Red bean bread is a Chinese bakery classic, the quintessential Asian bread. Be it Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or just about any other Southeast Asian and East Asian countries, this bread is a staple. The bread is light, fluffy, slightly sweet and filled with creamy sweet red bean paste.
In many Asian cultures, beans such as red beans, mung beans and black beans are commonly used in desserts. This tradition likely developed due to the availability of beans as a staple food, as well as the natural sweetness and creamy texture they can add to dishes when cooked and sweetened. Beans are also high in protein and fiber, making them a nutritious addition to desserts. Over time, the use of beans in desserts has become a cherished part of Asian culinary traditions, offering a unique and delicious alternative to more common dessert ingredients.
Red bean paste also called adzuki bean paste or anko is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or grinding them. At this stage, the paste can be sweetened or left as it is.
Over the years I have used another interesting vegetable known as a purple yam in many breads and desserts which puts me very much in mind of the sweet bean taste. The purple yam is cooked and sweetened like the red bean paste and has a similar texture. It is called Ube halaya and in the Philippine culture it to is a cherished staple.
One of the nice things I found with the red bean paste is if you’re not interested in making your own from scratch it is readily available at the Asian grocery stores in refrigerated packages or tinned. I know red bean isn’t exactly for everyone, but it’s hard to just ignore how well it goes with the Asian fluffy bread.
Today I’m making some red bean twists with my version of a ‘milk’ bread. For the filling this time, I purchased a tinned chunky red bean paste. It all came together quite nicely and tasted so good!

Servings |
SERVINGS
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- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp PLUS 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg plus 1 Tbsp water, beaten for egg wash
Ingredients
Dough
Sweet Red Bean Filling
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- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast & 1 tsp sugar in lukewarm milk. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp sugar, melted butter, sour cream & egg. Add yeast mixture, stirring to combine.
- In another bowl combine flour & salt. Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, combining with wet mixture. Once all the flour has been added, knead dough for about 2 minutes until smooth & elastic consistency. Place dough in a greased bowl & cover with plastic wrap & a towel. Allow to rise in a draft free place until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
- Punch the risen dough down & divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the removeable bottom of a 10-inch tart pan on your work surface. Place first portion of the dough on the parchment paper & roll or press out dough the size of the bottom of the tart pan. Carefully spread the circle with half of the bean paste. Roll out the second portion the same size & transfer with your rolling pin to top of the first portion. Carefully spread it with the remaining bean paste.
- Roll out the third portion of dough to the same size & place it on top of the other two layers. Pinch the dough around the outer edge to seal. Place a small glass in the center & press down. Cut from outside edge just to the glass, forming 12 wedges.
- Remove the glass. Twist each wedge 3-4 times. Tuck edge under. Place bottom of tart pan ( with parchment paper & twists) inside tart pan ring. Cover with plastic wrap & a towel. Allow to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lightly brush twists with a bit of egg wash & sprinkle with black sesame seeds before baking. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire cooling rack.
- When you purchase red bean paste, make sure the ingredients do not include maltose. The type that contains maltose is for making mooncakes. It is quite sticky, and it is hard to work with when making red bean bread.