May 8, 2010 - 11:17am
cream-filled buns
Sorry if this is a double post on the forum, but when I tried to post it on the forum initially to my knowledge, it never bothered posting the topic. I have a question about what type of filling to use in this recipe. It's a Japanese dessert called custard buns and traditionally they're steamed (at least to my knowledge they are). If somebody could please help regarding this I'd appreciate it. In Japanese, they're called kurimu-pan (cream bread is the literal translation).
I'm trying to figure out what type of filling to use. I don't want the filling to be so runny that
it ends up leaking out of the bun.
I've narrowed it down to these possibilities:
*Custard
*Pastry Cream
*Pudding
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Hi there Feistywidget
I took a look at a number of domestic 「kurimu-pan」recipes in Japanese. This one has an English translation so thought that the best to share. All the recipes I checked used egg yolk as the thickening agent, as this one does. The custard is cooled before using in the buns. Usually the bread used is what Japanese call butter roll. The shape is usually the same as the one in this recipe, although I have seen them, with a 'rope' of bread twisted around a cone shape, too.
http://home-baking.net/english/bread/custard-cream-bread.php
Here is the same formula in its original Japanese:
http://home-baking.net/bread/custard-cream-bread/custard-cream-bread.php
I have never seen 「kurimu-pan」steamed, but steamed bread 「mushi-pan」 is indeed popular in Japan. I did a quick search for a cream filled steamed bread and did find some blogs in which people said they decided to try a custard cream filling. Let me know if you want a steamed bread formula and I'll translate one for you.
Personally, I prefer the Japanese version of choux-cream (the same custard cream in a profiterole) to kurimu-pan......
Regards Robyn
PS Where are you? I'm interested to know how you know about 「kurimu-pan」 - did you visit Japan?
I wish I could be fortunate enough to visit Japan; unfortunately no, I have never been to Japan. Actually I've been teaching myself Japanese via self study for the past couple years. In the process, I've developed an interest in their cuisine and culture. I'd like to publish a cookbook that focuses on desserts of Japan and of Asia.
Regarding the recipe I'm a little confused by one of the measurements; it says 1.3 teaspoons for the yeast. What does this mean? I don't understand.
My Japanese unfortunately isn't that great; I can barely make coherent sentences. Thank you for the recipe. Also I was wondering if it would be feasible to do variations for the custard based on the original? The ones I have in mind are listed below. Sorry if I spelled any of the romaji wrong.
*chokoreto (chocolate)
*koohii (coffee)
*matcha (green tea)
*kuro goma (black sesame)
*kokonatsu (coconut)
For the mushi pan, is this what you mean? I found a recipe below. However is there any way you could provide one that uses mochiko or rice flour? I don't know too much about what type of flour is traditionally used in making it.
http://www.justhungry.com/2004/03/mushipan_steame.html
Hello again Feistywidget
It would appear from the questions you ask that you are still a beginner when it comes to asian baking. A lot of work will need to be put into gaining experience before you could publish any asian-style recipes you have developed. How about getting into the kitchen and start experimenting with those flavour variations. In Japan all manner of foreign foodstuffs are developed to suit the Japanese palate and are referred to as "such and such"-style, eg Italian-style, Thai-style in recognition of the fact that they've been adapted. Japanese have no problem coming up with their own versions of things from elsewhere - spaghetti sandwiches anyone..... And delicious things such matcha-cream filled profiteroles and the like. Have fun experimenting!
As for the 1.3 tsp that is just Hide being kind to his readers. He provides the weight for yeast as being 4 grams and adds the volume measure as a guidance for those whose scales are not accurate at low weight. (1.3 tsp is approx one and one third teaspoon) Of course if you were working on a cookbook you would also be looking to provide weights for all ingredients so that there were no potential for error. There has been a lot written on this site about volume measure being the source of problems. Take a look through the archives.
Yes, Maki's formula is a typical one for「mushi-pan」（I like her sites and follow them too). If you would prefer one with some rice flour you'll need to do a bit more research or experimentation. I could do that for you, but I think you would learn more if you were to do it yourself, then you will be developing your own recipes not simply copying.
I suggest you make good use of the Google Translate Tool, that should make your internet research a bit easier. Test it out by pasting the url I left in my previous post for Hide's original post in Japanese, into the translation box and translate to the language of your choice.
http://translate.google.com/#
Then you could try putting 'steamed bread' and 'rice flour' 'recipe' in separately and using the resulting Japanese translations together in a search engine and see what you come up with. A bit of backwards and forwards will be required and often the translations are a bit odd, but generally enough to get the jist of the item.
When I was first learning Japanese my love of cooking provided me with the most enjoyable way of studying without it feeling like hard work. You didn't answer my question about where you are, but I wonder if there are any Japanese cooking magazines on sale that you could use as your language study texts as well as cooking texts. There are also good online sites, here are a couple:
http://cookpad.com/
http://www.kyounoryouri.jp/
Also your local library may have useful material.
Best wishes with your research, study and experimentation.
Robyn
I may have to try that out.
japan seems to have such a different take on bread, its neat. I love my home-made melon bread.
Here's another thread on Japanese sweets that may be useful for you to read through, it contains many links:
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?//topic/20045-japanese-foods-wagashi/
Using rice flour in place of cake flour will not yield the same results. Cake flour in Asia usually means plain flour or all purpose flour. Rice flour when steamed turns somewhat translucent. If you want to use rice flour, you will end up something different probably a mochi? see this recipe:http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2009/05/red-bean-mochi-recipe.html.
Kurimu pan seems to be baked as what Robyn mentioned: see this:http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia38/en/appetit/index.html.
Mushi pan calls for cake flour or weak flour - simply means plain flour or all purpose flour.