Oksusu-sulppang (Corn Makgeolli Steamed Bread)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan or heatproof stainless bowl, at least 2 inches deep
• •Large steamer pot or wok with rack and tight-fitting lid
• •Clean cotton cloth for wrapping the lid
• •Parchment paper
• •Silicone spatula
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the leaven

   Open the makgeolli slowly if it is live, then cap it and turn the bottle gently until the rice sediment returns to the drink. Stir the makgeolli, warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. After mixing, the liquid should be warm to the touch, about 30 to 35 C, never hot. Wait 10 minutes. Fine bubbles tell you the leaven is awake.

   If your makgeolli is pasteurized, it still gives flavor, but it will not lift the batter on its own. Use the full measure of yeast. That is not cheating; it is knowing the bottle in front of you.
2. 2

   Soak the cornmeal

   Whisk the cornmeal into the makgeolli mixture and let it stand 15 minutes. Cornmeal is thirsty. Give it this time or the crumb turns sandy, and then people blame the corn instead of the cook.

3. 3

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir the beaten egg and oil into the soaked cornmeal mixture, then fold in the flour until no dry patches remain. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter and fall from the spatula in a heavy ribbon. If it sits like dough, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 4 tablespoons. Fold in 60g of the corn kernels and save the rest for the top.

4. 4

   Let it rise

   Cover the bowl and let the batter rise in a warm place, 26 to 28 C if you can manage it, until nearly doubled and pocked with small bubbles, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. A cool kitchen may take longer. Do not wait for it to triple. Over-risen sulppang tastes harsh and sinks in the middle.

5. 5

   Prepare the steamer

   Oil an 8-inch round cake pan or heatproof stainless bowl and line the bottom with parchment. Fill a steamer pot or wok with 2 inches of water and bring it to a lively boil. Wrap the lid in a clean cotton cloth and tie it firmly at the handle, so condensed water does not drip and pit the bread.

6. 6

   Proof in the pan

   Fold the risen batter gently 4 times from the edge toward the center, only to even out the largest air pockets. Scrape it into the prepared pan and smooth the top lightly. Scatter over the reserved corn kernels and black sesame seeds, if using. Let it stand 15 to 20 minutes, until the batter rises about 1 cm and small bubbles return.

7. 7

   Steam without peeking

   Set the pan on the steamer rack, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 35 to 40 minutes. Do not lift the lid for the first 30 minutes. The center needs steady heat to set, and a curious cook can collapse a good loaf in one second. It is done when a skewer comes out clean, the center springs back, or an instant-read thermometer reads 93 to 95 C.

8. 8

   Rest and cut

   Turn off the heat, crack the lid open slightly, and let the bread sit 5 minutes before lifting it out. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and unmold. Cut into wedges and eat warm or at room temperature. Write down your rise time. Memory is a borrowed bowl.

Chef Tips

• •Look for saeng-makgeolli, the live unpasteurized kind, sold cold. If the shop only has pasteurized makgeolli, buy it anyway for flavor and keep the yeast in the recipe. A modern bottle varies too much for guessing.
• •Use fine or medium cornmeal. Coarse polenta can work, but soak it 30 minutes instead of 15 and expect to add the extra warm water. Cornstarch is not cornmeal and will make the bread pasty.
• •Do not bake this batter. The oven gives a crust and dry sides, and sulppang should stay soft from edge to center. An electric steamer or rice cooker with a steam tray is a safe modern vessel; dry oven heat is not.
• •Keep the sugar measured. Less than 50g makes the bread flat-tasting and slows the rise; much more than 80g pushes it toward cake and hides the makgeolli.

Advance Preparation

• •The flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt can be measured the night before. Keep the yeast separate and add it to the liquid on the day you cook.
• •The finished bread keeps best after cooking, not as raw batter. Cool it completely, wrap wedges tightly, and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.
• •To reheat, put chilled wedges back in a steamer for 5 to 6 minutes, or frozen wedges for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not microwave too long; it toughens the corn crumb.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)