9 Korean Bread Recipes You Can Make For Breakfast Instead Of Isaac Toast Or Egg Drop Sandwich

Korean bread recipes

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Much like most of the world, Koreans love their bbang (bread). It’s not hard to see why – bread can be served in a myriad of ways and eaten at any time of the day.  In the past few years, sandwich franchises such as Isaac Toast and Egg Drop have gained immense popularity and even expanded internationally. Since there are already plenty of Isaac Toast and Egg Drop recipes on the internet, let’s skip past that. Instead, we’ve gathered 9 Korean bread recipes locals have come up with in order to satisfy their bbang cravings beyond trendy sandwiches.   

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1. Caramel croutons

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Image credit: @recipe.flower

Movie nights are always made better with a bucket of popcorn by your side. While not everyone has a stash of microwavable popcorn in their pantry, you’ll definitely have a loaf of bread sitting around. Surprise, you can use it to make caramelised croutons that taste just as good as popcorn, if not better. 

 Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 4 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 5 tbsp of milk
• 3 tbsp of water

Steps:

1. Cut the bread into cubes of approximately 1 to 1.5cm.
2. Heat it in a pan over medium heat till all sides are crispy and golden brown.
3. Put 4 tbsp of sugar and 3 tbsp of water into a new pan over medium-high heat. Stir well until the sugar granules are dissolved.
4. When the sugar turns slightly brown, add in 1 tbsp of butter. Mix well.
5. As the mixture starts to bubble and browns, add in 5 tbsp of milk.
6. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. This should take about 1 minute.
7. Add in the bread and mix well to ensure that every cube is evenly coated with the caramelised sauce.

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2. Bread churros

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Image credit: @mk_supermom 

Churros are a crowd favourite especially at theme parks and carnivals. This deep-fried fritter is usually coated with a generous amount of sugar and cinnamon powder, and served with chocolate dip on the side. 

Image adapted from: @miyoung711

Although you only need a few ingredients to make churros from scratch, it’s still a tedious process for those hankering for an instant sweet treat. This quick recipe replaces the dough with bread so that you can satisfy your sweet tooth in no time. 

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 3 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder

Steps:

1. Cut each slice of bread into 5 thin strips.
2. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium heat.
3. When the butter has melted and starts to bubble, place the bread into the pan and pan-fry until golden brown on all sides.
4. Put 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder into a ziplock bag and shake well to ensure that it’s evenly mixed.
5. Place the bread sticks into the ziplock bag, seal it up, and shake well. This will help coat each strip evenly without creating a mess.

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3. Drug toast (mayak toast)

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Image credit: @thepharos_cafe

Mayak, which translates to “drug” in English, is a Korean term often used to describe food that is highly addictive. This recipe blew up online after actress Jin Se-yeon made it on a variety show called Fun Restaurant.  

 

While the ingredients needed to create this toast isn’t anything out of the ordinary, it goes together really well. Once you’ve tried the toast, you’ll find it hard to stop at just one.

Image credit: @seulgiroyoon

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 egg
• Mayonnaise (the ones in squeezy tube)
• Sugar

Image credit: @seulgiroyoon

Steps:

1. Spread a desired amount of mayonnaise on the bread and sprinkle sugar on top of it. Adjust the amount of sugar added to your liking
2. Squeeze the mayonnaise along the border of the bread.
3. Crack an egg into the centre of the bread.
4. Lightly poke the egg yolk once using a fork.
5. Microwave the bread in 30 seconds intervals for 3 times at medium heat. Alternatively, you can also use an oven toaster or air fryer. Just make sure to adjust the timing and temperature accordingly.

Image credit: @hyemvely

The original recipe is already good to go, but to further enhance the flavours of this dish, add corn and mozzarella cheese. It has been tried and tested by many and we’re sure you’ll enjoy it too. 

Image credit: @dietwtha

But honestly, everything goes well with classic white bread. So go crazy with the flavours and customise the toast according to your liking. Add bacon bits, ham, tomatoes. If you’re feeling fancy, add some prosciutto and replace the mayonnaise with mentaiko sauce. 

