Kaya Butter Hotteok

Method

1. Warm the milk until it feels warm to your finger (35 to 40 °C), pour it into a bowl and dissolve the yeast, sugar and salt in it, then add the flour and stir with a spoon for 2 minutes. The dough should be soft and very sticky; don't add more flour.

   Add in this stepMilk 110 mlInstant dry yeast ½ tspSugar 2 tspSalt 1 pinchAll-purpose flour 150 g

2. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 1 h, until doubled and bubbly.

3. While it rises, cut the butter into 1 cm cubes and freeze them for 15 min; cold butter won't leak out during frying. Mix the kaya and chopped peanuts for the filling.

   Add in this stepKaya (from the classic recipe, or store-bought) 4 tbspRoasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 2 tbspUnsalted butter, cold 20 g

4. Knock the risen dough back with a spatula, oil your hands lightly and divide it into 4 pieces. Flatten one on your palm, put a heaped tablespoon of kaya filling and a butter cube in the centre, gather the edges and pinch firmly to seal. Any hole lets the kaya leak and burn.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil ¼ tbsp

5. Heat the rest of the oil in a pan on medium heat, add the hotteok seam side down and cook for 1 minute. Flip, press firmly with an oiled spatula or the base of a cup to about 10 cm across, lower the heat to medium-low heat and cook for 5 min in total, turning, until deep golden on both sides with crisp edges. A 26 cm pan holds 4, so cook in 1 batches.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1¼ tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

6. Move them to a plate and wait about 2 minutes. The melted kaya and butter inside are scalding, so don't bite straight in; fold each in half into a paper cup to eat.