Soboro Bread (Korean Sweet Streusel-Topped Bun)
Soboro bread is a Korean bakery staple that tops a soft, milk-enriched yeast bun with a layer of sweet cookie crumble. The bun interior is pillowy and slightly sweet, with a fine crumb that tears in gentle strands, while the streusel cap - mixed from butter, sugar, egg, and flour - bakes into a crunchy, golden shell that cracks into irregular pieces. The appeal lies in the contrast: each bite delivers both the airy softness of enriched bread and the sandy crunch of a cookie. Applying the crumble after the second proof, rather than before, prevents the rising dough from being weighed down and allows the surface to fracture naturally in the oven's heat. The crumble stays crisp even after the bread cools completely, which is why soboro bread remains satisfying the next day when many other bakery items have gone stale.
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Instructions
- 1
Mix bread flour, yeast, some sugar, milk, and egg, then knead in butter until smooth.
- 2
Proof the dough until doubled in size.
- 3
Make the streusel topping with cake flour, almond flour, sugar, and butter; chill it.
- 4
Divide and round dough, proof again, then press streusel topping on top.
- 5
Bake at 180C until golden and cool before serving.
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