Korean hotteok

Chewy yeast pancakes around cinnamon, sugar and walnuts.

The cook places cooled golden hotteok beside a halved pancake showing walnut filling.
Makes
8 filled pancakes
Heat
Stovetop: medium heat
Cooking time
2–3 min per side
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Korean hotteok

Makes
8 filled pancakes
Heat
Stovetop: medium heat
Cooking time
2–3 min per side
South Korea · Filled griddle breads

Korean hotteok

Chewy yeast pancakes around cinnamon, sugar and walnuts.

Method

  1. 01 · Mix

    A few min

    Use: Dough ingredients

    Stir milk, yeast and sugar; mix in flours and salt.

    Ready when: Soft, sticky dough

    A cook mixes soft sticky hotteok dough in a glass bowl.
    01 Make the doughMix the milk, yeast, sugar and flours into a soft, sticky dough.

  2. 02 · Rise

    About 1 hour + 20 min

    Use: Dough

    Cover until doubled; deflate gently, cover again.

    Ready when: Puffy again

    The cook lifts a cover to inspect puffy risen hotteok dough.
    02 Let it riseLet the dough double, press out the air gently, then let it puff again.

  3. 03 · Fill

    During rise

    Use: Filling ingredients

    Mix together.

    Ready when: Evenly distributed nuts

    The cook stirs chopped walnuts through the cinnamon-sugar filling.
    03 Mix the fillingDistribute chopped walnuts evenly through the cinnamon and sugars.

  4. 04 · Shape

    15 min

    Use: Dough, filling

    Divide dough and filling into eight; flatten dough to 13 cm, fill and seal.

    Ready when: Sealed seams

    The cook pinches sticky dough closed around cinnamon-walnut filling.
    04 Fill and sealDivide the dough and filling into eight portions and close the seams firmly.

  5. 05 · Fry

    2–3 min per side

    Use: Filled balls, oil

    Place seam-down; press to 10 cm. Fry, flip and press again.

    Ready when: Golden, crisp surfaces

    The cook presses one golden hotteok pancake with a broad spatula.
    05 Fry and flattenPress the filled dough in the skillet and cook both sides until golden.

  6. 06 · Serve

    A few min

    Use: Pancakes

    Rest on rack until filling is safe to bite.

    Ready when: Warm centre

    The cook places cooled golden hotteok beside a halved pancake showing walnut filling.
    06 Cool before eatingLet the filling cool to a safe eating temperature.

What to look for

StageLook / feel forNeeds attention
DoughSticky but cohesiveA dry bread dough
SealingClosed dough around fillingSugar caught in seam

Troubleshooting

If you see thisLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Leaking fillingWeak seamWipe pan before next batchPinch dough cleanly
Burnt baseExcess heatLower heatCook first pancake separately
Tough pancakeToo much dusting flourUse less on remaining doughOil hands lightly if necessary

Use the homemade cinnamon filling listed here. Teaspoon measures use 5 mL.

Ingredient choices & substitutions
IngredientSpecified typeBrandStatus
All-purpose flourUnbleached all-purpose flourKing Arthurspecified brand; equivalent type allowed
Rice flourSweet/glutinous rice flourKoda Farms Mochikopreferred
FillingCinnamon filling mixKing Arthur Baker’s Cinnamon Fillingoptional; homemade replacement used
IngredientAlternative / ratioAdjust handlingLikely outcome
Whole milkUnsweetened almond milk1:1 starting quantityCheck sticky-dough consistencyLess dairy richness; supported by Hyosun
WalnutsRoasted seeds or other nuts1:1 weightChop finelyDifferent crunch and flavour
MochikoAnother sweet rice flour1:1 starting weightAdjust liquid to consistencyAbsorption may vary; ordinary rice flour lacks this chew

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

Both use a wheat-and-sweet-rice dough. Milk quantity and flour ratio differ; retain Cho’s formula and use the second source for substitution context.

Cook / recipeUseWhat differs
Stephanie ChoKing Arthur BakingHotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)BaseWheat plus sweet rice flour; homemade filling option supplied.
HyosunKorean BapsangHotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)ComparisonVariable sweet-rice ratio, optional almond milk and mixed nuts.

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

King Arthur Baking · Stephanie Cho
Source and measurement notes

Uses the base author’s published homemade replacement for branded cinnamon filling. Spoon quantities use 5 mL teaspoons.

Recipe

Korean hotteok

Chewy yeast pancakes around cinnamon, sugar and walnuts.

How do I make it?

  1. Make the dough

    A few min

    Stir the warm milk, yeast and dough sugar together. Mix in both flours and the dough salt to make a soft, sticky dough; this takes a few minutes.

    A cook mixes soft sticky hotteok dough in a glass bowl.
    Mix the milk, yeast, sugar and flours into a soft, sticky dough.

    Ready when: Soft, sticky dough

  2. Let it rise

    About 1 hour + 20 min

    Cover and leave for about 1 hour, until doubled. Gently press out the air, cover again and leave for 20 minutes, until puffy again.

    The cook lifts a cover to inspect puffy risen hotteok dough.
    Let the dough double, press out the air gently, then let it puff again.

    Ready when: Puffy again

  3. Mix the filling

    During rise

    While the dough rises, mix both filling sugars, cinnamon, salt and walnuts. Spread the nuts evenly through the mixture.

    The cook stirs chopped walnuts through the cinnamon-sugar filling.
    Distribute chopped walnuts evenly through the cinnamon and sugars.

    Ready when: Evenly distributed nuts

  4. Fill and seal

    15 min

    Divide both dough and filling into eight portions. Flatten each dough piece to 13 cm, put filling in the middle and close the dough firmly around it. Allow about 15 minutes.

    The cook pinches sticky dough closed around cinnamon-walnut filling.
    Divide the dough and filling into eight portions and close the seams firmly.

    Ready when: Sealed seams

  5. Fry

    2–3 min per side

    Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Put the filled balls seam-side down, press to 10 cm wide, then turn and press again. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

    The cook presses one golden hotteok pancake with a broad spatula.
    Press the filled dough in the skillet and cook both sides until golden.

    Ready when: Golden, crisp surfaces

  6. Cool slightly

    A few min

    Rest on a rack for a few minutes before eating. The filling should be warm enough to bite safely, rather than burning hot.

    The cook places cooled golden hotteok beside a halved pancake showing walnut filling.
    Let the filling cool to a safe eating temperature.

    Ready when: Warm centre

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Leaking fillingWeak seamWipe pan before next batch Pinch dough cleanly
Burnt baseExcess heatLower heat Cook first pancake separately
Tough pancakeToo much dusting flourUse less on remaining dough Oil hands lightly if necessary
Useful recipe notes

Use the homemade cinnamon filling listed here. Teaspoon measures use 5 mL.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Korean hotteok at a glance

Makes
8 filled pancakes
Heat
Stovetop: medium heat
Cooking time
2–3 min per side
Leavening
Yeast
How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Percentages compare each listed weight with the combined flour weight (100%). These are ingredient ratios, not dough hydration; milk, eggs and fillings contain other ingredients as well as water.

Formula componentGramsFlour = 100%
Warm whole milk227 g84.1%
All-purpose flour210 g77.8%
Sweet glutinous rice flour60 g22.2%
Dark brown sugar71 g26.3%
Granulated sugar37 g13.7%
Walnuts57 g21.1%