Pizza Seolgi is a steamed Korean rice cake pizza, soft and chewy with gooey mozzarella and pepperoni. Easy to make with just a steamer. Try it tonight!
Okay, picture this: a pillowy, chewy white rice cake layered with pizza sauce and stretchy mozzarella, and not an oven in sight. I stumbled on pizza seolgi while hunting for a snack that felt a little Korean and a little pizza night, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Consider it your new favorite Korean dish to show off.
Table of Contents
Pizza Seolgi at a Glance
Pizza seolgi is a steamed white rice cake, known in Korea as seolgi (or baekseolgi), built like a layered pizza. The base is soft, tender, and a little chewy, which plays beautifully with tangy pizza sauce and melty mozzarella.
There’s no oven, no yeast, and no waiting around for dough to rise. All you really need is a steamer, a sieve, and a mousse ring to keep that neat round shape.
Think of it as a Korean fusion dessert that moonlights as a snack. Sweet corn, bell pepper, olives, and pepperoni make it colorful, and the whole thing is tender enough to cut with a spoon.
- Texture: light, fluffy, and gently chewy
- Flavor: savory and cheesy with a hint of sweetness from the corn
- Method: steamed, never baked
- Best for: snack time, party platters, or a fun twist on pizza night
A Little Background on Korean White Rice Cake
Rice cakes, called tteok in Korean cuisine, are a huge category of treats. They show up at New Year celebrations, harvest festivals, and plenty of everyday snack tables.
The tradition runs deep. This overview of tteok from Korea’s hansik magazine estimates that Korean rice cakes go back around four thousand years.
Baekseolgi translates to something like “white snow cake,” and it’s made by steaming plain rice flour. It’s mild and lightly sweet, so it welcomes bold toppings without a fuss. That makes this white rice cake a perfect blank canvas for pizza.
Pizza Seolgi: Irresistible Steamed Rice Cake Pizza
Equipment
- Steamer with liner
- Mousse ring
- Medium sieve
- Cotton cloth (to wrap the lid)
- Spoon
- Paper towels
Ingredients
For the Rice Cake Base
- 150 g wet non-glutinous rice flour (습식 멥쌀가루) not glutinous or sweet rice flour; if plain, add a pinch of salt and about 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp paprika powder optional, for color only
- about 1 Tbsp water added 1 tsp at a time
For the Pizza Layers
- 1 to 1.5 Tbsp pizza sauce dotted between the two flour layers
- 45 to 50 g shredded mozzarella divided between middle toppings and final layer
Toppings to Taste
- sweet corn drained
- green bell pepper seeded and finely diced
- black olives patted dry and sliced thin
- pepperoni cut into bite-size pieces
Instructions
Prep the Rice Flour
- If the rice flour is frozen, rub it between your hands to break up any lumps. Mix in the paprika powder.
- Add 1 tsp water and mix. Squeeze a handful in your fist. It should hold firmly, then crumble when poked. If it falls apart, add more water 1 tsp at a time and test again.
- Push the moistened flour through a medium sieve until it is light and fluffy, with small snow-like clumps.
Prep the Toppings
- Drain the corn. Seed and finely dice the bell pepper. Pat the olives dry and slice them thin. Cut the pepperoni into bite-size pieces. Pat all toppings dry so the top layer doesn’t go soggy.
Build the Layers
- Line the steamer and set the mousse ring on top. Add half the rice flour and level it gently with a spoon, pressing only enough to shape it.
- Dot the pizza sauce over the flour, leaving about 0.5 cm bare around the edge. Cover with the remaining flour and level gently.
- Add the bell pepper and corn, then part of the mozzarella. Add the pepperoni and olives, then finish with the rest of the mozzarella.
Steam and Rest
- Bring the water to a full boil. Wrap the lid in a cotton cloth, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for 22 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for about 7 minutes so the cake can finish setting (뜸 들이기).
- Lift the mousse ring straight up, slowly, to keep the shape. Serve warm while the mozzarella is still stretchy.
