Korean Hotteok Sweet Pancakes

Name: Korean Hotteok Sweet Pancakes
Prep time: 27 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast; 1 Tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; ¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp (225 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F (40–43°C); 1 Tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable); ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed; ½ cup (55 g) walnuts, finely chopped into pieces no bigger than ¼ inch (6 mm); 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon; 1 Tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds (optional); 3 Tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), plus extra for oiling hands and spatula

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, chewy yeasted pancakes stuffed with a molten brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut filling, then pan-fried until crisp and golden at the edges. Korean street-food comfort you can make at home.

Prep: 27 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 1 hr 52 min
Makes: 8 pancakes, about 4 inches (10 cm) wide

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough
2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tsp (3 g) instant yeast
1 Tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt
¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp (225 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F (40–43°C)
1 Tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
For the filling
½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup (55 g) walnuts, finely chopped into pieces no bigger than ¼ inch (6 mm)
1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds (optional)
For cooking
3 Tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), plus extra for oiling hands and spatula

Equipment (8)

Large mixing bowl
Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer (optional, for the milk)
Small bowl for the filling
12-inch (30 cm) non-stick skillet or flat griddle
Wide metal or heatproof silicone spatula
Pancake press or the flat bottom of a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup (optional)
Plastic wrap or damp towel

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 2 hours total: the dough needs a full 60-minute rise before you fill and fry.
Warm the milk to 105–110°F (40–43°C), which feels comfortably warm, not hot, on your wrist. Hotter milk can kill the yeast.
The dough is meant to be very sticky. Keep a small bowl of neutral oil nearby to coat your hands and spatula instead of adding extra flour.
The filling melts into hot syrup as it cooks, so let the pancakes cool for a few minutes before biting in.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar and salt.
- Pour in the warm milk and 1 Tbsp (14 ml) dough oil.
- Stir with a spatula for 2 minutes, then knead in the bowl with oiled hands for about 3 minutes, folding the dough over itself.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, very soft and sticky, with no dry flour pockets, and it clings to your hands but pulls away from the bowl in a mass.
Tip: Resist adding more flour. The sticky dough is what makes the pancakes soft and chewy.
2
Let dough rise
- Lightly oil the inside of the bowl and the top of the dough.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and leave at warm room temperature (about 75°F/24°C) for 60 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has doubled in volume and is domed, bubbly and jiggly when you shake the bowl.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, place the covered bowl in an oven that is off with only the light on.
3
Make the filling
- While the dough rises, stir the brown sugar, chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon and sesame seeds (if using) together in a small bowl.
- Break up any sugar lumps with a fork.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like uniform, loose, damp sand with no lumps.
4
Divide the dough
- Generously oil your hands, a spatula and a work surface or large plate.
- Gently scrape the risen dough out and push down lightly to deflate it.
- Divide it into 8 equal pieces of about 70 g each, and place them on the oiled surface.
- Divide the filling into 8 equal portions of about 1 heaping tablespoon (roughly 20 g) each.
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Ready when: You have 8 similar-sized dough pieces and 8 filling portions.
Tip: Re-oil your hands often. Dough sticks to dry skin and tears easily.
5
Fill and seal
- Flatten one dough piece in your oiled palm into a disc about 4 inches (10 cm) wide, keeping the edges slightly thinner than the center.
- Place one filling portion in the middle.
- Pull the edges up around the filling and pinch them together firmly at the top, twisting to seal into a ball.
- Set it seam side down on the oiled surface and repeat with the remaining pieces.
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Ready when: Each ball is smooth with no gaps, and no filling is visible.
Tip: A poorly sealed seam lets the sugar leak out and burn in the pan, so pinch twice.
6
Heat the skillet
- Set a 12-inch (30 cm) non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the cooking oil and tilt to coat.
- Heat for about 3 minutes.
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Ready when: The oil shimmers and a pinch of dough sizzles gently, not violently, when dropped in.
Tip: Keep the heat at medium-low. Too hot and the outside browns before the dough cooks through and the sugar melts.
7
Fry and press
- Place 2 filled balls, seam side down, in the skillet with space between them.
- Cook for 2 minutes until the underside is pale golden.
- Flip, then press each ball with an oiled spatula or press into a flat disc about 4 inches (10 cm) wide, and cook 2 minutes more until golden brown.
- Flip once more and cook for 1 minute to crisp the first side.
- Move to a rack.
- Wipe out any burnt sugar, add about 2 teaspoons of oil, and repeat with the remaining 3 batches.
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Ready when: Both sides are deep golden brown with crisp edges, and the pancakes feel springy and puffy when pressed gently.
Tip: Press firmly but gently right after flipping. Pressing later can burst the pancake and spill hot syrup.
8
Cool briefly and serve
- Rest the finished hotteok on a wire rack or plate for 5 minutes.
- Serve warm, holding them in a paper napkin or cutting in half so the syrup is cooled slightly.
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Ready when: The syrupy filling is hot but flows slowly rather than gushing out when torn.
Tip: The filling is extremely hot right off the pan, so don't bite in immediately.

Good to know

Tips

Use an oiled spatula and oiled hands for handling the dough. Extra flour makes the pancakes dense and dry.
Pack the filling in firmly but don't overfill; more than about 1 heaping tablespoon per pancake increases the chance of leaks.
If sugar leaks into the pan, wipe it out with a paper towel between batches so it doesn't burn and taste bitter.
For extra-crisp edges, fry with slightly more oil (about 1 Tbsp per batch) and press the pancakes a bit thinner.

Make ahead

"The dough can rise in the refrigerator instead: cover and chill for 8–12 hours, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before dividing and filling. Filled, unfried balls can also be fried the same day, but are best cooked within 30 minutes of sealing."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten warm within 1 hour. Room temperature: up to 8 hours, covered. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped individually. Reheat from the fridge in a dry non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes per side, or from frozen for 4–5 minutes per side covered, until hot in the center. Microwave 30–45 seconds for a softer texture."

Substitutions

walnuts → pecans, peanuts or sunflower seeds. Chop finely. Use the same weight; sunflower seeds give a nut-free option.
whole milk → unsweetened soy or oat milk. Warm to the same temperature. The dough will be slightly less rich but still soft.
instant yeast → active dry yeast. Use 1¼ tsp (4 g) and stir it into the warm milk for 5 minutes until foamy before mixing.
dark brown sugar → light brown sugar or muscovado. Light brown gives a milder flavor; muscovado makes a deeper, more molasses-like syrup.