Bori-ppang (보리빵, Barley Steamed Bread)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Steamer pot with a tight lid, bamboo or stainless, at least 10 inches wide
• •8 silicone muffin cups or 8 small heatproof ramekins
• •Clean cotton cloth for tying under the lid
• •Mixing bowl and sturdy spoon
• •Kitchen scale

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the makgeolli

   Shake the makgeolli well before measuring, because the rice sediment carries flavor. Stir it with the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl and let it stand 10 minutes. It should look creamy and lightly bubbled at the edges. If your makgeolli is pasteurized, it will give flavor but not reliable lift, which is why the yeast is measured here.

   Do not heat makgeolli directly. If it gets hot, it kills the yeast and the bread turns heavy before it even reaches the pot.
2. 2

   Mix the flours

   Whisk the barley flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together. Barley has almost no gluten, so it cannot trap air the way wheat does. The wheat flour is not there to hide the barley. It gives the bread just enough structure to rise without losing its plain barley character.

3. 3

   Make the batter

   Pour the makgeolli mixture and the oil into the flours. Stir with a sturdy spoon until no dry patches remain, about 60 strokes. Do not knead. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter and soft enough to scoop, holding a mound for a moment before settling. If it sits like clay, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. Barley flour drinks differently from mill to mill, so the texture matters more than pride.

   Write down how much extra water your flour needed. Memory is a borrowed bowl, and the next bag of barley flour may not behave like this one.
4. 4

   Let it rise

   Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, until the batter looks puffy, loosened, and about half again as large. It will not double like wheat bread, and chasing that rise only makes it sour and tired. You want small bubbles and a batter that feels alive when you stir the edge.

5. 5

   Fill the cups

   Lightly oil 8 silicone muffin cups or line 8 small heatproof ramekins with parchment squares. For plain bori-ppang, fill each cup two-thirds full. For red bean filling, add 1 heaping tablespoon batter, press 1 tablespoon red bean paste into a flat disk, set it in the center, and cover with more batter, leaving 1 cm of room at the top. Smooth the tops with a wet spoon.

6. 6

   Rest once more

   Let the filled cups stand 20 to 25 minutes while you bring water to a full boil in the steamer pot. Tie a clean cotton cloth under the lid so water does not drip back onto the bread. This is a safe modern habit, and a good one. Droplets make gummy spots on the tops.

   If you cook over gas, keep the cloth ends tied up and away from the flame.
7. 7

   Steam the bread

   Set the cups in the steamer over actively boiling water, leaving space between them. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 18 to 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid for the first 15 minutes, because the sudden cold air can collapse the rise. The breads are done when the tops look matte, spring back lightly, and a skewer comes out clean.

8. 8

   Set and serve

   Turn off the heat, crack the lid for 2 minutes, then lift the breads out and let them settle 5 minutes before unmolding. Eat them warm or at room temperature. They should be dense, tender, faintly sour from the makgeolli, and plainly barley. That plainness is the dish.

Chef Tips

• •Use makgeolli you would drink, not the bottle that has gone sharp in the back of the refrigerator. Unpasteurized makgeolli gives better aroma and some natural lift. Pasteurized makgeolli still belongs here, but the measured yeast must do the rising.
• •Do not chase a bakery crumb. Barley is supposed to be close-grained and earthy. The baking powder and wheat flour lighten it only enough to make it tender, not enough to turn it into white bread wearing barley's name.
• •If your barley flour is coarse, sift it once and return only the fine part to the batter. Save the coarse bits for porridge or pancakes. In this bread, large gritty pieces interrupt the crumb.
• •Plain bori-ppang is the older, poorer taste. Red bean filling is welcome, especially for a market-style snack, but keep it to 1 tablespoon per bread or the center turns wet and heavy.
• •Leftovers firm as they sit. Reheat them by steaming 5 minutes, or wrap one in a damp cloth and microwave 20 to 30 seconds. Dry heat makes barley bread tough.

Advance Preparation

• •The batter can be mixed the night before with only 1/2 teaspoon yeast, covered, and refrigerated for 8 to 12 hours. Bring it to room temperature for 45 minutes before portioning and steaming.
• •Red bean paste can be divided into 8 tablespoon-size portions up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
• •Cooked bori-ppang keeps 1 day at room temperature, 3 days refrigerated, or 1 month frozen. Reheat from frozen by steaming 8 to 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)