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4. Inkigayo sandwich

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Image credit: @tastory91

Getting to see your idol in real life may be difficult, but you can always try to get a taste of their favourite sandwich – the infamous Inkigayo sandwich. Sold at SBS’ cafeteria, it’s also known by its nickname, “idol sandwich”. 

Image credit: @alice_in_wonder_kitchen

The sandwich consists of three different fillings: potato salad, strawberry jam, and cabbage salad. While unconventional, idols such as G-Dragon, Chungha, and BTS can’t get enough of it.  

But since we don’t have access to the cafeteria like they do, this recipe is as close as you can get to having a taste of it. 

Ingredients (for bread):

• 4 slices of bread
• Strawberry jam
• Butter

Ingredients (for potato salad):

• 2 eggs
• 2 potatoes
• 3 crab sticks
• Sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Mayonnaise

Ingredients (for cabbage salad):

• ½ cabbage
• ½ cucumber
• 2 tbsp of corn kernels
• Salt
• Sugar
• Mayonnaise

Steps (for potato salad):

1. Boil both eggs for approximately 7 minutes.
2. Once cooled, peel off the shell and set it aside.
3. Peel the potatoes and boil it till softened.
4. Place the boiled potatoes and eggs into a large mixing bowl, and mash it up using a fork or masher.
5. Add shredded crab sticks to this and mix well.
6. Seasoned with a desired amount of mayonnaise, salt, sugar, and pepper.

Steps (for cabbage salad):

1. Cut the cabbage into thin shreds.
2. Chop the cucumber into small pieces.
3. Place both vegetables into a bowl and add a small amount of sugar and salt. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
4. After which, squeeze the vegetable mix with both hands to remove excess water and place it into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add corn kernels and desired amount of mayonnaise into the bowl. Mix well till everything is well-combined.

Steps (for bread):

1. Spread a thin layer of butter on the first slice of bread followed by a generous amount of potato salad. Cover with the second slice of bread.
2. Add a spoonful of strawberry jam onto this slice and spread it out evenly before putting on the third slice of bread.
3. Spread another layer of butter before topping it off with a decent amount of cabbage salad.
4. Finish off the assembly with the final slice of bread as the top layer.

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5. Strawberry sandwich

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Image credit: 부부달콤

While this recipe uses strawberry, you can substitute it for other fruits such as orange, kiwi, grape, and mango. You can even choose to have it all in one sandwich – no one’s stopping you. 

Image credit: 아이비키친ivykitchen

Ingredients:

• 10 strawberries
• 200ml of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 4 slices of bread

Image credit: 아이비키친ivykitchen

Steps:

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the stalk from it.
2. Whip 200ml of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of sugar together with a hand mixer or whisk until you achieve stiff peaks.
3. Remove the bread crust on all sides of the bread. (Optional)
4. Place a slice of bread on a cling wrap and spread a generous amount of whipped heavy cream evenly onto it.
5. Top the bread with strawberries.
6. Scoop a generous amount of whipped cream onto the strawberries and make sure to fill up the gaps between each fruit.
7. Cover with another slice of bread and press down lightly.
8. Wrap the entire sandwich in the cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
9. Cut into half before serving.

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6. Fried shrimp toast (menbosha)

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Image credit: @rang._.house

Menbosha is a fried shrimp toast created by celebrity chef Lee Yeon-bok. This dish is one of the bestsellers in his restaurant MOKRAN, which specialises in Korean-Chinese cuisine. 

Image credit: @rang._.house

Not only is it difficult to secure a table at his restaurant, this specific dish will set you back KRW35,000 (~USD28.90), which is undeniably steep for a sandwich. But Chef Lee was kind enough to share his secret recipe on a cooking show and now you can recreate this dish at home without breaking the bank.

