Japanese curry buns


With the weather getting warmer , I need to bake as much as I can before our very tiny kitchen turns into a hell's kitchen ! Baking can be therapeutic but not if the kitchen's temperature can go as high as mid-30's in the morning *sigh*

I never had this kind of bread before so when I saw Sonia's post about Japanese curry buns , I was delighted to see another savoury buns to  try . Of course , she posted the recipe way back in 2013 but as the saying goes , Too many breads to bake , so little time ha !

Japanese curry bun is made by wrapping a prepared curry filling inside a small portion of dough . It is then covered in breadcrumbs or panko and traditionally , deep fried but baking it is a good , healthy choice .  

Recipe is pretty much straightforward , make the curry filling first and you can do it the day before . If you love Japanese curry with rice , double the recipe , trust me , the filling on its own tastes really good ! If you tried Izumi's curry , this recipe is a copycat or maybe it's the other way around lol

The dough is very easy to handle but I added some water as the dough is a bit dry while I was kneading it . When you wrap in the filling , be sure to seal the edge well and roll the dough until it is smooth and tight , you want the filling to be in the middle , so that after it is baked , the filling should be evenly distributed , not in the other half of the bun and the other part has no filling at all . I used a very coarse breadcrumbs and I'm not so happy with how the bread look , I should have crushed some of the more coarser crumbs .

Remember to let the buns cool down for about 10 minutes before consuming . The filling is piping hot and it nearly burned my greedy mouth ....


Recipe adapted from Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Makes 14 curry buns and 4 ( no filling ) buns

Japanese curry buns filling : 

90 grams ( peeled weight ) onion , finely sliced
115 grams ( peeled weight ) carrot , cut into small cubes 
300 grams boneless , skinless whole chicken legs , thinly sliced 
75 grams Japanese curry roux
420 grams water 

42 grams butter , cut into small cubes 
42 grams flour 

* Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok over medium heat , stir-fry onion and carrot until fragrant , 3 minutes , add in water . 

* In a nonstick pan , pan fry chicken slices over high heat until it changes color , 2 minutes . Add chicken into the  wok , let mixture boil , then turn down heat to medium-low , cover and simmer for 13 minutes . Add in the curry roux , stir well until dissolved and continue to cook for another 2 minutes . 

* Meanwhile , in a clean nonstick pan , melt butter over low heat , when melted add in the flour , stir until flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth and thickened . Add it to the curry mixture , stir well until thick . Transfer to a bowl , let cool completely before using , you can refrigerate the mixture overnight .

* Divide mixture into 14 pieces at 45 grams each and form into a small balls , place into a baking sheet and chill in the fridge until needed  . 

For the curry buns dough : 

500 grams bread flour 
60 grams caster sugar 
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast 
1 large egg , lightly beaten , at room temperature 
235 grams water ( plus 15 grams )
50 grams unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes , at room temperature 

1 egg , lightly beaten and strain 
panko or breadcrumbs 

* Mix all ingredients for the dough except the butter . Knead for 10 minutes , add water if the dough is a bit dry , then add in the butter in 3 additions until dough is smooth and elastic , another 15 minutes . Transfer dough into a lightly-oiled bowl , cover tightly with plastic wrap and let proof until doubled in size , about 1 hour or depending on the warmth of your place . 

* Final dough is 895 grams . Weigh dough into 14 pieces at 50 grams each ( 4 at 48 grams each ) . Form into balls , cover and let rest for 15 minutes . 

* Working 1 dough/portion at a time , using your fingers , flatten one dough into about 3 1/2-inch diameter . Place one curry filling on top , wrap dough around it and seal , rolling between your hands so that dough will be smooth . 

* Brush bun with egg wash , place onto the plate with bread crumbs and cover the glazed dough well . Place in a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet , cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and continue with the rest of the dough and filling . 

* Proof filled dough for 35 to 45 minutes .

* Preheat oven to 200°C . Bake curry buns , in the middle of the oven , for 16 to 18 minutes or until tops are lightly-golden . The filling will be very hot so be cautious when consuming  after few minutes of taking buns out of the oven . 



Comments

  1. Anne, your Japanese curry buns are making me very, very hungry. Its time I go get my dinner.

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  2. 30度。。。。好热
    我们这里也一样
    空气黏黏的
    超级讨厌:(


    还是要吃面包的
    请我吃:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anne, I'm so intrigue with the way you formed the curry fillings into ball portions before wrapping it neatly with the dough. This is a cool and neat idea. I must give it a try. Thanks for the extra photo instruction:)

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  4. Oh my word, everything about this post is perfection.

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  5. Oh this looks so good. I love curry buns, but unlike you I need to hit Chinatown for this :-)

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  6. It is not so hot yet but i stopped baking like 2 weekends ago, i make icecreams instead😄

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  7. Wow! I was eating my overnight oats (trying to eat healthy, you know) when I clicked on your yummy buns photos and wish I am munching on that! Looks so good! And yeah, always not enough time to try all the yummy recipes online!

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  8. What a delicious looking bun! Love the fact that it's baked and not deep-fried, healthier!

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  9. Hi Anne,

    Wish that you can share some of your heat with us... It is getting cold now in Melbourne and wouldn't to have some heat from you to make your kitchen less "Hell Kitchen"... LOL!

    At least the heat is useful for this bake... It makes these curry buns looking very puffy and good :D

    Zoe

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  10. Hi Anne,
    Anymore left for supper? :p
    This buns looks gorgeous and the filling looks so sexy ..haha
    mui

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  11. Hi Anne, your curry bun look fantastic. Please send a few over. LOL Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
    Excellent photography skill, the bun pictures like 3D.

    Have a wonderful weekend,regards.
    Amelia

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