Hotteok — filled griddle pancakes

i. Origin & history

Hotteok are reportedly an adaptation of Chinese filled pancakes brought to Korea by Chinese merchants in the 19th century. They became a beloved Korean street food in the 20th century and are now sold from carts all over Seoul, particularly in winter.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 350 g plain flour
• 150 g glutinous rice flour
• 5 g instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 350 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100 g muscovado sugar
• 60 g chopped peanuts (or walnuts)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 60 ml neutral oil for cooking

iii. Method

1. Mix both flours, yeast, sugar and salt. Add warm water and milk; mix to a sticky dough. Cover; prove 90 min.
2. Mix muscovado, peanuts and cinnamon.
3. Knock back dough. With oiled hands, take a fistful; flatten in palm; place a generous spoonful of filling in centre; gather and pinch closed; flatten again.
4. Heat oil on a griddle over medium. Place sealed-side-down. Press flat with a spatula (or hotteok press) to about 1 cm thick.
5. Cook 2 min each side until deeply golden. Eat immediately, with caution — the centre is molten.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Seed hotteok use sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Green-tea hotteok tint the dough with matcha. Cheese hotteok are a contemporary savoury variant.

vii. More from Korean

• Croffle — Korean croissant-waffle
• Yaksik — sticky rice with chestnut
• Bingsu — Korean shaved ice
• Bungeoppang — fish-shaped pastries
• Anpan — Japanese sweet-bean buns
• Luqaimat — Arabic honey fritters