Hotteok 호떡 (Korean Sweet Pancake) - Baking with Tray ep. 8

Hi all!

Today we made one of my favourite Korean street snacks: Hotteok!! (호떡) often mispronounced as 'hotdog'..haha but there is a HUGE difference! Hotteok are sweet pancakes filled with an oozy melted cinnamon sugar and sometimes nuts.

They were such a cheap street snack that when I visited Korea a few years ago I ate one everyday!! I've yet to find a place in Australia that does it... (so if you are thinking of starting a food truck then there's an idea for ya!). 

I've made hotteok a few times (see recipe here) but this time I used a different recipe (uses milk instead of water and the addition of nuts). I think the texture was better and definitely going to add nuts in the future. Loved the crunch!

It might look or sound hard to make but it's not! Even can make it with a sleeping baby on you ^^

Hotteok (호떡)
Recipe by My Korean Kitchen

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
cooking oil
Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs crushed nuts (I used walnuts)

1. Sift the flour into the large bowl. Add sugar, salt, yeast and milk and mix together until a dough is formed. Cover and proof for at least 1 hour.
2. After dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough a few times with your fist to release the gas. Cover and let rest for another 20 minutes. Make the filling by mixing brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts in a small bowl.
3. When the dough is ready, coat your hands in some cooking oil to prevent the dough sticking to your hands. Form the dough into a rough log and divide into 6 dough balls.
4. Put one dough ball into your hand and flatten out. Put about a tablespoon of filling into the centre of the dough and seal the dough to make a ball.
5. Heat a frying pan on medium high heat and put about 1 tbs of cooking oil. Place one ball onto the pan (or more if you have room) and fry for about 30 seconds or until the bottom is slightly golden brown.
6. Flip pancake over and press down using the back of a spatula to flatten the pancake. Place lid on pan and turn heat to low. Cook for 1 minute.
7. Flip pancake one last time and cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute. Remove pancake from pan. Cook the remaining pancakes.

These are best served hot! But just be careful not to burn your mouth on the melted sugar! Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Happy Baking!! Till the next episode...

Cooking KOREAN sweets: Hoddeok 호떡

One day I received a little sweet treat from a church sister because she knew I liked Korean food, especially sweets! (thank u ^^).. I had no idea what it was and the best way I can describe it is a flattened sweet red bean bun minus the red bean floury taste. Later on she told me it was 호떡 "Hoddeok"~ a filled Korean pancake that is a popular street food in Korea (wikipedia =p).

deliciously freshly fried HODDEOK :D

This sister also shared with me a Korean blog that she follows and I found the recipe for HODDEOK! it looked very simple and even came with a youtube video showing you how to make it. So I gave it a go .. and happy to say.. THEY WERE DELICIOUS! so I must share with all of you!!

HODDEOK~
Recipe adapted from Maangchi.

Ingredients
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tbs white sugar
2 tsp yeast (I used a 7g sachet)
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 cups plain flour

Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

*note: this is supposed to make 8 pancakes about the size of a cd .. but i managed to make 12 =p*

1. Place water in a large bowl and add sugar, yeast and oil. Mix together to activate the yeast. *make sure the water isn't boiling otherwise you will kill the yeast!*
2. Add plain flour and mix with together to combine.
3. Place clingfilm over the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for ~1 hour.
4. After dough has risen, mix again to remove gas bubbles from dough. Cover and let rise for another 10-20 minutes.

dough risen and then kneaded~

5. Make filling by mixing brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.

(I think savoury ones will be just as nice! Try ham and cheese, cheese and chives...:D)

6. Knead dough again to remove gas bubbles. 
7. Dust cutting board and hands with plain flour.
8. Place dough on cutting board and knead. Make into a lump and cut into 8 equal-sized balls (or 12 ^^ however small/big you want them to be).

such a light and soft dough ^^

9. Take 1 dough ball, flatten it, place filling in center of dough and seal to make a ball.

Filling placed in dough and sealed

10. Heat up non-stick pan over medium heat, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
11. Place 1 ball on the pan and let cook for 30 seconds. When bottom of dough ball is light golden brown, turn it oven and press dough with spatula to make a thin and round pancake.

Frying dough balls~

flip over and flatten!!!

cover with lid and let it fry for another minute or so...

12. Let cook for about 1 minute until the bottom is golden brown.
13. Turn it over again, turn heat down to very low. Cover pan with lid and leave to cook for around 1 minute.

mmm.. syrup melted in the center :)

LOVELY when served HOT! the brown sugar becomes and syrup and its a delicious sweet filling ^_^ 맛있어요 ("mas-iss-o-yo")

my hoddeok vs. store bought ready made hoddeok