Cheesy Gochujang & Spring Onion Swirls
GBBO 2024 Bake Along, Week 3 - Bread Week
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Hello and welcome to week 3 of our GBBO bake along! It’s bread week, I somewhat prematurely shared a bread-based recipe last week and feared I’d used up all my bread-y brain energy. Luckily I managed find some inspiration thanks to my friend Polly who makes the most incredible spring onion buns, they’re soft, fluffy, slightly sweet and bursting with spring onion flavour. Sadly she won’t give me her secret recipe but she did share a few tips and tricks which helped me perfect these gochujang and spring onion swirls.
If you fancy something sweet, for paid subscribers this week I have a pear, ginger and date tart recipe, it’s as autumnal and delicious as it sounds, click here to make it.
Let’s get the bake off chat out of the way…
Signature
For the signature, the bakers had to make savoury buns, I really liked this challenge and thought it was interesting to see the different directions the bakers chose to go in, when the brief is so open like this, it’s really hard to know what the bakers will make but I was pleasantly surprised by all of them! Obviously I was especially inspired by Dylan’s gochujang rolls, I loved the colour (I seem to have an obsession with making orange bread at the minute) but I also loved the idea of a savoury Chelsea bun so I’ve mashed the two together to create this recipe.
Technical
Somehow this technical challenge was simple but complicated all at once, I loved the idea of recreating a plaited wreath but I don’t think my bread expertise (breadxpertise if you will) are good enough to make a 7 strand plait that also contains some yummy flavours, I just couldn’t work out how to incorporate then without making a big mess!
Showstopper
Bread cornucopias are certainly something… I thought that this was a really difficult challenge and was honestly surprised at how many cornucopias managed to hold heir shape, In thought Gerogie’s looked especially impressive.
Onto the recipe!
Cheesy Gochujang & Spring Onion Swirls
Oh my god, I love these swirls. The dough uses a tangzhong which makes it extra pillowy and soft, the filling is choc full of everything I’ve ever wanted to eat (tonnes of cheese) and they’re finished with a sweet, salty glaze and loads of crunchy sesame seeds. I made a few different versions of these buns when recipe testing, some had cheese, some didn’t, some had gochujang, some didn’t. Unsurprisingly the ones that contained as much stuff as possible won.
Ingredients - makes 8-10 swirls
8”x12” baking tray and a muffin tray for extras
Gochujang Dough
30g strong flour (1)
90ml water
100g whole milk
50g egg (1 medium egg)
40g gochujang paste
20g sesame oil
370g strong flour (2)
30g caster sugar
4g fast action dried yeast
1tsp smoked paprika
5g salt
20g butter
Filling
Gochujang paste (only add if you want your buns spicy)
100g grated mozzarella
100g grated mature cheddar
100g chopped spring onions
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
1tsp milk
To Top
30g honey
2tsp light soy sauce
30g butter
Black and white sesame seeds
Method
Start by making the tangzhong. Combine the water and the 30g of strong flour in a pan and heat whilst whisking until it thickens, it can look quite lumpy when heating, just continue to whisk vigorously.
Transfer the hot tangzhong to the bowl of your stand mixer.
Weigh in the rest the ingredients. Make sure that the salt and yeast are at opposite sides of the bowl.
Mix with the dough hook attachment on low until everything is combined then turn the speed up to medium/high and mix for 10 minutes until the dough is nice and stretchy. It will look quite shaggy in the mixer but should form a nice smooth ball once you turn it out onto the bench.
Transfer to a lightly greased container (using a rectangular container will make it easier to roll out later) and leave to proof until the dough has doubled in size. I don’t like to state a time here as timing can vary so much! My house is always freezing cold so it takes forever but in a warm environment it can take around an hour. If you want to hurry it along you can put it in the oven (turned off) along with a bowl of freshly boiled water.
Once doubled in size refrigerate overnight or use straight away.
Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to a 14”x14” square.
Using a pallet knife, spread a very thin layer of gochujang paste evenly over the dough, leaving 1 inch uncovered on the side nearest you.
Evenly sprinkle the cheeses over followed by the spring onions, again leaving about 1 inch naked on the side closest to you.
Press the naked strip of dough down so that you have a very thin and sticky piece right at the end.
Lightly press the fillings down before rolling the dough up, starting on the side furthest away and rolling towards you.
Cut the ends off (I bake these in a muffin tin) and cut the log into 1.5” slices.
Arrange in your baking sheet, leaving a 1.5cm gap between each bun.
Leave to prove for at lease an hour, either at room temperature on in an oven (turned off) with a bowl of freshly boiled water in the bottom. I prefer the oven method because I’m impatient!
Once they’re looking fully proved and are nice and bouncy when you poke them pre-heat the oven to 180°C(fan)/360°F.
Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, if you’re not sure if they’re ready you can take the temperature, it should be above 90°C/194°F.
While they’re in the oven, prepare the toppings.
Mix the soy and honey.
In a separate pot, melt the butter.
As soon as the swirls come out of the oven, brush with the honey mixture, followed by the butter, brushing with the butter after stope the buns from being too sticky and helps them stay nice and shiny!
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!
These are best eaten on the day but they will keep for a few days in an airtight container but I would recommend re-heating them if you’re not eating them fresh.
Enjoy! I’m currently typing this from bed and fantasising about eating one in the morning.
I’ll be back next week with more bake off chats and an exclusive recipe for paid subscribers.
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These are SO GOOD! A bit time-consuming but SO WORTH IT! The gochujang flavor comes through so nicely in the dough, which is perfectly fluffy on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. Ideal filling to dough ratio, and the flavors balance so nicely. I wish I could add a picture because they’re beautiful.
OMG thank you so much for this much needed recipe ( I just realised this is what I actually needed for all my fall/winter soup dinners🫣)…and the best part is that I’m gonna use up the gochujang sauce that’s been sitting in my pantry for so long waiting to be consumed up after serving me only twice for some pan Asian cuisine which I’m too done with for a while 🤭