Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread

Close up of a Korean cream cheese garlic bun

Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread

Step aside basic garlic bread, make room for the new superstar Korean Cream Cheese Garlic bread. These Korean bread rolls stuffed with sweetened cream cheese and then dipped in a honey garlic butter custard are the best thing since sliced bread.

Course Snack

Cuisine Korean

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 35

Total Time 2 35

Servings Rolls

Calories 624kcal

Author Takes Two Eggs

Ingredients

Bread Dough

250 mL (1 cup) milk 110 F
60 g (5 tablespoon) granulated sugar
10 g (1 tablespoon) instant dry yeast
500 g (3 3/4 cup) bread flour
6 g (1 teaspoon) salt
2 large eggs room temperature
40 g (3 tablespoon) unsalted butter room temperature
Egg wash 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, optional

Sweetened Cream Cheese

1 lb (2 bricks) cream cheese room temperature
60 g (5 tablespoon) granulated sugar
60 mL (1/4 cup) heavy whipping cream

Honey Garlic Butter

340 g (1 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3 tablespoon garlic 15-20 cloves, finely minced
4 tablespoon condensed milk
2 large eggs room temperature
2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoon parsley roughly chopped

Toppings (Optional)

Panko bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bake the Korean Bread Rolls

Make the dough. In the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, mix together the bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, and milk until combined. The dough will be crumbly and that's ok. (If using active dry yeast, see notes)
Add eggs and salt. Once mixed together, add in the eggs in at a time and then the salt. Mix until the dough begins to form. The dough will be really sticky at this point.
Switch to your dough hook and knead at medium speed for 7 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough should be smooth, elastic and should spring back when you press your finger into it.
Add butter. Then add softened butter mixing on medium speed. Mix until incorporated. (If you don't have a stand mixer, see notes)
Increase speed to high (10 speed) and knead for about 15-20 minutes. You will know the dough is done if it passes the window-pane test: pinch a small piece of dough from the ball and stretch it. It should not break easily, and light should be able to shine through it revealing your fingers.
Proof the dough. Roll and tuck the dough under itself to form a smooth ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place the dough in a warm place (oven at 100F) for about 1 hour or double in size.
Remove the dough and knead. Once doubled in size, check to see if the dough is proofed by poking the dough, the dough should not bounce back. Deflate the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 3-4 minutes to relax and smooth the dough.
Divide the dough and shape into balls. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Gently tuck the dough balls under itself to tighten the dough and form smooth buns.
Proof the dough again. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let them rise for 30 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and bake. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Whip the Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

Whip the cream cheese. In a large bowl, using the stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and airy.
Slowly add the sugar while the mixer is mixing. Whisk until fully incorporated. Lastly, add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth.
Place in a piping bag with a large piping tip. Set aside.

Make the Honey Garlic Butter Custard

Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Mix in the minced garlic, condensed milk, and honey.
When the butter has cooled, add in the eggs and parsley. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Slice each bread roll into 6 sections or three slices across each side. BE CAREFUL not to cut the bread all the way through. The bread still needs to be attached at the bottom.
Pipe in the sweet cream cheese in-between each section.
Pour the honey garlic butter over each bread roll, until it’s evenly coated. Make sure to coat all the corners and crevices. You can also simply dunk the bread rolls to immerse them completely. Hold the roll upside down to drain excess butter.
Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs or parmesan cheese. Or both! This part is all up to you. Pipe the center with remaining cream cheese.
Place each bread roll on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 350°F or until the tops are crispy

Notes

Use a scale! I did my best to convert the ingredients into measurements, however to get the most precise and no fail bake it is best if you use a scale for the most accurate reading. I love this kitchen scale.

If using active dry yeast, heat milk to 110-115 F and mix in the yeast. Cover and wait about 10 min until the yeast blooms.
If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand. Simply mix all the dough ingredients together with a whisk first until combined and then knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough passes the window pane test.
Do the window pane test. To make sure the dough is ready, take a small piece of dough and stretch it with your fingers. It should not break and should stretch thinly enough that you can see your fingers through it. If it rips easily, keep kneading.
Do the poke test. Alternatively, you can see if the dough is ready by poking the dough. If it springs back immediately it is ready. If it sinks in, keep kneading.
When shaping the dough into balls, tightly tuck the dough. This is important for the dough to maintain its shape after it proofs a second time and bakes. If the dough is not tight enough it will flatten.
During the second bake, if the bread starts to get too dark lightly cover with foil to prevent from burning.
Storage Instructions: You can store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To re-heat simply pop them in the oven at 350F for roughly 3-5 minutes. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To re-heat frozen buns, bring the buns to room temperature and re-heat in oven.

Nutrition