Chinese Red Bean Buns

Bread:

2 and 1/4 cup of flour
2 tbs of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 and 1/4 tsp of yeast
2 tbs of dry milk powder
1/2 of a beaten egg
1/2 cup of water
1 tbs of butter

Mix these ingredients together and let the dough rise for about 2 hours

Red Bean Paste:

1/2 bag of red or black beans
White Sugar
Water

Let the beans soak in hot water for several hours. Cook until soft. Once the beans are soft, drain from the water and mash them together with sugar and a little water until it forms a sweet paste.

Directions:

Once the dough has risen, cut it into 8 equal pieces and round them into flat circles like little pizzas. Fill the center of each with a teaspoon of bean paste and shape these into smooth balls. Let these sit for 15 minutes in order for the dough to continue rising.

Next, flatten each ball and use scissors to cut 4-5 slits along the edges to create a flower petal effect. Let this sit for 10 minutes to continue rising.

While the buns are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put buns onto a buttered baking sheet. Brush the tops of each one with a bit of beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 15 minutes