Chewy yeasted griddle pancakes stuffed with a molten brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut filling.
Hotteok is Korea's classic cold-weather street snack, sold from carts with steam curling into the winter air as vendors press the dough flat on a hot griddle. The dough is a yeasted, slightly sticky batter enriched with glutinous rice flour for chew, rested until puffy, then wrapped around a filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed peanuts or walnuts that melts into a hot caramel as it cooks. Pressed flat with a special disc, each pancake develops a crisp golden crust while the center stays soft, and the first bite always risks a rush of scalding syrup — a hazard regulars know to respect and let cool for a minute.
Serves 6
Whisk flour, rice flour, sugar, yeast and salt, then stir in warm milk, water and oil until a sticky dough forms.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled and very bubbly.
Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped nuts and a pinch of salt.
With oiled hands, flatten a golf-ball portion of dough, spoon in a tablespoon of filling, and gather the edges to seal completely.
Place seam-side down on a hot oiled griddle, then flatten firmly with an oiled hotteok press or wide spatula into a 4-inch disc.
Press hard enough to spread evenly but not so hard the filling breaks through.
Cook 2-3 minutes per side over medium heat until deep golden brown, then rest 1 minute before eating so the syrup doesn't burn your mouth.
Keep your hands oiled, not floured, when shaping — the sticky dough tears if you try to flour it.
Use a Korean hotteok press if you have one; a wide oiled spatula works nearly as well for flattening.
Let the dough rise a full hour even if it looks ready sooner — under-proofed hotteok turn dense and bready.
Seed-and-nut hotteok (ssiat hotteok) replace some nuts with sunflower and pumpkin seeds for crunch.
Savory hotteok filled with japchae noodles are sold in some regions as a lunch snack instead of dessert.
Gluten-free versions substitute a rice-flour blend, though the chew is noticeably different.
Best eaten hot off the griddle; leftovers keep a day at room temperature and reheat well in a dry skillet, though the filling hardens and needs a minute to re-melt.
Hotteok was introduced to Korea by Chinese immigrants from Shandong in the late 19th century and became a beloved cold-weather street food, especially in Seoul's Myeongdong and Busan's markets.
Yes, let it rise once, then refrigerate overnight; bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.
You can use all all-purpose flour, but the rice flour is what gives hotteok its signature chewy bite, so it's worth seeking out.
The dough seam probably wasn't sealed tightly enough, or the disc was pressed too aggressively — seal the dough like a dumpling and press with even, moderate pressure.
Per serving (110g / 3.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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