Street-Style Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Overview
- Yield: 8 pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour - 240 grams
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1/2 tsp salt
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2/3 cup hot water + more as needed - about 150 ml
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2 stalks green onion (the green parts only) - finely chopped
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Cooking oil - for frying the pancakes
Oil Flour Paste:
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2 Tbsp bacon fat/chicken fat - melted (or use coconut oil or butter)
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2 Tbsp all purpose flour - 16 grams
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1/4 tsp salt
Dipping Sauce:
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2 Tbsp soy sauce
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2 Tbsp rice vinegar - or use cider vinegar or regular vinegar
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1 Tbsp sesame oil
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1/2 Tbsp red chili paste - optional
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2 Tbsp sugar
Method
Preparing the Dipping Sauce:
- Place all the ingredients for dipping sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil and let the sugar melt. Set aside
Making the Dough:
- Mix the oil-flour paste ingredients together and set aside
- Sift the all-purpose flour. Add salt. In a large mixing bowl, add hot water, start with 1/3 cups and continue to gradually add and stir until a dough ball comes together. Add a bit more water, teaspoon by teaspoon if it's too dry. Continue until the dough ball comes together and no longer sticky. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours if you have the time
Each Dough Is Rolled Into Pinwheels:
- Divide the big dough into 8 equal pieces. Use a silicone pastry mat if you have one to roll the dough out or you can always smeal a bit of oil on your working surface to prevent sticking. I highly recommend it as you don't have to dust with more flour (which makes the pancakes tough). Working with one dough at a time and keep the rest cover so they won't dry out. Flatten each dough with a roller to form a circle or oval as thin as you can. If at any time you feel that the dough is not easy to roll out, rest it for 10-15 minutes and the gluten will relax and you can roll it out again
- Brush the surface with a thin layer of the oil flour paste. Sprinkle about 1/8 of chopped scallion leaving about 1/2 inch off the edge
- Roll the dough starting from the side near you to the other side and you end up with a log. Roll it again from the side so it forms a pinwheel. Roll the dough up starting from the side near you to the other side and you have a long log now
- Roll it again from the side. Now you have a pinwheel. Repeat with the rest of the dough and keep the pinwheels covered with a plastic wrap. They also have a chance to "rest" when you work on the others, this helps to roll them thin later
Flatten the Dough Into Pancakes:
- Take the first pinwheels you shaped earlier. Flatten with your palm and then use a rolling pin to gently roll it into 6-inch circle and about 1/8" thick
- Then place each pancake in between parchment paper to prevent sticking while working to flatten the rest. Repeat with the rest of the pinwheels
Cooking:
- Preheat a non-stick skillet on high heat. Add about 2 Tbsp oil and then lower the heat to medium. Place the pancake on the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes each side. The pancakes should have golden brown color. Do not overcook the pancake
- Remove to a cutting board and use your two clean hands to "fluff" the pancakes on the edge several times, like you are clapping on the pancakes. You can also "scrunch" the pancakes with your clean hands. This action will help to "separate" the flaky layers, making it, even more, flakier and tearable. Continue to cook the rest of the pancakes and add oil as needed. Without a bit of oil, the pancakes will have dark spots like when you cook a piece of naan bread, and we don't want that with this type of pancakes
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side. They tend to soften and won't taste as good once they cooled down. You can reheat as instructed below