The Gyeran-ppang (계란빵), also known as Korean egg bread (gyeran), is a popular street food in South Korea, especially loved during cold days.
It is a small bread with an egg (gyeran) inside.
The texture is soft and slightly sweet, with the yolk remaining firm inside. The dough is made of: yeast, wheat flour, sugar, butter, and milk.
A gyeran-ppang machine is an appliance with oblong slots for pouring the dough.
The recipe has roots in Korean street food traditions and was first documented in the 17th century during the reign of King Yeongjo Joseon, attributed to Jeong-hyun Kim, a cook who served at court during the period.
But it is said that the gyeran-ppang as it appears today first appeared in 1984 at a street food stand near Inha University in Incheon, about 30.4 miles from the capital.
The place, called “The Original Whole Egg Nutritional Bread,” is still open today.
We tasted it in the Myeong-dong district, among the street food stalls (see photo), during our trip to Seoul in March 2025.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Korean
- Seasonality: Winter, All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 5 tsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (or 25 g fresh yeast)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 6 eggs (one for each bun)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Steps
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
– If using fresh yeast, it is recommended to dissolve it first in lukewarm water taken from the needed amount (not too hot, about 98-104°F) to activate it in 5/10 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients –
Add the milk, water, and butter or oil and mix until a homogeneous dough forms.
Knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth and soft dough.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.Once the dough has risen, deflate it and divide it into 6/8 small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball but elongated.
Make a small hole in the center of each dough ball and insert a raw egg. Cover the egg with the dough.
Heat a pan with a little butter or oil over medium heat.
Cook the buns with the egg in the center for about 10-12 minutes.You can also bake them in the oven at 356°F/392°F – using a mini loaf pan – for about 15-20 minutes, but the pan is the more traditional method.
Once cooked, serve them hot. The egg should be firm but not too dry.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Are there any variations of the Gyeran-ppang recipe?
Some modern recipes include a slice of cheese (such as cheddar) on top of the egg to add a richer, creamier flavor.
Others add chopped vegetables or spices to the dough for a more complex flavor, but this is not a traditional practice.
More modern recipes may involve baking in the oven using mini loaf pans, but traditionally they are cooked in a pan.
Some substitute yeast with baking powder, which reduces the preparation time, but traditionally yeast is used.
