Hotteok (Sweet Filled Pancakes)

Name: Hotteok (Sweet Filled Pancakes)
Yield: 6
Cuisine: South Korea
Ingredients: Plain flour — 300 g (2 1/2 cups); Glutinous rice flour — 50 g (1/4 cup); Instant yeast — 1 tsp (5 g); Sugar — 1 tbsp (15 g); Salt — 1/2 tsp (3 g); Warm milk or water — 250 ml (1 cup); Vegetable oil, plus extra for frying — 1 tbsp (15 ml); For the filling:; Brown sugar — 80 g (1/2 cup); Chopped peanuts or walnuts — 2 tbsp; Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

Plain flour — 300 g (2 1/2 cups)
Glutinous rice flour — 50 g (1/4 cup)
Instant yeast — 1 tsp (5 g)
Sugar — 1 tbsp (15 g)
Salt — 1/2 tsp (3 g)
Warm milk or water — 250 ml (1 cup)
Vegetable oil, plus extra for frying — 1 tbsp (15 ml)
For the filling:
Brown sugar — 80 g (1/2 cup)
Chopped peanuts or walnuts — 2 tbsp
Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp

Method

Combine the flour, glutinous rice flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm milk and oil, and mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Knead briefly for 3–4 minutes, cover, and leave in a warm place to proof for 1 to 1.5 hours, until roughly doubled in size.
Mix the brown sugar, chopped nuts and cinnamon together for the filling.
With lightly oiled hands, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc, place a generous spoonful of filling in the centre, and gather the edges up to seal completely, pinching firmly to enclose the filling.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the filled dough balls seam-side down and press flat with an oiled spatula (or hotteok press) into a disc about 1 cm thick.
Fry for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden-brown, pressing occasionally to keep them flat, then remove and drain briefly before serving hot, as the filling stays molten and very hot for several minutes.

Introduction: Hotteok is a chewy yeasted flatbread stuffed with a molten brown sugar, cinnamon and nut filling, sold hot off the griddle at street stalls throughout Korean winters.

Cultural Background: Hotteok is a chewy yeasted flatbread stuffed with a molten brown sugar, cinnamon and nut filling, sold hot off the griddle at street stalls throughout Korean winters. Introduced by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, it has become a thoroughly naturalised Korean cold-weather classic, prized for the burst of hot caramel filling inside a soft, slightly chewy shell.

Tips: Seal the filling in tightly — any gaps will let the hot sugar syrup leak out and burn in the pan. Let hotteok cool for a minute before biting in; the molten sugar filling stays extremely hot long after the outside feels ready.

Variations: Ssiat hotteok: add a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and other nuts to the filling for the popular seed-studded Busan-style version. Savoury hotteok filled with glass noodles and vegetables are a modern, less sweet variation found at some stalls. Already vegetarian as written; substitute the milk with a plant-based milk for a vegan version.

Storage: Best eaten fresh and hot. Refrigerate cooked leftovers for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat in a dry pan over low-medium heat for a few minutes per side to re-crisp and re-melt the filling; the microwave will make them soft rather than crisp.

FAQs:

Q: Why is my hotteok filling leaking out?

A: This usually means the dough wasn't sealed tightly enough around the filling — pinch and gather the edges firmly, with no gaps, before flattening in the pan.

Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?

A: Yes, the dough can be proofed in the fridge overnight for a slower rise; bring it to room temperature before shaping and frying.

Q: Why is glutinous rice flour included?

A: A small proportion of glutinous rice flour gives hotteok its characteristic chewy texture alongside the fluffier yeasted crumb.