Dorayaki
Japan's beloved sweet: two soft, honey-scented pancakes sandwiched around a generous layer of sweet red bean paste.
Method
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar, honey and mirin and whisk for , until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is slightly paler and foamy.
Add in this stepEggs 2Sugar 70 gHoney 1 tbspMirin 1 tsp
Sift in the flour and baking powder and whisk in circles from the centre outward, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains; overmixing makes them tough. Cover and rest at room temperature for ; the batter turns smoother and browns more evenly.
Add in this stepCake flour (or plain flour) 110 gBaking powder 1 tsp
Whisk in the water a tablespoon at a time until the batter falls from the whisk in a slow ribbon that holds its shape for a moment, like thick yoghurt. You may not need all of it.
Add in this stepWater 2 tbsp
Heat a 26 cm non-stick frying pan on medium-low heat for . Wipe it with a paper towel dipped in oil, then wipe again so almost no oil is visible; too much oil leaves blotchy pancakes. The pan is ready when a drop of batter starts to set quietly after 3–4 seconds.
Add in this stepNeutral oil (for greasing the pan) ½ tsp
medium-low heatTurn down to low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter from a ladle held 10 cm above the pan onto one spot so it spreads into a 9 cm circle. Cook in 4 batches. Leave for until bubbles rise and pop on the surface and the edges look dry, then flip and cook for more. Treat the first one as a test and adjust the heat by its colour.
low heatStack the pancakes golden side up and cover with a clean damp tea towel or cling film for as they cool, so they stay soft and moist.
Pair pancakes of similar size and colour. Spoon the bean paste onto the pale side of one, mounding it in the centre and leaving about 1 cm clear at the edge. Cover with the second, golden side out, and press the edges gently together. Wrapping each in cling film keeps them extra moist.
Add in this stepSweet red bean paste (chunky tsubuan, shop-bought) 180 g
Cook's tip
If the colour is patchy, the pan is too hot: rest it on a damp cloth for 2 seconds before the next one. Pour the batter onto one spot rather than spreading it, and it will form a neat circle on its own. They keep for a day at room temperature or 2 weeks in the freezer.
Cooking it at camp
Easiest is to cook and cool the pancakes at home, wrap them in cling film and fill them with the bean paste at the campsite. If you cook on site, shield the burner from wind, use a non-stick pan and keep the flame very low. A camp burner is hottest in the middle, so rotate the pan as you go for even colour.