This recipe isn’t mine. I followed the recipe from Emmymade in Japan on YouTube, first cutting the recipe in half since I only wanted a few rolls, but I needed slightly more cream cheese for the filling for some reason. I also added chopped chives and Maldon sea salt flakes for topping the rolls, whereas she adds Panko bread crumbs for added crunch. They turned out great, although I initially didn’t like how sweet the cream cheese was as it reminded me of frosting, but eventually I came to appreciate the sweet/salty/soft/crunchy combo. They freeze well and can be reheated in a conventional oven or microwave with similar results.

korean cream cheese garlic bread rolls

ingredients

2 cups and 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 Tablespoons powdered milk (I used malted milk powder, just because that’s what I had on hand)

1 and  3/4 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 egg

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cups and 1.5 teaspoon room temperature water

1 egg with 1 teaspoon water (optional egg wash)

cream cheese filling:

6 ounces cream cheese with 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

garlic butter mixture:

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted 

1 large egg, room temperature

1 Tablespoons heavy cream 

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced (about 4-5 cloves)

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped (optional)

Maldon flaky sea salt, for topping

method

In a small bowl, add the water and active dry yeast with a large pinch of the sugar and let sit for about 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

In another larger bowl, add the flour, salt, the rest of the sugar and the milk powder, and stir with a whisk several times. Set aside.

When the yeast has bloomed, pour all the yeast and water on top of the flour mixture, then add the egg and the melted butter. Stir with a spatula until a dough starts to form, then scrape all contents of the bowl on to a floured work surface and knead for about 15 minutes. 

Shape dough into one ball and place in a well oiled bowl, turning the dough ball once to ensure the entire ball of dough is coated lightly with the oil. Cover the top of the bowl and leave in a warm place in kitchen for about 2 hours.

After dough has doubled in size, divide into seven smaller balls of dough, each of them should weigh about 3 ounces each.

Shape each ball of dough into tight little rolls and place on parchment lined baking sheets with about 2-inch spacing between balls of dough. Spritz or very lightly coat with oil and cover loosely with plastic and let rise for about 1.5 hours.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. F.

Dough will be ready when you poke it or indent it with a finger and the hole bounces back, but real slowly.

Brush tops with egg wash and bake in a 400 degrees F. oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack before proceeding with adding the cream cheese mixture and garlic butter mixture for a second baking in the oven.

Blend the cream cheese with the sugar just like you are making a frosting. Place in a pastry bag with a tip for convenience in applying to the rolls or just set aside and just use a spoon to apply.

To make the garlic butter mixture, make sure all the ingredients are not cold, otherwise it will seize up. You don’t want everything to be too hot that the egg starts to cook, but you definitely don’t want the butter or eggs to be too cold that the mixture solidifies. Set aside.

When ready to apply filling and garlic butter mixture, cut each of the cooled rolls with a serrated knife in an asterisk pattern on top to make six sides. 

Apply cream cheese along each of the six sides from the bottom center to the outer edges of each roll.

After cream cheese filling has been applied, dunk each of the rolls separately one at a time into the garlic butter mixture, making sure the mixture goes in between each side and inside each roll.

Top with the flaky sea salt if desired and bake for about 12 minutes in a 400 degree F. oven. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.