Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancake)
This Korean pancake is stuffed with syrupy brown sugar and nuts. It has a mochi-like texture from glutinous rice flour(shiratamako) and is crispy at the same time as it is fried and pressed in a generous amount of oil. If you are a fan of chewy, mochi-like texture, I'm sure you'll love it!
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
For the Hotteok
- 150 g plain flour
- 150 g shiratamako
- ½ tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 200 ml lukewarm water
- some neutral oil for frying
For the Filling
- 50 g walnuts finelychopped
- 50 g muscovado sugar or brown sugar
- some cinnamon
Another Option for the Filling
- 160 g Anko
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In a large bowl, put plain flour, shiratamako, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour the lukewarm water and mix well. Knead the dough with one hand until it becomes smooth and shiny.
Proofing
- Cover the bowl with cling film or a damp towel and let it rise for about 1-1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
Making the Filling
- In a small bowl, mix chopped walnut, muscovado sugar and cinnamon. Set aside for later.
Shaping
- Once your dough becomes double in size, punch it to deflate and divide it into 8 pieces. Take one piece of dough and flatten it, put 1 tablespoon of filling on it and wrap it. Pinch the dough to seal and make a ball. Repeat until you use up all the dough pieces.
Frying
- Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a ball of hotteok dough seam side down in the centre of the pan. Fry it for about 2 minutes.
- Flip the hotteok over and press it with a spatula to flatten it until it becomes about 1 centimetre thick. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process with all balls of dough. Enjoy while they are warm!
Notes
Tips for Making Hotteok
Knead hotteok dough for long enough
It is important to knead the hotteok dough for long enough to develop the gluten just like bread dough. Properly kneaded dough becomes perfectly soft and chewy hotteok.
Do not overfill
If you put too much filling on the dough, you can't seal the edges properly and it causes the leaking of the filling when you press down.
Seal the dough tightly
As I said above, sealing the dough is very important. Make sure to gather the edges of the dough and pinch tightly to seal completely.
Press the dough evenly
Once the seamed side is cooked, flip it over and press the dough with a spatula until it becomes 1 centimetre thick and flatten evenly.
Q & A
Can I make my hotteok with other fillings?
Yes, you can fill your hotteok with anything you like. Anko is my favourite! Other options for the filling I came up with are chocolate and peanuts,
Can hotteok be frozen?
Yes, it can be frozen perfectly for up to 1 month. Put it in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Reheat it in an oven at 150C/ 302F for about 10-15 minutes or microwave it for 1-2 minutes before you eat it.
How long does hotteok last in the fridge?
Homemade hotteok can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
How can I store hotteok?
You can store fried hotteok in the fridge or the freezer. If you want to store unfried hotteok, I recommend freezing it in an air-tight container. It can last for up to 1 month. Just defrost the hotteok dough for about 30 minutes before frying.