Korean sausage bread, or the fancier version of our childhood pigs in a blanket, is loaded with a savory corn and cheese topping and wrapped with soft, airy bread. It's a popular pastry you can find at Korean bakeries, just like kkwabaeggi (Korean twisted donuts).
When we go to Korean bakeries, we always had to get some Korean sausage bread! Hotdogs wrapped in soft, tender bread and loaded with corn, cheese, and onions - I mean, what's not to love?! It's a an upgrade of classic pigs in the blanket and a flavor bomb!
They're Kyong's favorite, and in the world of sausage breads, these Korean sausage breads are definitely the most indulgent. But make sure to also check out these Korean cream cheese garlic bread and our Japanese milk bread! These two breads are always a hit amongst bread lovers.
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What is Korean sausage bread?
Some of you probably know Korean sausage bread as the "so se ji ppang" from Asian pastry shops like Tours les Jours. For those of you unfamiliar with these sausage breads, they are not to be underestimated.
Korean sausage bread is like a fancier version of twisty pigs in the blanket meshed with Chinese hotdog buns that's also loaded with some cheesy corn and onion topping. The bread itself is super soft, fluffy, and twisted into a very satisfying lattice work.
Ingredients needed to make Korean sausage bread
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
For the dough:
- All-purpose flour - although most bread recipes use bread flour, standard all-purpose flour works perfectly for this recipe. Plus, it's more accessible and cheaper.
- Sugar and salt - For seasoning the dough. We highly recommend granulated white sugar and both kosher salt or fine table salt will work.
- Hot water - Adding boiling hot water to the flour gelatinize it, making the dough extra soft and fluffy. It's a similar concept as using tangzhong for making milk bread.
- Milk and egg - These two adds the additional moisture needed to make the dough, and both also adds richness and flavor to the bread.
- Yeast - We used active dry yeast, which requires dissolving in some warm liquid (in this case the milk) before using. You could also use instant dry yeast instead, which you can add directly into the flour mixture without dissolving first.
- Unsalted butter - Butter adds additional richness to the dough and also make the dough a little less tacky when handling. Make sure to to use unsalted butter so that you can fully control how salty the dough is!
For the rest of the bread:
- Hotdog - Feel free to use your favorite hotdog brand. It is one of the main star of this bread, so use a brand that you like. If you prefer actual sausage, you can do that too. The sausage should be cooked by the end of the baking time, but you can always check with a thermometer to make sure.
- Mozzarella, corn, onion, green onion, and mayo - These ingredients makes the corn and cheese toppings for our Korean sausage bread. The green onion can be omitted if you wish, as it is mostly for color. However, the mayo is necessary to help bind everything and to make the veggies taste better.
- Dry parsley (optional for garnish)
- Ketchup and mustard - These two are our favorite condiments for Korean sausage bread, but feel free to eat the sausage bread plain or with your preferred condiments.
How to shape Korean sausage bread:
1. Roll the dough into an oval long enough to fit a hotdog with about an extra inch flap on each end. You can also just use your palm to flatten the dough.
2. Fold the end flaps onto the hotdog.
3. Pinch together the dough on both sides (long ways) to seal the hotdog.
4. Roll the hotdog stuffed dough to make it more cylindrical.
5. Use a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife to make 8 to 9 cuts in the hotdog stuffed dough and pull each piece, alternative, left and right.
🌟 Pro tip: Cut all the way through the hotdogs but DO NOT cut through the bottom of the dough! You want the dough to stay connected so that the bread can stay intact.
Frequently asked questions
Does the bread needs kneading?
Our bread recipe for this Korean sausage bread is ALMOST a no knead bread! Only some initial mixing is needed to get all the dry and wet ingredients incorporated and then just let dough naturally develop gluten as it rest.
Can I make the bread faster?
To make our sausage bread a little faster, you can knead the bread, either by hand or with a mixer, instead of resting the dough for 30 minutes. This will save you around 15 to 30 minutes.
If you decide to knead the dough, simply make the dough as per the recipe but keep kneading it until the dough becomes supple and mostly smooth, about 10-15 minutes. Note that the dough will still be kind of tacky.
After the dough has been kneaded enough, incorporate the softened butter. Then, cover the dough and let it proof until doubled. A way to check is to poke the dough in the middle, and it shouldn't bounce back nor should the rest of the dough deflate.
Why do I need to use hot water for the bread?
Because we wanted to imitate the airiness and softness of milk bread, we decided to use a similar method as "tang zhong" from our milk bread loaf recipe. This method, using scalding hot water to "cook" the dough, is called "tang mian (烫面)," which literally translates to "hot/ cooked flour" and does similar things for our dough.
Tang mian allows us to add more liquid than traditional methods because flour accepts more hot liquid than room temperature or cold. It also helps giving our bread a better texture and additional airiness because part of the dough is "cooked."
What is the topping on Korean sausage bread?
The most popular toppings for Korean sausage bread is the cheese (of course), usually mozzarella, mayonnaise for binding, sweet corn, and diced onions. But feel free to adjust the toppings to your liking.
We do highly recommend the sweet corn because it a nice pop of sweetness to the sausage bread. Plus, if you've ever had corn sausage, it's a very nostalgic flavor!
