Soboro Ppang (Korean Peanut Streusel Bread)

Soboro Ppang (소보로빵) is a Korean roll that is topped with a tasty peanut butter streusel. It can be baked with just the streusel or it can be stuffed with a filling such as red bean paste, pastry cream, jam, or even more peanut streusel. 

This soboro ppang is the recipe the Bread Baking Babes are baking this month, as introduced by the blog My Diverse Kitchen. This is my first go at making this bread and, although my streusel turned out a little too sparse after the rolls rose in the oven, I was still super happy with the results. 

I am planning to make them again very soon to work on making the streusel more dense, but in the meantime, these were a delicious treat. In fact, I immediately ate two of them warm from the oven, one plain, and one spread with chunky peanut butter in the center. I could have eaten even more. 

The bread itself is super soft, fluffy, and lightly sweet. It gets its softness from the use of a tangzhong, which is a mix of flour and either water or milk, which are briefly cooked together until thickened.  

Ingredients in These Rolls:

Flour: You can use either bread flour or all purpose flour. 

Milk: It should be lukewarm, about 100 degrees F. 

Egg and Butter: Both should be room temperature. 

Salt, Sugar, and Instant Yeast. 

Water: For the tangzhong. 

For the Streusel:

Butter and Peanut Butter: You can use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter. 

Brown Sugar: Either light or dark. 

Egg Yolk. 

Flour, Baking Powder, and Cornstarch. 

You will also need a slurry of water and cornstarch for dipping the tops of the rolls so that the streusel will stick. 

To Make Soboro Ppang:

First, make the tangzhong on the stovetop in a small pan by cooking the water and a small amount of flour until the mixture thickens. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and then scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the milk, egg, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast and knead with the dough hook for about five minutes. Then, add the butter and knead for an additional five minutes. The dough will be quite sticky. 

After that, let the dough rise for about an hour. 

While the dough is rising, make the streusel. Mix together all of the ingredients than then clump them together with your fingers to create a a crumbly texture. 

Once the dough has risen, shape it into 55 gram (or so) pieces and form each piece into a ball. Dip each ball into a slurry of water and cornstarch, and then dip the wet side into a layer of the streusel. Let the rolls rise for about 40 minutes, and then bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Tip for Attaching the Streusel:

My goal was to achieve a thicker streusel look just like in Food 52 or Jessica's Dinner Party. Another option is to create a thick layer of the streusel as pictured in Cherry on My Sundae, which is made more like the topping of Concha Bread. 

I was pretty light handed in adding the streusel. To get it to be thicker, place a good amount of the struesel mixture on the work surface and strongly press the tops of the rolls into the streusel. Then, reshape the rolls into balls by tucking the edges of the flattened rolls under to form a ball shape. The rolls will regain their roundness as they rise and bake in the oven. 

Storage: 

These rolls will stay fresh for up to three days in an airtight container (if they last that long). 

More Tips:

These rolls are fairly small, as is the amount of dough. You might end up with more streusel than you need. To save any leftover streusel for later, wrap it in a freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. You can use leftovers for more soboro ppang or even for making muffins or coffee cake. 

While I didn't add a filling to my buns, be sure to check out the rest of the Bread Baking Babes posts for filling recipes and ideas. The links are after the recipe. 

Soboro Ppang

Yield: 9 Rolls

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 H & 40 MTotal time: 2 H & 30 M

Soboro Ppang is a Korean roll that is topped with a tasty peanut butter streusel.

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong

• 1/3 cup (80 grams) water
• 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all purpose flour

For the Dough

• All of the tangzhong
• 1/3 cup (85 grams) lukewarm milk
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 1/8 cups (238 to 250 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

For the Peanut Streusel

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter (75 grams) unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons (78 grams) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
• 1/3 cup (78 grams) dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/8 cups (140 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon (17 grams) dark corn syrup

For Attaching the Streusel

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

To Make the Tangzhong

1. Add the water and flour to a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until just thickened. Remove from the heat and immediately scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer.

To Make the Dough

1. Along with the tangzhong, add the milk, egg, all purpose flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead the dough for five minutes on speed 2.
2. Add the butter and knead for an additional five minutes on speed 2.
3. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.

To Make the Streusel

1. Cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add the brown sugar and mix. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and all purpose flour.
2. Stir in the baking powder, corn starch, and corn syrup.
3. With your hand, clump the dough together to create uneven pieces. Set aside.

To Create the Buns

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Divide the dough into 55 gram pieces, about 9 to 10 pieces. With floured hands, form each into a ball.
3. Dip the top of each ball in the water and cornstarch slurry and then press each into about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the streusel. Place each on the parchment lined baking sheet (4 to 6 per baking sheet), streusel side up. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 40 minutes.
4. Bake the rolls, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Fat (grams)

10 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7 g

Carbs (grams)

59 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

55 g

Sugar (grams)

17 g

Protein (grams)

9 g

Cholesterol (grams)

67 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/12/soboro-ppang-korean-peanut-streusel.html

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