Curry Bread

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Ever since our first trip to Japan in 2025, I’ve been craving Japanese Curry Bread. I’m still perfecting the technique, but this version works for now—the flavor and texture are close to how I remember it. I’d love to learn the proper way to make it. The dough requires three proofs, with a total proofing time of about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Luckily, my air fryer’s proof mode makes it easier!

Curry Filling Ingredients - Makes about 2 C of filling, enough for 12 servings

  • 5 oz ground beef
  • 1 T garlic, minced
  • 2/3 C onion, diced
  • ½ t salt
  • 1/3 C carrots, grated
  • ½ C potatoes, grated
  • 1½ C water
  • Japanese curry roux mix, 2 cubes about 50 grams
  • 2 t honey
  • 1 t cocoa powder
  • 1 t Japanese curry powder
  • Panko and 1 egg for coating in 3rd proof

Directions

  1. Cook the ground beef in large pan in medium high heat
  2. Remove beef and fat from pan, leaving about a tablespoon of fat
  3. Add grated carrots and potatoes
  4. Add the garlic and onions, until transparent
  5. Add the water and cover pan
  6. Reduce heat to low until potatoes are cooked, about 5 minutes
  7. Add the curry mix, cut to small pieces
  8. Add honey, coco powder, curry powder
  9. Mix in pan until thickens
  10. Transfer to container to cool and refrigerate while making the dough

Dough Ingredients  - Makes 6 servings, double to use all the filling. 

  • 1 ½ C bread flour
  • 3 T cake flour
  • 1 ½ T monk fruit
  • ½ t fast rising yeast (red star active dry yeast)
  • ¾ t salt
  • 1 T milk powder
  • ½ C water, room temperature 
  • 1 ½ T room temperature tallow or butter

Dough Directions

3 Proofing times to note

#1   1 hour

#2   10 minutes

#3    30 minutes

  1. Sift all ingredients except tallow into mixing bowl with hook attachment
  2. Set mixer to speed #2 for 1 minute to combine ingredients
  3. Increase to speed #4 for 5 minutes
  4. Removed hook to form dough ball to press the tallow to the middle of the dough
  5. Attach the hook, set to speed #4 for 5 minutes
  6. Proof #1 – cover and proof (about 90 degrees) 1 hour until doubled in size

Proof #2

  1. Roll dough to remove any air pockets and form a ball
  2. Divide the dough into 6 pieces weighing about 63ish grams
  3. Cover and rest 10 minutes

Proof #3 - Fill the dough with meat filling

  1. Roll out the rested dough balls
  2. Add about 50 grams of filling
  3. Pinch the dough around the filling, careful not to have it overflow to the edges or it will explode
  4. Place filled dough on the side and cover with plastic wrap as you go to prevent drying
  5. Pour panko on a small container
  6. Mix an egg for egg wash in a cup
  7. After all dough is filled brush each with egg wash and roll in panko
  8. Cover and proof for 30 minutes, careful not to overproof or it will explode in frying

Frying - last step!

  1. Heat cooking oil to 330 F and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side
  2. Set on wire cooling rack and enjoy