Korean Mocha Bread
Time:
3h
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Loot:
4 loaves
You did it! Congratulations! (imagine a Buddy the Elf voice)…
World’s best loaf of coffee. To the ABKs out there, you finally found an authentic, English language recipe, for that one really niche bakery treat you probably forgot the name of! And in (gasp) imperial units!
Even if that’s not you, congratulations. You’ve discovered or about to discover one of the best sleeper-hits of Korean breads: mochappang. Not to be confused with the buttery “rotiboy” buns from the local Paris Baguette. I’m talking about the real deal — the full crackly loaf of dark, pillowy bread, sandwiching a layer of mellow coffee-infused saeng cream. It’s not usually considered one of the “starting five” in the pastry cabinet, but just about every one of my Korean English students had some sort of warm core memory with this bread — myself included. So, I decided it was time to bring it back.
This is not a bake you see a lot in the U.S., and as you’d expect, it was near impossible to find a proper recipe (big shoutout to “Cherry on my Sundae” for the base). But today, my friend, you’re in luck.
Word to the Wise
Do NOT substitute espresso powder with liquid coffee. Trust me, I tried. It’ll throw off the dough texture and drown out the flavor.
Make sure your dough passes the windowpane test! When you try to tear off a piece, it should stretch thin enough to see light pass through. FYI, this’ll be a stickier, moister dough.
It won’t double after the first rise. Don’t worry! It has a really nice personality ;). In all seriousness, that’s expected.
Let the crust chill for AT LEAST 1-2 hours. Since it’s a cookie crust, you ideally want your mocha biscuit layer to feel like cookie dough. If it still feels like paste when you take it out, well…it’s gonna be paste.
Measure out your mocha biscuit before you cut it. Make sure you have enough coverage for all four loaves. The crust should be able to reach the bottom of each side.
Let your loaves cool all the way before slicing and frosting. Learn from my stupidity. If you frost your loaf too early, it’ll melt and look like a dirty joke.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
¼ cup bread flour
¾ cup water
1 ½ tsp honey
Dough:
½ cup whole milk
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
2 ¾ cups bread flour
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp espresso powder (or instant coffee)
1 egg
⅓ cup unsalted butter (⅔ stick)
Mocha Biscuit:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp whole milk
2 Tbsp espresso powder (or instant coffee)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
Coffee Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ Tbsp brewed espresso, cooled
6 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Tangzhong:
In a small saucepan, whisk together ¼ cup bread flour and ¾ cup water. Add 1 tsp of honey.
Cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature. If you want to make this the next day or store it for later, put some plastic wrap over your bowl/pot and stick it in the fridge.
Dough:
Fill a small heat-proof pan or bowl with water. Place this on the lower rack in your oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (usually around 170 degrees Fahrenheit in the US). If it can go as low as 80-85 degrees with a proof setting, do this.
Combine your warm milk, and yeast. Add 1 tsp of sugar, stir it together, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets frothy.
In a large mixing bowl (using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer), combine your bread flour, sugar, salt, and espresso powder.
Crack an egg into your frothy yeast mixture and stir until it’s beaten into the mix. Pour it into the big mixing bowl along with your tangzhong. Mix until just combined into a sticky clump. Stop mixing and switch out for a dough hook (or put it onto a well-floured surface for kneading).
Get out your butter and cut it up into slices. If it’s still cold, zap it in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it’s nice and soft. Knead your butter into the dough. Keep kneading on high until your dough leaves a light indent when poked, pulls away from the side of the bowl, and just passes the windowpane test when stretched (light can pass through it, and it doesn’t tear when stretched).
Get out a well greased bowl. Stretch your dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, and cover it with cling wrap or a damp towel. Let it proof in the steamy oven for 1 hour.
Mocha Biscuit
In a separate bowl, using a paddle attachment or spatula, beat some softened butter with white sugar until fluffy and combined.
Combine your milk with the espresso powder, and stir to fully dissolve it. Pour your coffee into the butter and sugar, and mix until fully combined.
Dump in your flour and baking powder, and stir until just combined. It should feel almost like a sticky paste.
Tear out 2 long sheets of cling wrap (about 15-16 inches) and place them flat on your countertop). Using a spatula, scoop out every last bit of your mocha biscuit paste and gently spread it along the surface of one of your wraps. Make sure to leave a gap between all of the edges.
Place your other sheet on top to cover your mocha paste. Make sure that the sides are well-sealed. Place your mocha biscuit into the fridge to harden for at least 1-2 hours, or while your dough proofs.
Baking
Once your dough is proofed, remove it from the oven area, and get out a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll out or shape each little piece of dough into a disc shape, and roll them from bottom to top. Pinch together the ends, and place each log seam side down onto the baking sheet. Cover your dough with cling wrap or a damp towel, and let it rise for 1 more hour or doubled in size.
Once your dough is proofed, remove your pan from the oven area, and preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your dough logs on two separate trays (2 on each) with lots of space in between them.
Remove the mocha biscuit dough from the fridge. Divide it into 4 equal portions.
Going one by one, place a portion of mocha biscuit on a large piece of cling wrap that’s larger than size of your dough log. Place another, sheet of cling wrap on top, and roll the biscuit dough until it can fully cover the surface of your dough log. Peel back the top sheet of cling wrap, flip it over onto your log, and peel back the second layer until you have a fully covered loaf. Repeat for each remaining log.
Place your biscuit covered loaves in the oven and bake for around 30-32 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown, and the bread reaches an internal temp of 190-200 degrees Fahrenheit. The biscuit tops will expand and crack. When they’re done, remove your loaves from the oven and let them cool completely.
Whipped Cream & Assembly
While your bread cools, brew a cup of coffee or espresso on the side. When it’s done, place it in the fridge to chill.
In a separate mixing bowl, add in your heavy cream and whisk until soft peaks form. Add in your powdered sugar, cooled coffee, vanilla, and salt. Finish whisking until firm peaks form. If your bread is still cooling, place your mixing bowl in the fridge to chill.
Using a serrated knife, horizontally cut each piece of your bread in half. For each loaf, use a spatula or a piping bag to spread a layer whipped cream across the top of the lower half. Place the top of your loaf back on and let it sit for about 1-2 minutes. Slice up the bread and serve.