Sourdough Korean Gochujang and Cheese Tear Bread

Name: Sourdough Korean Gochujang and Cheese Tear Bread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 150 g active sourdough starter, at peak (doubled, with a dome of bubbles); 200 ml lukewarm water, 80–85°F (27–29°C); 350 g bread flour; 7 g sea salt; 50 g unsalted butter, room temperature, softened; 45 g gochujang (Korean red chili paste); 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced; 10 ml toasted sesame oil; 150 g fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into pea-sized pieces, well drained if wet; 2 pieces scallion (green onion), white and light green parts thinly sliced; 15 g toasted sesame seeds (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A pull-apart tear bread made with bubbly sourdough starter, studded with layers of gochujang-seasoned butter and stretchy mozzarella cheese. The spicy Korean chili paste creates a bold, umami-rich flavor that balances the tangy sourdough and creamy cheese. Perfect for sharing straight from the oven while the cheese is still melted and the crust crackles.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 8 hr
Total: 8 hr 55 min
Makes: 1 loaf (12–14 pull-apart pieces)

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Steps

Before you start

Use active, bubbly sourdough starter at its peak (doubled and with a dome of bubbles on top)
Set out butter to soften to room temperature 1 hour ahead
Have mozzarella cut or torn into small pieces (about pea-sized)
Read the entire recipe; bulk fermentation and shaping happen over 6–8 hours

1
Mix dough
- In a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, lukewarm water, bread flour, and salt.
- Using the dough hook on medium speed (or mixing by hand), combine for 2 minutes until no dry flour remains.
- The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky.
- Let rest for 10 minutes to fully hydrate.
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Ready when: No visible dry flour
Tip: Do not overwork at this stage; you want a loose, extensible dough, not a tight one.
2
Bulk ferment dough
- Cover the bowl loosely with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Let rest at warm room temperature (70–75°F / 21–24°C) for 4–6 hours.
- Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds: every 45 minutes for the first 3 hours, wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, and stretch it up and fold it over the center, rotating the bowl a quarter turn and repeating until the dough feels strengthened and cohesive.
- By the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be puffy, soft, and increase by 50–75% in volume.
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Ready when: Dough is 50–75% larger, airy with visible bubbles, and jiggles when you move the bowl
Tip: Stretch and folds build strength without kneading; if your house is cold, place the bowl in an oven with the light on, or wrap it in a towel.
3
Prepare filling
- While the dough ferments, make the gochujang-butter spread.
- In a small bowl, whisk together softened butter, gochujang, minced garlic, and toasted sesame oil until smooth and well combined.
- Set aside at room temperature.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform and spreadable
Tip: Make this while doing stretch and folds so it is ready when you shape.
4
Shape dough
- Turn the fermented dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently shape it into a rough rectangle about 10 inches wide by 12 inches long (25×30 cm), being careful not to deflate too much.
- Working quickly, spread about two-thirds of the gochujang-butter mixture evenly across the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border on all sides.
- Scatter half the mozzarella and half the sliced scallions over the gochujang layer.
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Ready when: Rectangle is approximately 10×12 inches with a clean border
Tip: If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes under a damp towel to relax the gluten.
5
Roll and layer
- Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough tightly toward you, creating a log.
- Pinch the seam closed.
- Turn the log so the seam faces down.
- Using a bench scraper or very sharp knife, cut the log into 12–14 equal pieces about 1.5 inches (4 cm) wide.
- The cut side of each piece should show the spiral.
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Ready when: 12–14 equal spiral-cut pieces
Tip: Use a very sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion to prevent squashing the dough.
6
Arrange in pan
- Lightly butter or oil an 8×4-inch loaf pan (or 7-inch round cake pan).
- Arrange the cut pieces upright in the pan, spiral side up and facing out, in two rows.
- Scatter the remaining mozzarella pieces and scallion slices around and between the pieces.
- Drizzle any remaining gochujang-butter mixture over the top.
- Cover loosely with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
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Ready when: Pieces are snugly arranged with filling visible
Tip: Arrange pieces cut-side up so the spiral is visible and the bread can pull apart easily.
7
Final rise
- Cover the pan loosely and let the bread rise at warm room temperature (70–75°F / 21–24°C) for 1.5–2 hours, or until the pieces have puffed and begun to touch the top of the pan or touch each other.
- Alternatively, place the pan in the refrigerator for 8–12 hours overnight; the rise will be slower, developing more flavor.
- Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before baking to warm up slightly.
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Ready when: Dough is puffy and pieces touch the rim; poke gently and it springs back slowly
Tip: A cold overnight rise is ideal for sourdough flavor; the dough can spend 8–12 hours in the fridge.
8
Preheat ovenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a rack in the upper-middle position.
- If you chilled the dough overnight, remove it from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 45 minutes to warm up.
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Ready when: Oven is at temperature
Tip: Use the upper-middle rack so the top browns beautifully without the bottom burning.
9
Bake breadOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the pan in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown and the cheese has melted visibly.
- The internal temperature at the center should be around 200–205°F (93–96°C).
- If the top browns too quickly (after 15 minutes), loosely tent with aluminum foil, but allow the cheese to remain slightly exposed.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown, cheese is melted and bubbling slightly, internal temp is 200–205°F (93–96°C)
Tip: Do not skip the tent if browning is too fast; the interior needs time to set while the top crisps.
10
Cool and serve
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Turn it out onto a wire rack or serve directly from the pan.
- Let cool for another 5–10 minutes so the cheese sets slightly (it will still be warm and stretchy).
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve warm, pulling apart the pieces by hand.
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Ready when: Bread is cool enough to handle and cheese has firmed slightly but is still melting
Tip: Serve immediately while warm; as it cools, the cheese will firm up and the bread becomes less tender.

Good to know

Tips

Keep your sourdough starter active and bubbly at its peak; a sluggish or underdoubled starter will result in a dense, flat loaf. Feed it 4–6 hours before using.
Stretch and folds are gentler than kneading for sourdough and build structure without overworking the gluten. Wet your hand to prevent sticking.
Mozzarella releases moisture as it melts; tear it into small pieces and drain wet mozzarella on a paper towel before using so the bread does not become soggy.
A cold overnight rise in the fridge boosts sourdough flavor and gives you flexibility; the slow fermentation also makes the dough easier to shape cleanly.

Make ahead

Prepare the gochujang-butter filling up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge. Shape and arrange in the pan up to 12 hours ahead, then chill; let warm to room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.

Storage & reheating

Room temp (up to 4 hours): Keep covered with a towel to retain moisture. Fridge (up to 3 days): Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; reheat gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10–12 minutes until warm and cheese softens. Freezer (up to 3 months): Cool completely, wrap tightly, and label. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as above.

Substitutions

fresh mozzarella → White cheddar, Gruyère, or fontina. Use any melting cheese with a similar texture. White cheddar adds sharpness; Gruyère adds nuttiness; fontina gives a richer, creamier result.
gochujang (Korean red chili paste) → Sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste) mixed with 1 tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp sugar. Sambal is spicier and less sweet than gochujang; add a touch of sweetness to balance. Use the same amount by weight.
bread flour → All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour will produce a slightly softer, less chewy crumb. Reduce water by 10 ml since all-purpose absorbs less than bread flour.
toasted sesame oil → Neutral oil (canola or grapeseed) mixed with a pinch of sesame extract, or omit. Sesame oil adds authentic Korean flavor but is optional. Omitting it is fine; the bread will still be delicious.