Hotteok

By cookism

We first tried hotteok last year in Hongdae. The aromatic smoke emerging from the hotteok stall drew our cold and hungry bodies in. We vividly recall the first bite into these delectable pancakes-sweet with a tinge of nuttiness, sticky and full of warmth. With this recipe, we hope to recreate the unforgettable experience we had.

Ingredients

• For filling:
• 1/4 cup glutinous rice flour
• 11/2 plain flour
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil + more for frying
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup peanuts or walnuts, chopped

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from cookism.tumblr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Mix glutinous rice flour, plain flour, corn starch and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine lukewarm milk, yeast, sugar and vegetable oil and stir well. Add flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or tea towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for an hour.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Roughly chop peanuts or walnuts into small chunks. Combine and mix chopped nuts with dark brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside for later use.
3. After an hour, the dough should rise to double its size. Roughly knead to deflate the dough, cover and let rise for another 20 minutes. Slightly knead the dough again and tip it onto a floured workstation, then flour your hands and sprinkle some flour onto the dough. Using a bench scrapper, divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and cover them with a plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
4. Flatten one dough and place about 11/2 tbsp to 2 tbsp of filling in the middle. Fold in the sides to the centre and pinch to seal. Repeat this step for the rest of the dough.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and place the hotteok sealed-side down, then using a wok spatula, flatten the dough and cook for 1 to 2 minutes each side till the surface is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately but watch out for the hot, oozing centres.