Street Food & Snacks
Gyeranppang (Egg Bread)
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Servings
6
Steps
- 1
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- 2
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and melted butter.
- 3
Combine the wet and dry ingredients into a smooth batter.
- 4
Grease small oven-safe cups, ramekins, or a muffin tin.
- 5
Fill each cup about halfway with batter.
- 6
Bake or steam at 350°F (175°C) for about 5-7 minutes, until the batter is mostly set but not fully baked.
- 7
Crack one whole egg directly on top of each partially set batter.
- 8
Add cheese or ham on top if using, then continue baking another 10-12 minutes, until the egg is set to your liking and the bread is golden.
- 9
Garnish with parsley flakes and serve warm.
Did you know — Korean culture
Gyeranppang is a relatively recent street food, believed to have emerged in the 1990s as vendors looked for a cheap, portable winter snack that felt more like a full breakfast than a typical sweet treat. Myeongdong in Seoul became one of the dish's most famous strongholds, with stalls advertising it in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese to the district's heavy foot traffic of tourists — a sign of how quickly it became a must-try item for visitors rather than just a local snack.
The batter has to be partially set before the egg goes on, not poured in raw together. Crack a whole egg onto liquid batter and the two mix into a scramble instead of staying as distinct layers — waiting for that first 5-7 minutes gives the batter a solid-enough surface for the egg to sit on top and hold its shape as it cooks.
This is also why gyeranppang bakes in two stages rather than one continuous bake. The batter needs a head start to firm up, but the whole egg on top needs its own separate stretch of time to set through without overcooking the bread underneath.
Gyeranppang is a relatively recent street food, believed to have emerged in the 1990s as vendors looked for a cheap, portable winter snack that felt more like a full breakfast than a typical sweet treat. Myeongdong in Seoul became one of its most famous strongholds, with stalls advertising it in multiple languages to the district's heavy foot traffic of tourists — a sign of how quickly it became a must-try item for visitors rather than staying a purely local snack.
Troubleshooting
Egg mixing into the batter instead of sitting on top? The batter wasn't set enough before the egg went on. Give it the full first bake stage before cracking the egg over it.
Egg still runny when the bread looks done? Bread bakes faster than a whole egg sets. Extend the second stage a few more minutes rather than pulling everything at once.
Bread dense or gummy in the center? The batter layer was probably too thick. Fill the cups about halfway, not to the top — there needs to be room for the egg and enough heat penetration to cook through evenly.