Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)
Hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes) are crispy outside with a chewy dough and a molten cinnamon-sugar filling. This authentic street-food favorite is simple to make at home and perfect for cold days.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup (375 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (40 g) sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu)
- 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
- 2 tsp (6 g) instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
- 1 1/3 cup (315 ml) lukewarm milk more if needed
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- more oil for pan-frying
Hotteok filling
- 1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (60 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (3 g) cinnamon
- 1 tbsp (8 g) fine breadcrumbs or 1 tsp flour
- 4 tbsp (30 g) peanuts or any nuts of your choice finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix flours, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and salt with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Heat milk to lukewarm and add oil. Pour the milk/oil mixture into the flour mixture and mix to combine with a spoon for 1-2 minutes. The dough should be on sticky.
- Cover the dough mixture with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in volume, about 1-2 hours. You should see the spider web-like gluten development when the dough is pulled.
- Meanwhile, make the hotteok filling by mixing sugars, cinnamon, breadcrumbs (or flour), and peanuts in small bowl.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Grease your hands with a little bit of oil. Take one portion of dough and flatten it in your hand in a cupping shape. Put 1 1/2 tablespoonful of brown sugar filling on the center of the dough.
- Pull the edges of the dough together, pulling toward the center, and pinch together to seal. Make sure you seal it completely by pinching well. Repeat the other dough portions in the same manner and place them on a greased platter.
- Heat a generous amount of oil in a large griddle or skillet over med-low heat. Place the filled hotteok dough, seam side down and maintaining space from each other, in the griddle and let it cook for 30 seconds.
- Flip to the other side and press down on the dough with a hotteok press or spatula until it becomes about 1/2-inch thick. Do not press it too thin; you don't want to tear the dough and explode the filling inside.
- Cook hottoek until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Lower the heat if it browns too quickly. Serve warm—just be careful, the molten filling stays piping hot!
Video
Notes
Caution:
The syrup inside the hotteok that just came out of skillet will be extremely hot. So be cautious when you offer it to young children. In Korea, they’re often folded into a paper cup to catch the syrup and make them easier to eat. Try this at home for the full street-food experience.
The syrup inside the hotteok that just came out of skillet will be extremely hot. So be cautious when you offer it to young children. In Korea, they’re often folded into a paper cup to catch the syrup and make them easier to eat. Try this at home for the full street-food experience.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg