Pumpkin Spice Hotteok

The first time I tried hotteok, aka Korean pancakes, the first thought that came my mind is that Koreans are so smart. They’re genius. I love a good American-style pancake now and then, but hotteok flips the logic on IHOP and puts the syrup inside the pancake instead of on the outside. The embedded brown sugar melts as the pancakes cook, creating a molten syrup while the outside stays crispy and chewy, thanks to the addition of rice flour. In other words, there’s not a chance I’m eating soggy anything when it comes to hotteok.

And even though we’re finally entering our Indian summer here in San Francisco, I can’t resist the urge to get cozy, prep the garden for the next phase of growth, and lean into all things pumpkin spice. Plus, if you’re like me and enjoy a good completely-from-scratch recipe, I’ve included all my tips and tricks in the recipe below but if you need a few shortcuts here and there, this recipe is easily for you too. Happy fall!

Pumpkin Spice Hotteok (12 pancakes)

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 package of dry active yeast (2 and 1/4 tsp)

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tsp sugar

For the dry ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)

1 cup sweet rice flour (150 grams)

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP sugar

For the wet ingredients:

1/2 cup roasted butternut squash (canned pumpkin purée is OK too!)

1 TBSP vegetable oil

1 cup milk, room temp

For the pumpkin spice filling:

1/4 cup regular sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp of pumpkin spice (or 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp clove)

1/3 cup of walnuts and pine nuts, toasted and chopped

Step 1. Roast the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the squash in half, scoop the seeds out, and place cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the thickest part of the squash is tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out about 1/2 cup of squash and mash in a small bowl with a spoon (no need to pull out the blender or food processor). My squash was a little watery so I drained some of the water through a little sieve. Note: you can skip this step and use canned pumpkin purée in a pinch!

Step 2. Activate the yeast by dissolving it with the lukewarm water in a large bowl. The temperature of the water should be between 100 and 105°F. I used my electric kettle but if you don’t have one, you should be able to put your finger into the water very comfortably. Add the sugar, mix, and set aside for 10 minutes until it’s foaming and bubbly. Note: you can skip this step and use instant yeast by adding it directly to the dry ingredients.

Step 3. Measure out the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and add it to the yeast mixture. Add wet ingredients and mix/knead with a spatula until well combined. The dough should come together but still be relatively sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to rise.

Step 4. Punch down the dough and mix well once again before covering and letting it rest for a second rise, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pumpkin spice filling by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 5. In a cast iron or nonstick skillet, heat a couple TBSPs of vegetable oil over medium heat. With lightly oiled hands, take some dough about the size of a large egg and flatten into a disc. Scoop a generous amount of the pumpkin spice mixture into the middle (about 1-2 TBSP) and then seal the dough, pinching around the edges and joining the seam in the middle. Cook sealed side down, pressing down immediately with a spatula until it’s flat like a pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or two. Remove from heat and cool slightly, being careful not to burn your mouth from the molten syrup inside the pancake. Enjoy!