Makgeolli bread (Sulppang: 술빵)

Begin by taking your makgeolli out of the fridge and allowing it to come to room temperature. Transfer the makgeolli to a heavy stainless steel pot and heat it over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon until it reaches a lukewarm temperature of about 100°F (40°C). Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the sugar (or Swerve) and add yeast. Let it stand for 1 minute until the yeast becomes frothy. Add flour and salt. Thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon (or rice scoop) until the dough is smooth without any lumps. Cover and let it sit for 2 hours. Check if the dough has lots of small bubbles popping up to the surface. If there aren’t a lot of bubbles, let it sit a bit longer.

Wet a large cotton cloth (or use a steamer liner) with cold water and place it in the bottom of a steamer basket, ensuring the edges extend over the sides of the basket. Carefully pour the dough into the steamer basket, on top of the cloth. Sprinkle the beans and apple pieces evenly over top, and allow it to rise for 30 minutes. Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in your steamer. Add the steamer basket with your dough. Close the lid and pull the cloth’s edges that hang out of the basket over top of the lid. Steam the bread for 35 minutes over medium high heat. Once done, remove the steamer from the heat, and take off the lid. Using both hands, grab the edges of the cotton cloth and carefully lift it up with the bread. Take it out of the steamer and place it on a large cutting board or another work surface. Allow the bread to cool for a while, then remove the cotton cloth and cut the bread into several pieces.

Serve right away. If you want to freeze some for later, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and put them in a plastic bag or an airtight container first.