any residue with a paper towel using bamboo chopsticks or heat-resistant tongs.
Note: Take your time to heat up the pan - do not start on too high heat as you may end up overcooking or burning the first 1 or 2 pancakes. Also, it's really important to not grease the pan too much, just barely will do. Immediately wiping the oil streaks off the surface is key to evenly browning the pancakes and avoiding patchy spots.
Pour the batter from 8" (20 cm) above the pan, forming a pancake 3" (7 - 8 cm) in diameter. Cover with a heatproof lid and cook over low heat.
Once the pancake surface bubbles (45 seconds - 1 minute), flip quickly with a spatula. Fry for another 25 - 30 seconds, or until the bottom is lightly browned. The edges will be sticky - this is OKAY!
Note: The time it takes for bubbles to appear depends on the the frying pan used as well as the cooking heat. It's best to observe the surface of the pancake and use your judgement.
Do not overcook the pancake - flip once a ring of bubbles appear around the edges and the middle looks moist but set, and is no longer runny when picked up with a spatula. Also, do not worry if the first few pancakes don't turn out well - you'll eventually get the hang of it and settle into a workflow. It just takes a bit of practice!
Dish out the pancake onto a plate or sheet pan and cover it with a damp cloth to keep it from drying. Once you have cooked 2 pancakes to make a pair, place the lighter sides (the bottoms) of 2 pancakes together. Again, keep them covered with a tea towel on the plate or sheet pan. Repeat the process until all the remaining batter is used up.
Tip: Grease the surface of the frying pan sparingly, wiping off the excess, as and when needed to prevent the pancake from sticking to the pan.
Do not be overly concerned if the pancakes are not consistent in size. Once you've cooked all the pancakes, you can pair each pancake with its closest match, in terms of colour and size.

Assemble the Dorayaki

Working in pairs, scoop some red bean paste onto the centre of the first pancake using a metal spoon or cookie scoop.
Spread the paste with the back of the metal spoon, leaving the edges clean. Cover with the second pancake. Press the edges together to seal. Immediately keep each filled pancake in the airtight container to prevent drying.

Store the pancakes

Wrap the Dorayaki in plastic wrap to seal it. Keep them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Note: Dorayaki will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days. Beyond this period, store them (wrapped and sealed) in the chiller for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

Notes

1. Flour

The recommended flour to use is Japanese soft wheat flour (hakuriki-ko). The pancake batter made with soft flour results in light and fluffy pancakes with a tender texture. If you can't get Japanese soft flour, cake flour or pastry flour will work equally well as its protein level is comparable to Japanese soft wheat flour.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 39mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 80IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 1mg