Korean egg bread (gyeranppang)
Gyeranppang is a piping-hot street snack from Seoul: a lightly sweet milk sponge baked in a small rectangular mold with a whole egg set on top. The sweetness of the bread together with the rich, savory egg makes a breakfast that is both filling and comforting.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total time
- 33 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Batter
Egg topping
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 190°C and brush a thin layer of butter inside six small rectangular molds, each about 10 cm long. Well-buttered molds release the breads in one piece with crisp golden edges. You are ready when the oven is fully hot and the insides of the molds are evenly glossy with butter.
Step 2
Melt 30 g unsalted butter and let it cool slightly; in a large bowl, whisk 50 g eggs with 40 g granulated sugar, a pinch salt and 3 g vanilla extract, add 120 g whole milk and the melted butter, then sift in 120 g all-purpose flour and 5 g baking powder and stir just until combined. Overmixing makes the bread tough and keeps it from rising well. The batter is ready when it is smooth and creamy; a few small lumps are fine.
Step 3
Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one only about halfway, and use a spoon to make a slight dip in the center. Leaving room at the top gives the egg a place to sit while the batter can still rise around it. The molds are ready when the batter covers the bottoms and each one holds about the same amount.
Step 4
Have 300 g eggs ready; crack each one into a small cup first, then slide it whole into the dip in each mold and sprinkle with a pinch salt and 30 g grated cheddar if you like. Cracking them into a cup first lets you remove any bits of shell and keep the yolks intact. You've got it right when the yolk sits round in the center and the white spreads evenly over the batter.
Step 5
Bake at 190°C for about 15 to 18 minutes; if you like your yolks jammy, take them out at the earlier time. This temperature is enough for the bread to rise and bake through without the egg turning dry and rubbery. They are done when the bread around the egg is golden brown, the white has set opaque and a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean.
Step 6
Let the breads sit in the molds for about five minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and lift them out. A short rest firms them up so they don't break as you remove them. They are ready when they come out whole with crisp golden edges and a cross-section shows soft, fluffy bread hugging the egg.
Equipment
- Oven
- Shaping molds
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Sieve
- Pastry brush
Tips
- If you don't have small rectangular molds, you can use a muffin pan, but reduce the baking time by about two minutes.
- Sprinkle a little dried parsley or black pepper over the egg before baking to make it more fragrant and less rich.
- Tuck a few small slices of ham under the egg for a heartier, more savory breakfast version.
Storage
Gyeranppang is best eaten warm, right after baking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat them within two days, reheating them in a 160°C oven for about five minutes.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The egg is overcooked and dry while the bread is still underbaked inside.
- The layer of batter in the molds was too thick. Fill the molds only halfway, and you can bake the bread for about five minutes before adding the eggs.
- The egg white spills over the sides of the molds.
- The molds were too small for the eggs or the batter was too full. Use medium eggs or pour off some of the white before adding them to the molds.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
