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Korea, Asia

Hotteok (Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes)

Chewy yeasted pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and peanuts, pressed flat in the pan so the first bite releases hot syrup. Korea's favourite winter street snack.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time30 min
Rising the dough+ 1 h 10 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsOne serving is 2 hotteok. The melted sugar inside is extremely hot, so let them cool for a couple of minutes, especially for children.

Method

  1. Warm the milk in the microwave for 20–30 seconds until it feels warm on your finger (about 40°C). Stir in the sugar and yeast until dissolved, then add the flour, rice flour, salt and oil and beat with a spatula for 2–3 minutes. The dough should be softer and stickier than bread dough; that is normal.

    Add in this stepLukewarm milk (or water) 85 mlSugar 1½ tspInstant dried yeast 1.5 gAll-purpose flour 100 gGlutinous (sweet) rice flour 25 gSalt 1 pinchCooking oil (for the dough) 1 tsp

  2. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it somewhere warm for about , until doubled in size. It is ready when a fingertip dent springs back slowly. Punch it down to release the air and let it rest 10 minutes more.

  3. Coarsely chop the peanuts and mix them with the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour to make the filling. The little bit of flour keeps the melted sugar from leaking out.

    Add in this stepRoasted peanuts (or walnuts) 20 gDark brown sugar 60 gGround cinnamon ½ tspAll-purpose flour (for the filling) 1 tsp

  4. Oil your hands and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten one in your palm to a 10 cm disc, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle, then pull the edges up over it and pinch tightly to seal. Set it seam side down on an oiled tray and repeat.

    Add in this stepCooking oil (for frying) 0.6 tbsp

  5. Heat a generous film of oil in a 26 cm frying pan over medium heat for .

    Add in this stepCooking oil (for frying) 2.4 tbsp

    medium heat

  6. Place the balls seam side down and cook over medium heat for , until the bottom is pale golden. Flip, then press each one firmly with an oiled spatula (or a hotteok press) to about 1 cm thick and 11 cm across (batches: 2).

    medium heat

  7. Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and cook the pressed side for , then flip again and cook more. They are done when both sides are deep golden and the middle feels soft and puffed when pressed lightly, a sign the sugar has melted.

    medium-low heat

  8. Drain briefly on paper towels, cool for about 2 minutes and eat tucked into a paper cup or a folded napkin.

Cook's tip

If the dough sticks to your hands, oil them rather than adding flour; extra flour kills the chewiness. With no rice flour, all-purpose flour alone works. A spoonful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds in the filling makes it even nuttier.

Cooking it at camp

Make the dough at home and pack it in a zip bag; it will rise slowly in the cooler on the way. At camp, leave it somewhere warm for about 30 minutes before shaping. Strong burners scorch the bottom fast, so cook low and slow.