Red Bean Pastry (Korean Gyeongju Soft Bun with Anko)
Gyeongju-ppang is a baked Korean pastry made from a yeast-leavened dough enriched with milk and butter, wrapped around a generous filling of sweet red bean paste. The dough is rolled thin, sealed around the paste with the seam facing down, and baked at 180 degrees Celsius until the top puffs up with a smooth, light golden surface. Because the filling-to-dough ratio is high, the first flavor in each bite is the dense, sweet red bean, followed by the mild dairy aroma of the thin bread shell. Rooted in the baking traditions of Gyeongju and its famous hwangnam-ppang, this pastry stays moist even after cooling, making it suitable as a packaged gift or an everyday snack.
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Instructions
- 1
Warm milk slightly, add yeast and sugar, and activate for 5 minutes.
- 2
Mix flour and salt, then add yeast milk and egg to form a dough.
- 3
Knead in butter for 8 minutes, then proof covered for 40 minutes.
- 4
Divide dough into 8 pieces and red bean paste into 8 balls.
- 5
Flatten dough, wrap the filling, seal well, and gently flatten before placing on tray.
- 6
Bake at 180C for 15-18 minutes, then cool on a rack.
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