Korean-Style Sausage Bread

A Soft and Fluffy Korean Bakery Favorite You Can Make at Home

Close your eyes and picture Korean cuisine. You're probably seeing vibrantly red kimchi, a bubbling bowl of soondubu-jjigae, sizzling bulgogi, or those tightly wound rolls of kimbap. Would a hot dog make the list? Probably not. But after one bite of Korean-Style Sausage Bread, it just might.

Asian kitchens have a gift for taking humble ingredients and dishes from "Western" countries and turning them into something magical. The story starts with the sausage itself. During the Korean War, U.S. Army bases introduced sausages (and their famous cousin, Spam) to the local food scene. Koreans embraced them with open arms and plenty of creativity. Before long, sausages appeared far beyond the bun, finding their way into soups, stews, and stir-fries alongside rice.

For a similar tale of wartime culinary fusion, look at Okinawan taco rice. Created to appeal to American military personnel stationed in Okinawa, Japan, taco rice combined familiar Tex-Mex flavors with the comforting format of a Japanese donburi-style rice bowl. Equal parts creativity, necessity, and clever observation, it shows how new ingredients can spark entirely new dishes! (You can read all about it, plus the recipe, here)

The bread itself came later. While its exact origins are fuzzy, historians trace it to the 1980s and '90s, when bakeries began popping up across Korea. These shops sold French-inspired breads tweaked to suit the Korean palate: softer, fluffier, and a touch sweeter. Around the same time, Korean street food was booming. Somewhere along the line, someone fused these two trends into one glorious creation. Whoever you are, I thank you….

At its heart, Korean-Style Sausage Bread is a soft, enriched bun topped with sausage and a tangle of savory ingredients. Picture a pillowy roll shaped into a ring, scored into a flower-like pattern, or wrapped around a whole sausage. It's then topped with diced vegetables, mozzarella, mayonnaise, and a zigzag of ketchup.

The secret lies in the contrast. The bread is light and slightly sweet, while the toppings are salty, tangy, and rich. Together, they create the perfect balance of flavors, which is exactly why these buns disappear from bakery shelves so quickly. But there's no need to line up outside the bakery before it opens when you can make them just as good at home!

Korean-Style Sausage Bread

These delectable breads make a perfect snack or lunch when craving a savory treat. The anori-topped brioche and cheesy corn topping taste straight out of a Korean street market. Elevate your hot dog game!

Recipe and Photography by Maya Alderman (@Kuishinbo_Maya)

Forge To Table Knives

Prep Time: 2 hours (including dough proofing)

Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Serving Size: 8 ‘loaves’

Ingredients: 

Sausage

• 8 each, hot dog franks/sausages (pre-cooked), see chef's notes

The Bread

• 4 cups, bread flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon yeast

• 1 cup warm milk

• 2 each eggs

• 2 tablespoons of honey

• 6 tablespoons, softened butter 

Corn-Cheese Topping

• 1 cup sweet corn kernels, sliced off the cob

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 6 cloves minced garlic

• ½ cup Kewpie mayo

• 1 cup shredded cheese

The Finishing Touches

• 1 each egg (for egg wash)

• Ketchup

• Aonori or parsley

Directions:

1. BLOOM. In a small mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and honey. Give it a quick stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy and activated. 

2. MIX BREAD. Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture, add the eggs, and mix on low speed with the dough hook until no dry spots remain. Add the softened butter and continue kneading until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. 

3. PROOF. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4. CORN TOPPING. Combine the corn kernels, chopped onion, minced garlic, Kewpie mayo, and shredded cheese in a bowl and mix until well incorporated. Easy, eh?

5. PORTION DOUGH. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then flatten one ball at a time into a sausage-length oval, leaving a little extra dough at each end. Lightly dust with flour, if needed, to prevent sticking.

6. WRAP THE WIENERS (hehe). Place a sausage in the center of the dough, fold the ends over, and pinch the long seam closed. Gently roll it to create a smooth, even shape, then transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each bun. Repeat with the remaining dough and sausages.

7. SLICE THE WIENERS (ouch!). Using a sharp Forge To Table Paring Knife, make 10 to 12 evenly spaced cuts through the sausage, slicing all the way through the meat but stopping before cutting through the bottom layer of dough. Gently pull each slice to alternating sides to create a zigzag pattern.

8. PROOF. Cover the buns and let them rise in a warm spot until puffy and nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

9. TOPPINGS. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush each sausage bread with egg wash to create a shiny, golden crust. Spoon a generous amount of the corn and cheese filling down the center of each bun, spreading it evenly from end to end.

10. BAKE. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the buns are puffed and golden brown.

11. SERVE. Let the buns cool for a few minutes before drizzling them with ketchup. Finish with a generous sprinkle of aonori for a savory pop of umami, or dried parsley if preferred. Serve warm and enjoy!

Chef’s Notes:

• My favorite sausages are EverGood Pineapple Sausage or EverGood Garlic Sausage because they bake up beautifully and add great flavor!

• Don't overdo the topping! It can be tempting to pile on the corn and cheese mixture, but too much can slide off during baking and prevent the bread from properly rising. A generous spoonful down the center is all you need! I may or may not be speaking from experience. (I definitely am.)

• PLEASE use a sharp knife when cutting through the sausages to create the zigzag pattern. Otherwise, the dough will drag and create a mess. The more cuts you make, the easier it will be to pull the slices apart. Take your time with this step! Put on some good tunes or a podcast.