Savor the deliciousness of Korean croquette bread, a delightful combination of soft dough filled with seasoned beef, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown.
Korean Croquette Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- ⅔ cup warm milk, between 100-105 degrees F (167 ml)
- 2 tablespoons honey (34 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (6 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups bread flour (296 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened (28 grams)
Filling
- 1 lb potatoes peeled, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoons oil
- 6 ounces ground beef
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 scallion chopped
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Remaining ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup panko
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Make the dough. Combine warm milk with honey and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is activated and the mixture is foamy.
- Combine yeast mixture with egg, bread flour, and salt and mix until a rough dough comes together. Add butter and knead for 5-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add 1-2 tablespoons flour if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic, and let proof for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and mash the potatoes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan. Add the ground beef and saute until browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces. Add chopped carrot, onion, garlic, and scallion, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken bouillion powder and water and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
- Combine the cooked beef and vegetables with potatoes, and mayo. Season with salt and pepper and mix the filling until well combined. Let cool completely.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball, cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Take one of the dough balls and roll it out into a 6-inch circle. Scoop ⅓ cup of the filling into the center of the dough and gather the edges to seal. Flatten slightly to shape it into a patty and dip it into the beaten egg. Coat the croquette bread in panko, coating both sides. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover. Repeat with the remaining dough. Lightly cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and proof the bread for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Generously spray the croquette bread with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve warm.
Notes
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The Inspiration
My love for bread started when I was still in my mother's womb. I believe she consumed loaves and loaves of bread on a daily basis when she was pregnant with me. That diet has been passed on to me and I now am eating loaves and loaves of bread on a daily basis. Sweet or savory, I will eat it all. Some of my favorite baked goods include Korean pastries including soboro and coffee buns. Today, I'm going to spend some time making one of my favorite savory bread, Korean croquette bread. Yes, a croquette bread. It's exactly as it sounds: potato and beef filling is stuffed inside a soft bread coated in panko crumbs. It's magical. And now I'm going to show you how to make it at home.
The Ingredients
- Milk: Adding dairy and egg to the dough yields a softer texture and richer flavor.
- Bread flour: Use bread flour for this recipe which has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour. The higher protein content creates more gluten during kneading which results in a lighter and chewier texture in the final bread.
- Potato: An important ingredient in the filling that makes it creamy and binds the meat and vegetables together. You can also use sweet potato if you prefer.
- Ground beef: Beef is the typical protein but you can use ground turkey, chicken, chopped ham, or use mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
- Mayonnaise: The condiment helps bind all of the ingredients together and adds a touch of creaminess to the potatoes.
- Panko: A type of breadcrumb that has a lighter, crispier texture than regular breadcrumbs. Make sure to use specially panko and not regular breadcrumbs for this Korean croquette bread.
How to Make Korean Croquette Bread
Step 1: Make the dough
Believe it or not, when I was trying to find a recipe for Korean croquette bread, I couldn't find a single one! There are plenty of recipes for Japanese curry croquette bread, but not for the Korean version. It was time to remedy that.
Let's jump right in, shall we? First, the dough. What I love about Korean bread or all Asian baked goods for that matter, is that they are always so soft. No matter the filling or topping, the dough itself is top-notch. To recreate a beautifully soft bread, we are going to use ingredients like milk, eggs, and butter to the dough. Even as you knead the dough, you will notice how soft it is. Cover the dough and let it proof for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 2: The Filling
Meanwhile, make the filling. Boil cut potatoes and mash until smooth. In another pan, cook ground beef until browned, breaking apart the beef into small chunks. Add chopped onions, carrots, garlic, and scallions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken bouillon powder and water and bring to a simmer. If you can't find chicken bouillon powder, you can use ¼ cup chicken broth instead.
Continue to cook the beef-vegetable mixture until all of the liquid has evaporated. Season the filling then combine it with the mashed potatoes. Give the filling a taste and season it once again with salt and pepper. This is the filling for the croquette bread so we have to make sure it tastes amazing!
Let the filling cool completely before using. You can also make the filling the day before and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
Step 3: Shape the Bread
When the dough is ready, portion it into 8 equal portions. I like to use a scale to ensure each one is exactly the same. Roll each portion into a ball and let it rest for 15 minutes. Relaxing the dough for a couple of minutes will make it easier to roll out later. Roll out each portion into a 6-inch circle and stuff it with the prepared filling.
Normally when you make dumplings or ravioli, people always say don't overstuff it. The same applies to this Korean croquette bread. If you try to stuff them with more than ⅓ cup, the bread can burst while it's baking.
Seal up the filling by gathering up the edges and re-shaping the dough into a patty. To get the full croquette effect, dip each bread in egg and coat all of the sides with panko. Cover the bread and let it rest for a final time.
Step 4: Bake
Korean croquette bread is normally fried but I wanted to be just a wee bit healthier and decided to bake them instead. It'll probably be better fried; however, I will honestly say that they were still very delicious when baked. To get that crispy coating, spray the buns generously with cooking spray. I like to check on the bread about halfway in to see if there are any spots that aren't getting as browned. If there is, just spray a little more cooking spray in that area.
Let the croquette bread slightly cool and dig in while it's still warm. Hear that crunch? Yup, that's the sign of a successfully baked Korean croquette bread. These buns were quite excellent. Each roll was stuffed with a sufficient amount of delicious filling and the bread was oh-so-soft. Look out bakeries! You may have some competition!
FAQs
Can I use a different type of meat for the filling?
Yes, you can use different types of meat for the filling. Ground chicken, pork, turkey, or even vegetarian options like finely chopped mushrooms or textured vegetable protein can be used as alternatives to ground beef.
How should I reheat the Korean croquette bread?
Since the bread is best served warm, it's recommended that you reheat them before serving. Pop them in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until warm or reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until warm.
Can I freeze the croquette bread?
Yes, you can freeze the croquette bread. Once baked and cooled, place the bread in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
For more savory bread inspiration check out these bacon cheddar star bread!
Grace
Wow this is lovely
Cherry on My Sundae
Thanks so much!