Notes
Pizza Seolgi Ingredients
This recipe makes two servings, and you can find almost everything at a Korean market. The toppings are totally flexible, so raid your fridge and make it your own.
For the Rice Cake Base
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wet non-glutinous rice flour (습식 멥쌀가루) | 150 g | Do not use glutinous or sweet rice flour. The author used a kind that already had salt and sugar in it. If yours is plain, add a pinch of salt and about 1 tsp sugar. |
| Paprika powder | 1/2 tsp | Optional. It only adds color. |
| Water | About 1 Tbsp | Add it a little at a time, as explained in the steps. |
For the Pizza Layers
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza sauce | 1 to 1.5 Tbsp | Dotted between the two layers of rice flour. |
| Shredded mozzarella | 45 to 50 g | Split between the middle toppings and the final layer. |
Toppings to Taste
| Ingredient | Prep |
|---|---|
| Sweet corn | Drained |
| Green bell pepper | Seeded and finely diced |
| Black olives | Patted dry and sliced thin |
| Pepperoni | Cut into bite-size pieces |
Equipment You’ll Need
- A steamer with a liner
- A mousse ring
- A medium sieve
- A cotton cloth to wrap the lid
Don’t skip the right flour. Wet non-glutinous rice flour is what gives pizza seolgi its tender, crumbly-then-set texture, and sweet rice flour will turn it into something else entirely.
How to Make Pizza Seolgi Step by Step
Prep the Rice Flour
Step 1: Loosen the flour. If your rice flour is frozen, rub it between your hands to break up the lumps. Then mix in the paprika powder, which gives the cake a soft, pretty blush.
Step 2: Add the water slowly. Start with just 1 tsp. How much you need depends on how moist your flour already is, so go gently.
Here’s the fist test. Squeeze a handful of flour in your fist. It should hold together firmly, then crumble when you poke it. If it falls apart right away, add more water, 1 tsp at a time, and test again.
Step 3: Sieve it. Push the moistened flour through a medium sieve so it turns light and fluffy. This is the secret to a tender cake, so don’t rush it. Little snow-like clumps are exactly what you want.
Prep the Toppings
Step 4: Get everything ready. Drain the corn. Seed the green bell pepper and dice it finely. Pat the olives dry and slice them thin, then cut the pepperoni into bite-size pieces.
Dry toppings matter here, because extra moisture can make the top layer soggy. A quick pat with a paper towel goes a long way.
Build the Layers
Step 5: Make the base. Put a liner in the steamer and set the mousse ring on top. Add half the rice flour and level it gently with a spoon. Press just enough to shape it, not hard.
Step 6: Add the pizza sauce. Dot the pizza sauce over the flour, leaving about 0.5 cm bare around the edge. Cover with the rest of the flour and level the top again.
Step 7: Top it like a pizza. Add the pepper and corn, then sprinkle on part of the mozzarella. Add the pepperoni and olives, then finish with the rest of the cheese. Honestly, this is the most fun part.
Steam and Rest
Step 8: Steam it. Bring the water in the pot to a full boil so it’s steaming well before the steamer goes on. Wrap the lid in a cotton cloth so condensation doesn’t drip onto the cake.
Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 22 minutes. Resist the urge to peek, because every lift of the lid lets precious steam escape.
Step 9: Let it rest. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for about 7 more minutes so the cake can finish setting. Koreans call this resting step 뜸 들이기, and it really does make a difference.
Step 10: Unmold and serve. Take the cake out and lift the ring straight up, slowly, so the shape holds. It’s best eaten warm, when the mozzarella is still soft and stretchy.
Expert Tips for the Best Pizza Seolgi
Two things matter most with this Korean fusion dessert: getting the moisture right and not making the cake too thick. Nail those, and everything else falls into place.
Get the Moisture Right
The fist test is your best friend. Flour that’s too dry won’t hold its shape, and flour that’s too wet turns dense and gummy. Add water in tiny amounts and keep testing until the flour holds, then crumbles with a poke.
