Soft, buttery, salty, and unbelievably fluffy, these Salt Breads are the viral Korean bakery favorite everyone adores. They’re light, tender, and filled with melting butter that leaks out and creates that signature crispy, salty bottom. This batch makes 9–10 rolls, each with a buttery center and a golden, flaky crust.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft & Fluffy: a tender dough thanks to tangzhong.
Crispy, Buttery Bottom: butter melts out and creates the iconic salty crust.
Bakery-Style: tastes just like Korean street bakery salt bread.
Simple Ingredients: easy and satisfying to make at home.
Serving Suggestion
Serve warm with extra butter, honey butter, garlic butter, or enjoy plain — the salty, buttery flavor is already perfection. They also pair amazingly with soups, breakfast platters, or as mini sandwich buns.
Pro Tips for Perfect Salt Bread
Use cold butter for the filling: warm butter leaks too fast.
Don’t skip tangzhong: it keeps the bread extra soft for days.
If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Never proof the dough in the oven: even with the light on. This recipe is extremely sensitive to heat. If the environment is too warm, the butter inside will melt completely, which happened to me during testing. Once the butter melts before baking, the texture changes and the layers won’t form properly.
Proof at room temperature only and preferably in a cool room: Salt bread rises a bit slower than other enriched doughs, but that’s exactly what keeps the butter intact and gives you that iconic fluffy interior + crispy bottom.
Keep the dough cold: for the best results, make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge. Cold dough is much easier to handle, easier to roll, and helps prevent the butter from melting too early.
Shape correctly: the tip must face down: when you roll the dough, place the shaped salt bread seam-side down on the tray. This ensures the roll holds its shape and doesn’t open while baking.
Use a longer piece of butter instead of a cube: a slim, rectangular piece melts more evenly inside and creates a better buttery layer from top to bottom.
No need to seal the sides: unlike croissants, you don’t have to fold or close the edges. I’ve tested this recipe multiple times: nothing leaks in a bad way. The slight “butter runoff” is what makes the bottom crispy and delicious.
Topping is optional: if you don’t have pretzel salt, don’t worry. You can use sesame seeds or leave them plain. It doesn’t affect the final taste or texture.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
• 50 ml water
• 50 ml milk
• 2 tbsp flour
Dough
• 110 ml warm milk
• 4 g yeast + 1 tsp sugar (to activate the yeast)
• 1 large egg
• 65 g softened butter
• 345 g flour + 2 tbsp flour
• 50 g sugar
• 10 g salt
Filling
• 9–10 cubes of butter (about 10 g each)
The butter should be cold and firm.
Topping
• A pinch of flaky salt or sesame for each bread
• Melted butter for brushing
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk, and flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth, glossy paste. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely before using.
Activate the Yeast
Warm the milk until just lukewarm (not hot), then mix in 1 tsp sugar and the yeast. Let it stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy and activated.
Make the Dough
In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cooled tangzhong, egg, sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the softened butter and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky.
First Rise
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a cool room for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size. (Avoid warm places or ovens,
the butter will melt later when shaping.)
Divide & Shape
Punch out the air and divide the dough into 9–10 equal pieces. Shape each portion into a smooth ball and rest them for 10 minutes. Roll each ball into an oval or triangle shape, place a 10 g stick of butter at the wide end, and roll it up like a small croissant, making sure the tip is on the bottom.
Second Rise
Arrange the rolled salt breads on a lined baking tray, tip-side down. Cover lightly and let them rise again for 30–40 minutes until noticeably puffy.
Bake
Lightly mist the tops with water (this helps with oven spring). Bake for 5 minutes at 200°C (392°F), then lower to 180°C (356°F) and bake for another 10–13 minutes until golden.
Finish
Brush immediately with garlic butter or plain melted butter. Serve warm, the inside will be fluffy with a perfectly melty butter core.
Zutaten
Method
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk, and flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth, glossy paste. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely before using.
- Warm the milk until just lukewarm (not hot), then mix in 1 tsp sugar and the yeast. Let it stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy and activated.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cooled tangzhong, egg, sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the softened butter and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a cool room for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size. (Avoid warm places or ovens, the butter will melt later when shaping.)
- Punch out the air and divide the dough into 9–10 equal pieces. Shape each portion into a smooth ball and rest them for 10 minutes. Roll each ball into an oval or triangle shape, place a 10 g stick of butter at the wide end, and roll it up like a small croissant, making sure the tip is on the bottom.
- Arrange the rolled salt breads on a lined baking tray, tip-side down. Cover lightly and let them rise again for 30–40 minutes until noticeably puffy.
- Lightly mist the tops with water (this helps with oven spring). Bake for 5 minutes at 200°C (392°F), then lower to 180°C (356°F) and bake for another 10–13 minutes until golden.
- Brush immediately with garlic butter or plain melted butter. Serve warm, the inside will be fluffy with a perfectly melty butter core.