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Soboro Bread (Korean Peanut Streusel Buns)

Soboro bread buns on a wire rack with crunchy peanut streusel topping
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Soboro bread is the iconic Korean bakery bun: a pillowy milk bread base under a heavy crown of crunchy peanut streusel that stays crisp thanks to a little cornstarch.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Water roux (make first, cool fully):

  • 3 tbsp (24 g) bread flour
  • ½ cup (120 ml) water

Milk bun dough:

  • 2¾ cups (380 g) bread flour
  • ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (27 g) milk powder
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (78 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant dry yeast
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup (160 ml) water, lukewarm (body temperature)
  • All of the cooled water roux
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Peanut soboro streusel topping:

  • 80 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 80 g caster sugar
  • 60 g smooth peanut butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 140 g cake flour
  • 30 g milk powder
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt

To assemble and finish:

  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

Instructions

  1. Make the water roux. Whisk the bread flour and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until thickened and semi translucent. Scrape into a small bowl, press cling wrap onto the surface, and cool for 1 hour to room temperature.
  2. Make the dough. In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the bread flour, all purpose flour, milk powder, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the egg, lukewarm water and cooled roux. Mix on medium for about 3 minutes to a rough dough.
  3. Add the softened butter and knead on medium for about 20 minutes, until the dough passes the windowpane test and stretches into a thin sheet without tearing.
  4. Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and first proof in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled. A floured finger pressed into the center should leave a hole that does not spring back.
  5. While the dough proofs, make the peanut soboro. Cream the butter, caster sugar and peanut butter on medium until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla.
  6. Add the cake flour, milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt all at once. Mix on low for 15 to 20 seconds only, just until the mixture forms coarse sandy crumbs and pea sized clumps. Do not mix into a smooth paste. Chill the crumbs uncovered until needed.
  7. Turn the proofed dough out, press out the air, and divide into 10 equal portions of about 80 g. Roll into tight smooth balls, cover, and rest 10 minutes.
  8. Brush the top half of each ball generously with egg wash. Press the wet top firmly into the soboro crumbs, rotating to coat the whole top thickly. Transfer to a parchment lined tray, leaving 8 cm between buns.
  9. Cover loosely and second proof in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes, until visibly puffed. They do not need to fully double.
  10. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
  11. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the soboro topping is deep golden brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Cornstarch is the secret to a shatteringly crisp soboro that stays crunchy. Leave it out and the topping goes soft and cobbler like by the next morning.
  • Stop mixing the soboro the moment it looks like coarse damp sand or pea sized crumbs. Over mixing makes a paste that bakes into a soft cap instead of a crunchy crown.
  • Make ahead: the soboro crumbs keep sealed in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for 1 month. The dough is best made fresh.
  • To revive day old buns, warm them for 5 minutes in a 150C (300F) oven. Microwaving turns them rubbery.
  • Classic bakery variation: tuck 1 tsp sweet red bean paste into each ball before topping, pinch closed, then egg wash and coat.
  • Peanut allergy: swap the 60 g peanut butter for 60 g tahini for a sesame soboro, or cookie butter for a Biscoff style topping.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://zhangcatherine.com/soboro-bread/