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Korean Sausage Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- ½ cup milk warm (between 90-105°F)
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned, and leveled (plus more for dusting)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup hot water (hotter than 195°F)
- 1 large egg (plus 1 optional for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into smaller pieces
- 6 hotdog
For the corn and cheese topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup can sweet corn drained (about 5 oz)
- ¼ large yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 stalk green onion sliced (optional)
To serve:
- Dry parsley flakes (optional for garnishing)
- Ketchup or mustard (optional for dressing)
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and give it a stir. Set aside to let the yeast dissolve and activate, about 3 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Drizzle the hot water into the flour mixture while mixing with a pair of chopsticks or a rubber spatula.
- Once the yeast has dissolved, add the milk with dissolved yeast to the flour mixture, along with the egg. Mix until until the dough is well combined and no more dry pockets remain. Use your hand if necessary and round the dough into a ball. Then, cover the dough and let it rest in a warm area for about 30 minutes.*The dough will be quite sticky at this point, and it's totally normal. Don't add any additional flour just yet!*
- After 30 minutes, add the softened butter to the dough and knead until all the butter is absorbed. Round the dough back into a ball, cover, and let the dough proof in a warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Shape the dough:
- Prepare a couple of sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
- When the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead the dough back into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 even pieces. Round out each piece of dough into a ball.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten each piece of dough into an oval long enough to fit a hotdog and have about 1 inch extra flap on both ends. Lightly dust your work surface and dough as needed.
- Place a hotdog at the center of the dough and fold the ends of the dough over the hotdog. Bring the long edge of the dough together and pinch along the seams to seal the hotdog. Once sealed, roll the dough to even out the shape. Arrange the shaped dough on the prepared sheet pan and repeat with the remaining dough and hotdogs. Try leave at last 3 to 4 inches of space between each.
- Using a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife, give the sausage bread each about 8 to 9 cuts, evenly spread out. Make sure to cut all the way through the hotdog but NOT the bottom layer of dough. You want the dough to stay connected. Shape the sausage bread by opening up each cut and alternating left and right. *Refer to post for photo reference.*
- Cover the sausage breads and let it proof in a warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes.
For the corn and cheese topping:
- While the sausage bread is proofing, make the corn and cheese topping. In a bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella, sweet corn, diced onion, green onion, and mayo. Mix until everything is well distributed. Refrigerate until needed.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the sausage breads have doubled, brush it with a thin layer of egg wash (if desired).
- Top each of the sausage breads with about 3 tablespoons of the corn and cheese topping. Try to keep the toppings in the center of the bread and avoid the hotdogs if possible (mostly for aesthetics).
- Bake the Korean sausage breads for about 18 to 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the thickest part of the bread registers at least 190°F internally. Remove the bread from the oven and garnish with some parsley flakes (if desired). Let the sausage bread cool for 10-15 minutes or until comfortable to handle.
- Enjoy the Korean sausage bread warm, by itself or with some ketchup and/or mustard!
Andy says
Thank you so much! After moving from NYC years ago, I could no longer find sausage ppang or anything even close (no Korean or any sort of bakeries where we live). This is pretty much perfect! I’ve been making it since the pandemic hit for a little bit of home, and even with my modifications to the recipe it’s been fantastic. We like to have miniature versions of these on cookout days alongside sundubu jjigae and oi muchim. Very well written!
Mei says
Hi Andy!
Thank you for stopping by our little corner of the internet and dropping such a generous comment! It totally made it our day! ❤️
We're so happy that our sausage bread recipe is comparable to those sausage ppangs from Korean bakeries and that your family are enjoying it! And those miniature ones sound adorable!
Thanks again and happy baking!
Mei ❤️
SH says
Just made this recipe and it was great!! The bread was nice and soft ❤️ Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Mei says
Thank you so much for trying out our sausage bread recipe! So glad you enjoyed it as well!
Bake with love!
Mei ❤️
Shey says
Hi! What substitutes would you recommend for the mayo?
Mei says
Hi Shey!
You can omit the mayo if you prefer and just top the bread with the vegetables and cheese. The mayo is mostly there as a binder and to add a little more extra flavor.
Hope this helps!
Mei ❤️
Anh says
Hi I made the breads, and they turned out really good but I want to know how to proof the dough like can I do room temperature or it has to be warmer? Because I noticed my dough didn’t really get doubled after the second proof.
Mei says
Hi Ahn!
Thanks for trying out our Korean sausage bread recipe! If your kitchen is really warm, you could proof it on the counter with something covering it. But usually, we prefer proofing it in our oven with the oven light on. I like to put a small bowl of hot water in the oven with the dough to keep them moist as well. If it's a really cold day, then I'll even heat my oven for a short moment, just enough to get it slightly warmed. You can remove the breads from the oven about 90% proofed to egg wash, load it with the corn and cheese toppings, and preheat your oven. Hope this helps!
Mei ❤️
sarah says
Hi, I would like to know what sausage do you use in the recipe?
Mei says
Hi Sarah! We actually used hotdogs. In Korea, hotdogs are call "sausages". That's why this bread is called Korean sausage bread. It's a little misleading 😅 But feel free to use sausages if you prefer! Some readers have done so, and they've loved it just as much.
Mei ❤️
Jenny says
I seldom write comments or reviews and it’s only now that I’m thinking of trying another recipe of yours that I thought I ought to leave one for it is truly deserved.
I made these sausage buns for the family and they absolutely loved it. They said it was just like store bought. I doubled the quantity but somehow we managed to finish it over a weekend!
Easy to follow instructions with loads of explanations to make every step easy to understand. Thank you so much for sharing. Now to try the fried chicken recipe. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Mei says
Hi Jenny!
Thank you so much for your kind words! You've totally made our day. We are so happy that everyone enjoyed the sausage breads and hope you all enjoy the fried chicken as well! =)
Mei ❤️