Hotteok
Chewy griddle pancake oozing molten brown-sugar syrup.
About Hotteok
A yeasted dough is stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed nuts, then pressed flat and fried until crisp outside while the filling melts into hot syrup within. It is the warming winter treat of Korean street markets.
🏛️ History & Culture
Hotteok's origins are traced to the late 19th century, when Chinese merchants introduced a type of wheat cake to Korea, which was later adapted with a sweet filling. The exact transition to the modern syrupy version is not precisely documented, but the influence of Chinese stuffed breads is widely acknowledged. It quickly became a local favorite, evolving with Korean ingredients.
The standard filling is brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed peanuts, but regional variations exist, such as the seed-based "ssiat hotteok" popular in Jeju Island. It is a quintessential winter street food, synonymous with the warm, bustling atmosphere of Korean markets, offering comfort during the cold months. Its enduring popularity cements it as a cultural icon of Korean street cuisine.
🍳 How to make Hotteok
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedHotteok (Korean Sweet Stuffed Pancake)
A yeasted wheat dough wrapped around a filling of brown sugar, cinnamon and crushed walnuts, then pan-fried until crisp. The sugar melts into a hot syrup inside the golden crust — the classic winter street snack of South Korea.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 300 g (10½ oz) bread flour, or all-purpose, plus extra for dusting
- 5 g (1 tsp) instant yeast
- 5 g (1 tsp) fine salt
- 10 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar, for the dough
- 180 ml (¾ cup) warm water, around 38 °C / 100 °F
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil, for the dough, plus more for frying
- 120 g (4¼ oz) dark brown sugar, muscovado or Korean dark brown sugar (black sugar) is most authentic
- 4 g (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon
- 60 g (2 oz) walnuts, finely crushed, not ground to a paste; pecans or pine nuts are an acceptable substitute
- 2 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt, for the filling
Steps
- 1 Make the dough: whisk the flour, instant yeast, salt and the 10 g sugar in a bowl. Pour in the warm water and 30 ml oil and mix to a shaggy dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and proof in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until roughly doubled.
- 2 Make the filling while the dough rises: stir the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, 2 g salt and crushed walnuts together in a small bowl. (The salt sharpens the caramel; classic Gwangjang-style hotteok also allows a pinch of ground black sesame or ginger.)
- 3 Divide the risen dough into 6 equal pieces (about 80 g each) and roll each into a smooth ball. Keep the pieces covered so they don't dry out.
- 4 Working one at a time, flatten a ball into a disc about 12 cm across. Spoon roughly 30 g of the filling into the center, then gather the edges up over the filling, pinch firmly to seal, and flip seam-side down. Gently press into a thick disc about 10–11 cm wide so the filling forms an even layer inside. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- 5 Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of neutral oil in a non-stick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low heat (around 150 °C / 300 °F). Lay one stuffed disc seam-side up and cook for 2 minutes until pale gold on the bottom, then flip.
- 6 Immediately press the hotteok down with a spatula or the bottom of a small heavy pan to flatten it to about 1.5 cm thick. Cook for a further 2 minutes on the second side, then flip again and cook 30–60 seconds more until both sides are deep golden and crisp. The interior filling should be fully melted into a bubbling syrup; if it still feels grainy in the center, lower the heat and cook 30 seconds longer per side.
- 7 Transfer to a wire rack (not paper, which makes the underside soggy) and repeat with the remaining discs, adding a little fresh oil to the pan each time. Serve hot, as is traditional, so the sugar syrup inside is molten.
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✅ Before you go to South Korea
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