"An-Butter French" is a simple yet uncompromising bread made with a French baguette, sweet red bean paste, and butter. The item we're introducing today is a true standout, crafted to let you savor the rich, full flavor of butter. If you're an an-butter fan anywhere in the country, this one is a must-try.
■Hotel-Made Bakery
▲The Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers sits right next to Yokohama Station's West Exit—incredibly easy to get to.
Today, we're introducing DORER, a pastry shop located on the basement level of the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers. It draws not only locals but visitors from across the country, all coming for the hotel's housemade breads and sweets.
It's just a one-minute walk from Yokohama Station, the main gateway into Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The shop opens directly onto the sprawling underground shopping arcade connected to the station, so you can stop by without worrying about the rain.
▲The hotel entrance connects directly to the underground mall—no umbrella needed.
▲The shop is right to the left after entering the B1 entrance, making it a perfect quick stop.
The Chef is a Huge French Bread Fan
▲Ryuji Mori talked about the joy of baking with a big smile—his passion for bread comes through instantly.
"I absolutely love French bread," says Ryuji Mori, who has been baking bread for nearly 30 years since the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel opened and currently heads the bakery department. He originally enrolled in pastry school with dreams of becoming a pastry chef, but discovered a love for bread along the way. After graduating, he was placed in the bakery department at his first hotel job—and never looked back.
"It's cheap and filling, so back in my student days, I used to walk to school munching on a whole baguette," Mori said with a laugh. That unconventional experience seems to be what sparked his deep love for French bread in particular, and his passion for it is impossible to miss.
▲The shelves are lined with breads made with real care and attention.
■The Secret Behind the An-Butter French
"Whether the bread turns out delicious depends entirely on whether the fermentation is done right," says Mori.
The French bread at the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel is known for its deep, natural sweetness, achieved through cold fermentation—a slow overnight process at low temperatures before baking. The dough used for the An-Butter French is actually the same as what goes into their baguettes and batards. To complement the bread's inherent sweetness, the red bean paste is made from carefully selected Hokkaido adzuki beans and kept intentionally subtle in flavor.
The secret to the An-Butter French comes down to one thing: a meticulously calculated balance of sweetness.
▲The hotel's housemade sweets are a treat for the eyes as much as the palate.
■The Real Star: "Asunaro Butter"
The ingredient you absolutely can't overlook is "Asunaro Butter"—the true star of the An-Butter French. It's produced in Shimizu Town, in the Kamikawa District of Hokkaido, nestled at the foot of the Hidaka Mountains. This rare, handcrafted butter is made exclusively from pasteurized Asunaro milk—produced without pesticides or chemical fertilizers—and natural salt sourced from deep-sea water off the coast of Shiretoko, Hokkaido. Each An-Butter French is filled with a generous amount of it.
▲Each An-Butter French contains a full 20g of Asunaro Butter.
Rich yet clean on the finish, Asunaro Butter carries the natural depth and gentle flavor of fresh milk, with an elegantly light texture that surprises you for a butter. Despite the generous portion, the whole thing feels so light and refreshing that you'll finish it before you know it. The red bean paste and the bread itself play a supporting role, drawing out the butter—the real star—making this an An-Butter French built entirely around the pleasure of great butter.
▲A cross-section that looks as good as it tastes.
■ Chef's Recommendation: An-Butter French × Green Tea
While An-Butter French pairs well with coffee or black tea, Chef Mori's top pick is green tea brewed on the slightly astringent side. He says the interplay between the sweetness of the An-Butter French and the bitterness of the tea makes the butter's flavor come through even richer. He also recommends: "If you're saving it for the next day, remove the butter, lightly mist the bread with water, wrap it in foil, and warm it in a preheated oven for a few minutes."
The An-Butter French at the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers is a deceptively simple creation—and it's precisely that simplicity that lets the quality of the ingredients and the baker's craft shine through. Definitely worth a try.
Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers / Pastry Shop "DORER"
＞＞"DORER" Website
Jinya Sano | A food analyst who loves travel and wine. Leveraging his qualifications as a Wine Expert (WSET Level 3) and UCC Coffee Professional, he is constantly researching delicious food and drink pairings from all over Japan.