Keep the Cake Thin
A thick cake can be tricky to steam evenly, so stick to the amounts in this recipe. Level the flour gently and press only enough to shape it. A light hand keeps the texture fluffy instead of heavy.
Take the Shortcut
Short on time? Buy ready-made baekseolgi, the white rice cake, and cut it in half. Spread tomato sauce and plenty of cheese on the bottom half, then put the top half back on.
Finish by adding more sauce, corn, cheese, olives, and pepperoni on top. It’s not quite the same fluffy texture as the homemade version, but it’s a great way to get pizza seolgi on the table fast.
Fun Variations
The toppings are yours to play with. If you like a veggie-forward version, load up on extra bell pepper and corn and skip the pepperoni. If you love spice, add a few extra slices of pepperoni for a little kick.
Want more pizza inspiration? Try this Italian spinach pizza for a green twist, or this pizza with butter beans for something hearty.
Troubleshooting
The cake is crumbly and falls apart. The flour was probably too dry. Next time, add a bit more water, 1 tsp at a time, until it passes the fist test.
The cake is dense or gummy. This usually means too much water or too much pressing. Keep the flour light and fluffy, and level it gently.
The top looks wet. Condensation is the culprit. Wrap the lid in a cotton cloth so the drips are absorbed before they reach the cake.
The cake slumps when unmolding. Lift the ring straight up and slowly. Rushing or tilting it can pull the sides out of shape.
Storing and Reheating Pizza Seolgi
Like most rice cakes, pizza seolgi is at its best fresh from the steamer. Rice cakes tend to firm up as they cool, so I always make just enough to enjoy right away. Here’s how to handle any leftovers.
| Method | How To | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Cover loosely | Best enjoyed warm, within a few hours of steaming |
| Refrigerator | Airtight container | Keep for up to 2 days. The texture will firm up, so reheat before eating |
| Freezer | Not recommended | Freezing can change the soft, fluffy texture and the cheese |
Reheating Tips
The gentlest way to revive leftovers is to re-steam them for a few minutes until warm and soft again. In a hurry? Microwave a slice, covered with a damp paper towel, in short bursts until just warmed through.
No-Waste Kitchen Ideas
Got leftover toppings? Fold the extra corn, bell pepper, and olives into an omelet or fried rice. Extra pepperoni and mozzarella are lovely on toast the next morning.
Any spare pizza sauce can go straight onto pasta or a quick flatbread. Nothing goes to waste, and your fridge stays happy.
If you’re in a pizza mood, you might also like this high protein cottage cheese pizza crust.
And if you’re curious about the stretchy star of this dish, here’s a handy guide to how mozzarella is made and used.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pizza seolgi?
Pizza seolgi is a steamed Korean white rice cake layered with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and toppings like corn, olives, and pepperoni. It is soft, chewy, and made without an oven.
Can I use glutinous or sweet rice flour?
No. This recipe needs wet non-glutinous rice flour for the right tender, crumbly texture. Glutinous or sweet rice flour will give you a very different, much stickier result.
My rice flour is plain. What should I do?
The original recipe used flour that already contained salt and sugar. If yours is plain, add a pinch of salt and about 1 tsp of sugar to the flour.
Can I make pizza seolgi without making the cake from scratch?
Yes. Cut ready-made baekseolgi in half, add sauce and cheese in the middle, then top with more sauce, corn, cheese, olives, and pepperoni. It is a quick shortcut.
Why does the cake need to rest after steaming?
Leaving the lid on for about 7 minutes lets the cake finish setting so it holds its shape. Skipping this step can make unmolding trickier.
Conclusion
Pizza seolgi is cozy, cheesy, and just a little bit unexpected. It takes a classic white rice cake and turns it into something the whole table will fight over.
Give this pizza seolgi a try and let me know how it turns out in the comments. I’d love to hear which toppings you chose. And if you loved it, pin it on Pinterest so you can find it again and share it with a friend!
