If you enjoy eating breads just as much as you love making them, then this Korean mocha bun should definitely be next on your to-bake list. Fluffy, buttery and flakey with a hint of coffee flavor, it’s the perfect thing to have whenever you’re in the mood for a sweet and savoury bake. And the idea of having your entire house smell like a bakery with the aroma of fresh bread wafting through the air? We're sold! So, get your baking game on and let's jump right into this easy, yummy mocha bun recipe ?
Ingredients (yields 8)
For the dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tbsp sugar
- 4 pinches of salt
- 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
For the filling
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
For the topping
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ egg, whisk and divide
- 1 tsp milk
- ⅕ all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp instant coffee powder
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together sifted flour, sugar, salt and instant dry yeast.
- In a saucepan, warm the milk for a few seconds until it’s lukewarm. Then, whisk the egg in.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour the milk and egg mixture in it. Knead the ingredients until everything comes together and you form a ball of dough.
- On a clean and lightly floured surface, place the dough on top and continue to knead the dough. Stretch the dough away from you with one hand, then fold the dough in half to your direction. Do this for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic. You can test this by stretching a piece of dough until it is thin and if it doesn’t tear, it means you’re done kneading.
- Place butter in the centre of the dough, wrap it and knead it the same way you did in step 4 for about 5 minutes.
- In a lightly greased bowl, put your dough in and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour until it grows double in size.
- While waiting for the dough to rise, combine the ingredients for the filling in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Once done, set aside for further use.
- Prepare the topping by beating the butter in a bowl for about 20 seconds. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and beat for another 30 seconds until well-combined.
- Once the dough has risen, lightly punch it to release the gas. Then, divide into 8 equal portions.
- Roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet and cover with a cloth. Leave them be for 15 minutes.
- Flatten the dough and place about a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each dough. Then wrap it up and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Once all 8 balls of dough have been filled, let them rest for another 40 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 200°C.
- Spread the toppings on each ball of dough, then pop them into the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!
And there you have it, a Korean mocha bun recipe that’ll have you falling in love instantly at the first bite and coming back for more after the last ?