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As promised, I am posting the recipe for coffee buns aka rotibuns today. Coffee rotibuns are, without a doubt, one of my favorite Korean bread. When these buns come fresh out of the oven, it's hard to resist biting into the soft buns. The base of the bread is the same recipe used for soboro; only the topping is different. These coffee buns are not only pretty to look at, but they're also great for dessert, breakfast, or as a snack!
Recipe
Coffee Buns (Rotibuns)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast (6 grams)
- ¾ cup warm milk, 100-110 degrees F (187 ml)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 cups bread flour (420 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ⅓ cup butter, softened at room temperature (75 grams)
Coffee topping
- ½ cup butter, softened at room temperature (113 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cake flour (130 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoon instant coffee (9 grams)
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine yeast with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and warm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast is activated and mixture is foamy.
- In a large bowl, sift together bread flour, ¼ cup sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture, egg, and butter and mix to combine. Knead until dough is smooth, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place them on two lined baking sheets and loosely cover. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Making the topping. Dissolve instant coffee in warm water. Whip together softened butter with sugar until well combined. Add eggs and instant coffee mix, stirring until combined. Sift 1 cake flour and add to wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Transfer coffee topping to a piping bag. Pipe the coffee frosting on each roll, making sure the piped lines are touching each other.
- Bake rolls for 15-20 minutes or until topping has set and rolls are browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I always thought rotibuns were a Korean pastry, but it turns out that they are traditionally Mexican. I think the only difference is that the Korean version is slightly sweeter. Some bakeries stuff their coffee buns with red bean paste or a little butter but I went with the plain version because it's my favorite.
Just by touching the dough, you can tell that it's going to be soft bread. This enriched dough has milk, butter, and eggs which help it turn into one beautiful soft roll. Proof the dough for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and let it rise once more for 1 more hour.
In the meantime, make the coffee frosting. I could eat this frosting by the spoonful it's so delicious (although it's probably not a good idea). Feel free to make the frosting the day before if you want to save some time.
When piping the coffee frosting on the bread, make sure the lines are all touching one another. If you have spaces in between the lines, the frosting will not melt properly to give you a smooth coating; instead, there will gaps where there were spaces. You can start piping the frosting about ¾ of the roll down since it will drip down as it bakes. If you don't have a piping bag, use a plastic bag and cut a small opening in one corner. If you made the frosting ahead of time, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before piping.
Don't worry if the piping isn't perfect. The topping will melt as it bakes so the lines will disappear. Bake the rotibuns until golden brown, rotating the sheet pan halfway through. Let the buns cool slightly before digging in.
These rotibuns made my kitchen smell insanely delicious just like a Korean bakery! The coffee buns were all nicely coated and looked beautiful. I loved the taste of coffee with every bite with just a hint of sweetness. The bread is best fresh but can be reheated in the microwave.
For more sweet bread inspiration check out this mocha walnut bread!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
The coffee buns were once pretty popular in Los Angeles among Asians. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try it. I am glad to find your recipe. I would love to make them at home.
Christine Ma says
I hope you enjoy them!
Trish says
Hey there,
could I use 1 tbsp of coffee instead of the 1.5 tbsp of instant coffee?
cma0425 says
I haven't tried using coffee but I don't see why not. Although depending on how strong your coffee is, it could change how strong the flavor will be in the bread.