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Gyeongju bread
Red bean pastries
Gyeongju's thin-skinned baked red bean pastries
Near the grassy royal tombs of Gyeongju, the ancient Silla capital, a baker in Hwangnam-dong began making these small round pastries in 1939, and the city's shops have sold them by the boxful ever since. Gyeongju bread (황남빵, also called Gyeongju-ppang) is mostly filling: a generous ball of coarse red bean paste in a skin so thin it looks painted on, stamped with a flower pattern and glazed until shiny brown. It tastes gently sweet and nutty, soft and moist rather than bready, and it is the souvenir every visitor carries home, eaten with barley tea or green tea. The usual mistake is a dough shell that is too thick, which bakes into a cookie and hides the bean flavour; aim for roughly one part dough to two and a half parts filling. Chef's tip: press the pattern in with a small cookie stamp or the back of a citrus press dipped in flour, while the buns are cold and firm, so the design stays sharp.
- Total time
- 78 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 egg
- ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ⅓ oz unsalted buttermelted
- 1 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
For the filling
- 1 lb coarse red bean paste (tsubu-an)thick enough to roll
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tsp milk; for no egg glaze, use 2 tbsp milk
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 egg, ⅞ oz caster sugar and 1 tbsp honey until smooth. Stir in ⅓ oz unsalted butter, 1 tbsp milk and ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Step 2: Sift in 4 ½ oz plain flour and mix into a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Roll 1 lb coarse red bean paste (tsubu-an) into 16 balls of 30 g and set them on a tray.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 16 pieces of about 12 g. With floured fingers, flatten one into a thin 6 cm disc, set a bean ball on top and ease the dough up and around it, pinching it closed. It should be very thin; if a little paste shows, patch it with a scrap of dough.
Step 5: Roll each into a smooth ball, set seam side down on a lined tray and press gently to a 5 cm disc about 2.5 cm thick. Chill for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Dip a small stamp or the back of a citrus press in flour and press a flower pattern into the top of each pastry.
Step 7: Brush the tops with 1 egg yolk, taking care not to fill in the pattern.
Step 8: Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the tops are a shiny, deep golden brown and the sides are set and spring back when pressed lightly.
17 minStep 9: Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight box for up to 4 days; they soften and taste even better on day two.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gyeongju bread take?
- About 78 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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