Hotteok Korean Pancakes
Fluffy Korean pancakes packed with gooey caramel and crunchy nuts. A street food classic that hits sweet, sticky perfection right off the grill.
When you know how much food we pack away during the culinary exploration trips we take for these books, it’s surprising how often a single dish still stands out. Between the dozens of bites each day, there are dishes we go back for. Korean hotteok was one of those. Even though we were already stuffed from the Seoul street market, we returned for a second. And a third helping at the hotteok stall.
These Korean pancakes are made from a stretchy, elastic dough. It’s a bit like Dutch “oliebollen” batter. They’re filled with either a sweet or savory stuffing and then pan-fried or deep-fried until golden. You eat them straight from a paper cup, folded in half. That’s smart, because the caramel filling tends to ooze out and the cup catches every drip.
Sure, it’s a bit more work than flipping a stack of Dutch pancakes. But you’ll push through. Once you make these, you’ll keep coming back to the recipe. Just like we kept coming back to that Seoul street cart.
De ingredients;
(4 persons)
DOUGH
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 65 g glutinous rice flour
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 packet instant yeast (7 g)
- 60 ml lukewarm water
- 300 ml whole milk, lukewarm
- 1 tbsp soy or sunflower oil
FILLING
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 60 g dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 80 g mixed toasted seeds (such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and/or pine nuts)
- 4 tbsp soy or sunflower oil
EQUIPMENT
- BBQ or grill
- Plancha or large skillet
- Spatula
How to make:
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Sift the flour, glutinous rice flour, sugar, and salt together into a bowl. Add the yeast, lukewarm water, milk, and oil to the flour mixture. Knead until everything is well combined and a dough forms. The dough should be slightly sticky but should still come off your hands. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot. Let it rise for 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
Punch down the dough by gently shaping it back into a round form. Let it rest for another 20 to 30 minutes until it doubles in size again.
To make the filling, mix the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and seeds in a bowl until well combined.
Set up your BBQ for indirect grilling and preheat it to 180°C (355°F). Place a plancha or skillet on the grill and heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
Lightly oil your hands. Tear off a piece of dough large enough to form a ball about 6 cm in diameter. Flatten the ball into a thick disc and press a shallow well into the center. Add about 1½ tablespoons of the filling and press it down gently with the spoon. Carefully gather the edges of the dough and fold them over the filling, pinching the dough together to seal it.
Place the dough ball seam-side down onto the hot skillet. Press it down gently with an oiled spatula to flatten it slightly. Cook for 1 minute, then flip the hotteok. Press it down again for a few seconds to flatten it further. Cook until both sides are golden brown.
Repeat with the remaining dough and serve each hotteok immediately.
