Martabak (Indonesian Stuffed Pancake)

About This Recipe

Martabak is the king of Indonesian street-food indulgence, sold from roadside stalls every evening across Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan. It comes in two wildly different forms. Martabak manis (sweet martabak) is a thick, yeast-leavened pancake cooked in a heavy cast-iron pan, creating a crunchy, buttery base and a soft, honeycomb interior that's folded over mountains of butter, condensed milk, chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese, or crushed peanuts. Martabak telur (egg martabak) is the savory twin: a flaky, crispy dough parcel stuffed with spiced ground beef, egg, and scallions, pan-fried in generous oil until shatteringly crisp. Both versions command dedicated fan bases and are tied to Ramadan iftar eating, weekend family outings, and late-night cravings. The sweet version here — martabak manis — requires patience while the batter rests and the yeast creates the distinctive bubbled, airy crumb.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 250 gall-purpose flour
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 0.5 tspbaking soda
• 3 tbspsugar
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 2eggs
• 300 mlfull-fat milk, room temperature
• 50 mlwater
• 60 gunsalted butter, for greasing and topping
• 4 tbspsweetened condensed milk
• 4 tbspchocolate sprinkles (Meses brand is authentic)
• 50 ggrated Edam or mild cheddar cheese
• 3 tbspcrushed roasted peanuts (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk flour, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs with milk and water. Pour wet into dry and whisk to a smooth batter. Cover and rest 45 minutes to 1 hour until bubbles form on the surface.

   The resting time is critical — the yeast creates the honeycomb texture that defines authentic martabak manis.

2. 2

   Heat the pan

   Place a 22–24 cm cast-iron skillet or heavy frying pan over medium-low heat. Grease with 1 tablespoon butter. The pan must be evenly hot — test by dropping a small amount of batter; it should set immediately.

3. 3

   Pour and cover

   Pour all the batter in at once. It should be about 2 cm deep. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low for 10–12 minutes until the surface is fully set and riddled with bubbles, and the base is deep golden.

4. 4

   Add toppings immediately

   While the top is still hot, spread 30g of butter over the entire surface. Drizzle condensed milk generously. Scatter chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese, and peanuts across one half.

5. 5

   Fold and cut

   Using a spatula, fold the untopped half over the topped half to create a half-moon. Spread remaining butter on top. Cut into strips 3–4 cm wide.

6. 6

   Serve hot

   Serve immediately while the butter is still melting into the warm crumb. Martabak waits for no one.

Variations

• •

  Martabak Nutella: substitute hazelnut spread for chocolate sprinkles.

• •

  Modern topping: Oreo crumbles, matcha powder, and white chocolate.

• •

  Martabak telur (savory): a separate dish using flaky dough stuffed with ground beef, egg, and scallions.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. If needed, wrap in foil and reheat in a 160°C oven for 8 minutes — the crust partially recovers. Refrigerate up to 1 day; it will not fully return to its original texture.

Frequently Asked Questions