Ingredients:

• 600g frozen shrimps
• 2 tbsp of potato starch
• ½ lemon
• 1 egg white
• ½ tsp of chicken stock powder
• 6 slices of bread
• Salt
• Black pepper

Steps:

1. Remove the bread crust on all sides of the bread and cut each slice into quarters. You’ll now have 24 small pieces of bread.
2. Peel the shrimps and using a knife, mince it up till you get a paste-like consistency.
3. Season the shrimp paste with a desired amount of salt and black pepper.
4. Add starch, chicken stock powder, lemon juice, and egg white to the paste. Mix till all ingredients are well-combined.
5. Lay 12 slices of bread onto your work surface. Top each slice with a decent amount of shrimp paste before covering it with another slice of bread.
6. Preheat oil in a frying pan to approximately 60°C and fry the sandwich till golden brown on both sides.
7. Set it aside on a cooling rack or kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

Note: The temperature of the oil should not go beyond 60°C for the toast to be fried perfectly. 

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7. Crispy cereal french toast

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Image adapted from: 해그린달 haegreendal

Have the best of both worlds with this recipe by combining two breakfast favourites: bread and cereal. This combination yields a crunchy exterior while retaining the soft and fluffy texture of a plain white bread.

Image credit: @pebblescereal

Substitute the classic cornflakes in this recipe for any Post Pebbles cereal if you’re craving for a sweeter option. It’ll be a hit with adults and children alike. 

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• Cornflakes
• Butter

Steps:

1. Cut the bread into quarters.
2. Whisk the egg in a bowl.
3. Crush the cornflakes into small pieces.
4. Coat each bread slice with a thin layer of egg followed by cornflakes.
5. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat and fry the bread until it’s golden brown on both sides.

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8. Dalgona toast

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Image adapted from: 해그린달 haegreendal

The hype for dalgona coffee may have died down, but the Koreans’ love for this traditional candy never seems to end. Unlike dalgona coffee, the sugar candy is easier to make and only requires sugar and baking soda. 

You can either have it on its own as a candy or spread it over toasted bread as per this recipe. 

Ingredients:

• White sugar
• Baking soda
• 2 slices of bread
• Butter

Steps:

1. Spread a thin layer of butter on both sides of the bread and toast it in a toaster till crispy.
2. Cut the bread into quarters.
3. In a very small pan, heat up a desired amount of sugar. While doing so, make sure to constantly stir the sugar until it starts to thicken and brown.
4. When you notice very tiny air bubbles starting to form, add in a pinch of baking soda and stir well.
5. Pour this mixture onto the toasted bread you’ve prepared earlier. Make sure to do this fast as the sugar mixture will harden in no time.

Image credit: @die_t365

A popular cafe in Seoul, ㅊa (Cafe Cha), specialises in all things dalgona. Apart from dalgona latte, the other bestseller is their dalgona scone. While you can’t physically make a trip down to Seoul for now, you can enjoy it at home simply by replacing the bread in this recipe with a scone.

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9. Korean fish cake toast

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Image adapted from: 해그린달 haegreendal

This recipe gives you a dish that looks strikingly similar to Japanese okonomiyaki, but beneath the bonito flakes and sauces lies a slice of bread and Korean fish cakes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 tbsp of mayonnaise
• Black pepper
• 2 pieces of Korean fish cake
• 1 cup of shredded cabbage
• Bonito flakes
• Mayonnaise
• Takoyaki sauce

Steps:

1. Mix 1 tbsp of mayonnaise and a desired amount of black pepper in a small bowl.
2. Spread this mixture over a slice of bread.
3. Pan-fry the Korean fish cakes over medium-high heat till both sides are slightly browned and place it on the bread.
4. Lightly stir-fry the shredded cabbage till it’s slightly softened.
5. Top the bread with shredded cabbage and bonito flakes.
6. Drizzle some mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce.

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Korean bread recipes for your next bbang fix

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Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, providing the necessary nutrients and energy for you to power through an entire day of to-dos. But don’t just limit yourself to a regular PB&J. Instead, give these 9 Korean bread recipes a try. Or have it for lunch, dinner, and even supper too – we’re not judging.

Check out these articles to keep up with the latest Korean culture:

• 8 Korean snacks using an air fryer
• 20 Best Korean horror movies
• 11 Korean dramas adapted from webtoons
• 10 Korean sweet potato recipes
• 9 Simple Korean recipes for processed food items

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Cover image adapted from: @thepharos_cafe, @jejebakeshop and @tastory91