Crumbly Soboroppang
Time:
3h45m
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Loot:
10 buns
Not much of a backstory for this one…
It’s just…delicious. Chicago H-mart near Greektown in Chicago, Paris Baguette, you know the drill. I’ve seen these in the pastry cabinets at Korean supermarkets since I could strut the linoleum aisles. But the day after a leg-destroying marathon, I limped my way in for a little snack, and finally decided to grab one of these messy crusted beauties. And as I took that first bite, I asked myself…Why the hell did I wait so long?
The best way to describe soboroppang (소보로빵) is an ultra-soft, buttery milk bun, swaddled by a layer of crumbled peanut butter streusel. But a fair-warning: these guys are DENSE. Even just one of these feels like the equivalent of gulping down a senzu bean.
For the nerds, “soboro (そぼろ)” is the Japanese word for “minced,” to tantalize the bakery customer with some tactile imagery of the deliciously crumbly mess that awaits them. But make no mistake, this bread is Korean to its core. And also…really, really fun to make. Lesson-time over. Let’s bake!
Word to the Wise
Rest your dough before kneading in the butter. With soboroppang specifically, the autolyse effect (fancy word for letting water + flour rest) will make it much softer and a better companion for your streusel layer.
Use a whisk to break up your soboro (streusel). My soboro recipe is a little moister and will give you more coverage with a satisfying crumble and crack. However, because of this, it will stick together a bit more in the bowl. Use your hands or a whisk to break it up into crumbs.
Cover your soboro with Saran wrap…with some of this and some of that? (Bonus points if you get the reference). Just make sure your streusel doesn’t dry out in between. Trust the method…man.
Use two pans. Soboroppang is flatter, wider, and has more surface area than the other buns we’ve made. Give them space to hold their shape, or it’ll look like a cookie tray on Nailed It.
Flour your cutting board or countertop when applying your soboro or else you’ll get a sticky, buttery tragedy that’s really hard to clean.
Wait for the bun to turn golden brown before checking for doneness. Since the bun is usually the last to cook, once you see some light browning all throughout the bread part of your buns, it should be ready.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
¼ cup bread flour
¾ cup water
1 ½ tsp honey
Dough
2 ¾ cups bread flour
4 ½ tsp nonfat dry milk powder
½ tsp kosher salt
⅓ cup granulated white sugar
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 egg white
1 egg
⅔ cup + 1 Tbsp whole milk, lukewarm
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (½ stick)
Soboro
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (1.25 sticks)
3 ½ Tbsp peanut butter
⅔ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated white sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 egg + 1 yolk, beaten
2 Tbsp honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp corn starch
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.
Warm ⅔ cup milk slightly in a small pot or microwave (not hot, just lukewarm). Whisk in the egg white.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 ¾ cups bread flour, 1 ½ tsp yeast, ½ tsp salt, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, and 4 ½ tsp nonfat dry milk powder.
Add the milk mixture and tangzhong. Mix until well-combined on low speed (2) using the paddle hook attachment on your stand mixer for 2 minutes. After this, the dough will look a little shaggy and dry. That’s alright. Add 1 tbp of whole milk here.
Knead for around 4-5 minutes on medium speed (4) with the dough hook attachment. The dough should stretch to form a thin "windowpane" without tearing. Cover the bowl and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
When the preheat timer beeps, kill the heat, and crack open the oven just a little bit. Using an oven or meat thermometer, measure the center of the oven. Leave it open until it reaches about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Shut off the heat, but leave the oven door closed.
Gradually knead in your softened butter until fully incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and passes the windowpane test. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in your oven with the heat off. Let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Start on the soboro while this rises.
Soboro
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together your peanut butter, softened butter, sugar, and salt.
In a small-separate bowl, crack open and beat two eggs together. Pour the beaten egg into your peanut butter mixture and stir it in.
Drizzle in your honey and whisk it together one more time.
Once you have a cohesive mixture, sift in your flour, corn starch, and baking powder through a sieve.
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and whisk it together until cohesive, crumbly, and there are no specks of flour left.
Cover your bowl up with Saran wrap or a damp towel and put it to the side for later.
Shaping + Assembly
Punch down your dough and cut it into 10 equal pieces, roll into tight balls pinching down the ends. Place them seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover them with a damp towel and let them rest for abut 10 minutes.
Get out a small bowl and fill it with lukewarm water.
Take out your soboro, and run it through your hands a few times to make sure it’s moist, but broken up into smaller pieces.
Loop
Grab a handful of your soboro and spread it flat on your workbench or countertop.
Grab your dough by the seam and soak the bottom, smooth half side in a little bit of the water. Then, place it face down in your soboro. Sprinkle a little bit of extra soboro from your bowl on top of the seam.
Press your dough down into the soboro.
Turn it over and place it onto a parchment lined baking she said sheet.
Once you’re done, sprinkle all of your remaining soboro equally along the tops to fill in any gaps. It will separate a bit when it rises and expands in the oven.
Once you’ve lined your sheet, place it back into your proofing oven and let it rest/rise for about 20-30 more minutes.
Bake for about 16-18 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
