Recipe
Cardamom Buns from Yoshihara Japan
21 August, 2024
At the beginning of the year, I was told about a new little coffee shop in Kyoto. Before I left for the airport to head to Shimane, I stopped in for a visit.
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Outside yoshihara.Down the narrow streets of a residential area, Yoshihara is found at the front of an old Machiya. Inside it's concrete and cinder blocks but blended with old Japanese doors and timber beams.
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Tara, Haru and Kosuke.The interior feels warm, just like Haru and Kosuke and their welcoming nature. I ate banana bread and talked to them about their coffee. A couple of weeks ago I went back for a few visits and they remembered me.
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Coffee process.04
Behind the counter.The coffee is the best we had in Kyoto and the whole experience is calming. We ate two cardamom buns, which is why we wanted to feature the recipe.
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Coffee in the making.06
In the kitchen.Ingredients
01.
75 grams of leaven
02.
6 grams of dry yeast
03.
160 grams of white bread flour
04.
110 grams of white pastry flour
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30 grams of of whole wheat flour
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30 grams of sugar
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50 mls of room temperature water
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100 mls of any plant based milk
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40 grams of vegan butter
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Big pinch of salt
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1.5 grams of coarsely ground cardamon
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35 grams of sugar
13.
10 grams of coconut cream
14.
10 grams of coconut oil
Method
01.
To make some cardamom filling, together cardamon, sugar, coconut cream and coconut oil. Prior to mixing, melt the sugar and coconut oil in hot water. Keep mixture in fridge until needed.
02.
To make the dough, mix together leaven, dry yeast, bread flour, pastry flour, wheat flour and sugar. Once combined, let the mixture sit aside for 15 minutes.
03.
Add salt and kneed bread until smooth.
04.
Add vegan butter and knead for 5-10 minutes until dough becomes elastic and stretchy, indicating that gluten has developed. gluten has visibly developed. Rest in a fridge overnight.
05.
Mix 40g of vegan butter and knead for 5-10 minutes until you see gluten is developed. Let dough rest in a fridge overnight.
06.
Remove dough from the fridge and use a rolling pin to roll it out it out thinly to roughly 22cm by 30cm wide. Spread the filling evenly on 2/3 of the rolled out dough.
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Fold the dough.08
Spread the filling.07.
Flip the clean part of the dough over the middle 1/3 of the dough leaving the final edge of 1/3 with filling. Flip the remaining 1/3 of the dough over.
08.
Cut the dough into 6 even strips, leaving 1 cm uncut at the top.
09.
Twist a strip carefully and coil the tube loosely into a layered spiral. Cover for 25 - 25 mins.
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Form a loose spiral.10
Twist the dough gently.10.
Sprinkle some sugar and bake them in a 205°c oven for 12 mins.
11.
Remove from the oven, let the buns cool and enjoy!
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Perfect with coffee!'We try to roast beans properly focusing on the fruity acidity and sweetness of the original bean'
When did you open Yoshihara and what was your inspiration behind it?
We opened Yoshihara in December 2023. We’ve wanted to create a serene space to focus on the coffee right in front of us not on the information of the coffee beans.
You’re located in the backstreets of Kyoto, which is a lovely little spot. Did it take long to find the space? Did you design it yourselves?
It took us for four months to find this place.
We eventually were able to make a space which is so true to be ourselves although we didn’t plan to be located at the backstreets. We asked Muramatsu Hudekazu for help with the architectural design. We completed this project after having many meetings.
You roast your own coffee, can you talk to us about what style roast and the beans you use?
Every coffee bean is purchased from trustworthy business partners. We try to roast beans properly focusing on the fruity acidity and sweetness of the original bean. (We don’t really pay attention to roast levels, but most of our coffees are light roasted.)
Coffee is such a common drink seen everywhere around the world. That’s why we want to express the beauty of Japan in terms of all steps including selecting beans, roasting and brewing.
There is a poem called “存在(The Presence)” written by a Japanese famous poet, Noriko Ibaraki. What she explains in it is that the true nature of every single creation in the world is in 余韻(Yoin). We use “Yoin” when we refer to the condition of feeling the after effects of something. So it could mean what you feel in your mouth after you drink coffee.
We always work with coffee seriously hoping to leave nice and vibrant “Yoin” in customers’ minds.
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Making coffee.'I tried cardamom buns for the first time when I was living in Oslo. Since then, I never forgot how good they were.'
What are both of your coffee orders?
Both of us like to drink light roasted filter coffee.We normally choose floral and light ones from Ethiopia or sweet and juicy ones from Colombia or Honduras depending the situation.
Did you both grow up in Kyoto?
Kosuke: Kyoto
Haruna: Gifu
Your food is all made at the cafe, what inspires you to bake?
I tried cardamom buns for the first time when I was living in Oslo. Since then, I never forgot how good they were. That's why I decided to bake cardamom buns for the morning menu at Yoshihara.
What did you both do before you opened Yoshihara?
Kosuke: I had worked for a coffee shop called Kurasu in Kyoto city. I was in charge of roasting.
Haruna: I used to work at a Vegan cafe called Veg Out for 5 years.
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Kyoto streets.Where is your favourite spots to shop and eat in Kyoto?
Shop
Eat
Tempura Kitenya - Traditional and authentic tempura
Tikurin - Classic Japanese Izakaya
Somebody - Modern Japanese Izakaya
Monk -The best restaurant for us
Activity
We definitely recommend going for a picnic by the Kamo river in Spring or Autumn when the weather is nice. You don’t have to prepare anything. All you need to do is get your favorite bread at Bakery uki nearby and buy some craft beer at the liquor shop which is right next to the bakery!
We also recommend enjoying easy hiking by walking around Ginkakuji area and climbing Mt. Daimonji for 30 minutes. The view halfway up the mountain is wonderful. You can see the entire city and it must become a highlight of the trip!