Simple Stay-home Recipes: Homemade Hotteok

Are you still itching from wanderlust even after trying our DIY Japanese Dorayaki With Red Bean Paste recipe? Then you are in for a treat! Moving on from Doraemon’s favourite snack, we have a popular Korean street food that is well-loved by both tourist and locals, hotteok!

Eaten especially during the months of autumn and winter, this Korean sweet pancake is usually filled with a generous serving of mixed nuts soaked in warm sugar syrup. It is then served piping hot in paper cups on pushcarts scattered along the streets.

Especially since we are blessed with sweater weather these couple of weeks, there’s no better time to treat ourselves to a warm piece of hotteok whilst enjoying the cool breeze. So, let’s get started with our Homemade Hotteok recipe!

Ingredients

Pancake mixture 

• 240g plain OR all-purpose Flour
• 60g glutinous rice flour
• 25g caster sugar
• 5g instant yeast
• 5g salt
• 1tsp vegetable oil
• 200ml warm water

Filling

• 40g brown sugar
• 40g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 40g ground peanut 
• 15g white sesame seeds

Tools

• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Pan
• Cling film
• (Optional) Potato masher 

Recipe Preparation

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Resting time: 1 hour; Cooking time: 15 minutes
Feeds 5 (approx. 10 pieces)

• Measure your ingredients and set them aside.
• In a mixing bowl, mix both flours, sugar, yeast and salt till well combined.
• Add oil and pour warm water in slowly. Ensure the batter is mixed well.
• Cling wrap or place a towel over the mixing bowl. Allow the dough to rise for at least an hour at room temperature.
• While the dough is resting, mix all the ingredients required for the filling together in a bowl and set aside.
• After 1 hour, the dough should rise and be at least double in size. Knead the dough well, removing the air bubbles trapped within.
• Oil your hand with vegetable oil till they are slippery. Flatten the dough (approximately the size of a golf ball) on your palms and add the filling mixture in the centre of the dough. Seal the opening tightly. 
• In a heated pan, add oil and place the hotteok onto the pan with its sealed side facing downwards.
• Let it cook for around 1 minute. When the bottom turns slightly brown in colour, flip the hotteok and use a potato masher or spatula to press it down. The pancake should be thin and flat, forming a circular disc shape.
• Fry the hotteok for 3 – 4 more minutes, flipping sides to ensure with surface turns golden brown. Remove from heat and serve.

Recipe in Pictures

Step 1: Measure your ingredients and set them aside.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, mix both flours, sugar, yeast, and salt till well combined.

Step 3: Add oil and pour warm water in slowly. Ensure the batter is mixed well.

Step 4: Cling wrap or place a towel over the mixing bowl. Allow the dough to rise for at least an hour at room temperature.

Step 5: While the dough is resting, mix all the ingredients required for the filling together in a bowl and set aside.

Step 6: After 1 hour, the dough should rise and be at least double in size. Knead the dough well, removing the air bubbles trapped within.

Step 7: Oil your hand with vegetable oil until they are slippery. Flatten the dough (approximately the size of a golf ball) on your palms and add the filling mixture in the centre of the dough. Seal the opening tightly. 

Step 8: In a heated pan, add oil and place the hotteok onto the pan with its sealed side facing downwards.

Step 9: Let it cook for around 1 minute. When the bottom turns slightly brown in colour, flip the hotteok and use a potato masher or spatula to press it down. The pancake should be thin and flat, forming a circular disc shape.

Step 10: Fry the hotteok for 3 – 4 more minutes, flipping sides to ensure with surface turns golden brown. Remove from heat and serve.

There you have it, fresh Homemade Hotteok that can be enjoyed right in the comfort of home! Although I have to agree that hotteok tastes way better eaten at the bustling streets of Seoul, I guess we have to make do with our homemade version for the time being—better than nothing, right?

Since we have to deal with the use of yeast in this recipe, it does get a little tricky. But fret not, as this should be a no-fail recipe if you take note of the following tips I have for you!

1. Ensure that your yeast is alive/ active 

Often, dough fails to rise due to “dead” yeast. If your packet of yeast has been sitting on your kitchen counter for quite some time, I would highly recommend you to do a little experiment to check if your yeast is active before using it in your recipe. All you need is yeast, sugar, water, and 10 minutes of your time for the test!

2. Use lukewarm water

When preparing your dough, make sure to use lukewarm water  (36.5ºC to 40.5ºC). Warm water reactivates yeast, waking it up from its slumber. Be sure not to use water that is too hot as it might kill your yeast instead of activating them.

3. Allow your dough to rise at room temperature

Considering Singapore’s heat and humidity, the dough should be able to rise easily even if it is just left on your kitchen table. Just remember not to put it into the fridge and there shouldn’t be any problem.

With the above three pointers in mind, re-creating these Homemade Hotteok should be a walk in the park. My favourite way to enjoy hotteok is to eat it immediately when it’s off the pan. The sweet, caramelised syrup coupled with the nuttiness from the grounded peanuts and sesame seeds paired perfectly with its thin and chewy skin. Like me, if you prefer to savour your hotteok warm, just be cautious as the syrup can be really hot!

Similar to the No Yeast Homemade Min Jiang Kueh, hotteok’s skin also makes for an ideal vessel for other fillings. Sweet fillings aside, why not try filling them with cheese or japchae (Korean stir-fried glass noodles)? The variation is endless, so feel free to let your culinary creativity flow!

Expected Damage: S$1 – S$1.50 per serving (10 pieces)