On the Second Day There was Rotiboy

Korea haunts me.  Nostalgia for all things Seoul permeates even my dreams.  Each time I dream I am back in the land of the morning calm I awake disappointed.  I miss the people, the excitement of living in a metropolis, and, of course, the food.

Make no mistake, Rotiboy is not Korean.  A light, sweet bun with a pat of melty butter inside, topped with a coffee cream.  Their slogan “one is never enough” speaks the truth. They are addictive in the way a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut can be, and not available in the good old U.S. of A.  Hence the food nostalgia.  I used to make fun of the people in Korean who “missed Taco Bell”, but now I understand.

A quick Google search revealed that there is a recipe floating out there in the ether.  I spent the better part of today recreating rotiboy.

Seriously, tears of joy people.  From www.food.com.

Rotiboy

pre-dough

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup bread flour

mix well and refrigerate for at least  2 hours

sponge

2 1/2 cups bread flour

2 1/4 tsp yeast

2 tsp sugar

3/4-1 cup warm (105F) water

place in a bowl and mix well, with your hands or a dough hook knead x 6 min.  it may be a little sticky, that’s ok.  Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise x 90 minutes in a warm place.

final dough  

1/2 cup sugar

 1 tsp salt 

4 TBS unsalted butter at room temp

1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten

1.5 eggs beaten

2 crushed ice cubes

1 3/4 cup bread flour

filling

1.5 sticks butter cut into 22 pieces total, freeze until ready to assemble

topping

6 TBS butter, at room temp

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 TBS instant coffee, mixed with 1 TBS hot water

1.5 eggs beaten

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2 TBS powdered milk

Combine pre dough and sponge and knead together for ~1 minute.  From final dough ingredients add sugar, salt, vital wheat gluten and milk powder and knead for another minute.  Add eggs, honey and ice and knead for another minute.  Add bread flour and knead for another minute.  Add butter and knead x 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Add additional bread flour if dough seems sticky.  Shape into a ball and cover, allow to rest x 10 minutes.

Divide into 22 portions and with lightly oiled hands shape dough around frozen butter pats.  Place the pinched portion down on parchment lined baking sheet.  Cover with damp towel and allow to rest/rise x 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping.  Cream butter, confectioner sugar and coffee together.  Add eggs and beat another 30 seconds.  Add milk powder and flour and beat on low initially til incorporated then on high ~1 minute.  Put in a piping bag with a large, plain tip.

Pipe a spiral of topping on each bun.  Bake at 350F for ~18-22 minutes until golden and fragrant.

Cue the hallelujah chorus and serve hot to deserving friends. 

And Ginny wept.

Read more at Ginny’s Kitchen