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Sweden, Europe · Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)

Hotteok Kanelbullar (Korean-Style Pan-Fried Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buns)

Cinnamon-bun dough rolled with a Korean hotteok filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, peanuts and sesame, then pressed flat and pan-fried until crisp outside and molten inside.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
Rising+ 1 h 5 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Warm the milk and butter in a 14 cm saucepan on low heat for about , until the butter melts. Take off the heat and cool until lukewarm (about 37 °C) on your wrist.

    Add in this stepMilk 120 mlButter (for the dough) 20 g

    low heat

  2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, pour in the lukewarm milk and butter, bring together and knead on the worktop for into a smooth, slightly tacky dough.

    Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 200 gInstant dried yeast 1 tspSugar (for the dough) 20 gSalt 1 pinch

  3. Cover the bowl and leave the dough somewhere warm for , until doubled.

  4. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped peanuts and sesame seeds into a hotteok filling. Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 30×20 cm, spread it thinly with the soft butter, scatter the filling evenly and press it in firmly with your palms.

    Add in this stepButter (for the filling, very soft) 20 gDark brown sugar 50 gGround cinnamon 1 tspRoasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped 20 gToasted sesame seeds 2 tsp

  5. Roll up tightly from a long side and cut into 8 pieces. Set them cut side up, spaced apart, on a floured tray, cover and rest for . Pinching the bottom edges together a little helps stop the sugar leaking out as they cook.

  6. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil per batch in a 26 cm ×2 frying pan (×number = how many batches) on medium-low heat. It is ready when a scrap of dough sizzles gently straight away (about 160 °C); if it smokes, it is too hot, so turn it down. Add 4 buns cut side down, press each into a 1 cm thick disc with an oiled spatula and fry for . Flip, press again, cover with a lid, turn to low heat and cook for more, until deep golden on both sides and springy at the edges. Don't lean over the pan; the oil can spit.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil (for frying) 2 tbsp

    medium-low heat→low heat

  7. Drain on kitchen paper and cool for at least 3 minutes before eating: the melted sugar inside is as hot as boiling syrup and easily burns your mouth. Fold each one in half in a paper cup or baking paper to eat it like Korean street hotteok.

Cook's tip

Swap the peanuts for a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds if you like. High heat burns the outside before the dough cooks through, so low heat with a lid is the key. Cut one open: there should be no white, doughy streak in the middle.

Cooking it at camp

A great campsite treat. Make the dough at home, carry it in a zip bag in the cooler, let it finish rising in a warm car or in the sun, then fry on a stove in a frying pan or on a griddle. Foil works fine as a lid.