Chinese Scallion / Sesame Bread- “Chinese Bing” Recipe + VIDEO

Bingo!! Easy Scallion & Sesame Flat bread (AKA Scallion Bing)

+PLUS: Add these 3 things below to making these extra fluffy and flavorful!

Chinese & Sesame Scallion flat bread is so good, it’s super soft and fluffy with a nice crispy and crunchy sesame bread crust. They’re almost identical in ingredients and baking to Chinese scallion pancakes but this flat bread uses yeast where as the pancakes are more of a flaky flat pancake because it uses no yeast. I made typically make these completely by hand and with a rolling pin, today I’m making these quicker (no rolling pin, and a stand mixer).

Scallion Bing is commonly found throughout Northern China and it’s exactly how my favorite dumpling house, Vanessa Dumplings, makes them in NYC! They also gave me a couple pointers on how to make these.

FLUFFY / FLAVORFUL FLATBREAD:

1- A little baking powder will help the dough rise to be more fluffy and super soft.

2- Add some honey with your sugar and yeast to get that perfect level of sweetness similar to Shanghai-style flat bread.

3- Adding a little salt and five spice powder helps flavor the flat bread. Add a pinch of salt on the outside crust with sesame seeds to add a little more flavor as well.

TIPS:

-If your dough is too sticky brush some oil on your hands to work with the dough. Try avoid dusting too much flour and instead use oil your rolling pins or boards when possible.

-Use toasted sesame oil for that extra nutty and sesame flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup glutinous rice flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tbs honey

1 tsp sugar

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tsp baking powder

1-2 tsp sesame oil

+/- 2 tbs sesame seeds (as needed to coat pancakes)

1-2 tbs vegetable oil or neutral oil (tea seed, grapeseed, or vegetable oil)

PREPARATION

1. Add warm water in a bowl and mix honey and sugar until dissolved. Then add yeast and sugar, mix then wait about 5 min to start to activate

2. A flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp 5-spice powder and mix whisk a few times.

3. When yeast is activated & ready (frothy looking), transfer yeast water + 2 tsp sesame oil and add it to the flour bowl and mix on low. Knead on low speed for a minute or two, then add glutinous flour and mix for a few minutes until your dough is somewhat smooth.

4. If it's too tacky, add 1 tbs of flour at a time until you have a smooth and tacky dough (not sticky), about 4 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the baking powder on your dough and punch down and knead into a ball. Then lightly grease a medium bowl with 1-2 tsp of sesame oil.

6. Cover with plastic wrap or dish towel and let dough rest in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 45 min to 1 hour.

7. Remove doug, knead, then add scallions, cut into two pieces, roll, then flatten bread.

8. Add sesame oil to top of flattened dough. Press sesame seeds into dough and repeat for other side.

9. Cover and let rest for 15-20 min for final proofing.

10. Add the neutral oil (tea seed oil or grape seed oil), set heat to high till just about smoking to a cast iron skillet. Then loweer to medium heat and transfer the flattened dough to the pan. Cook on med-high for a few minutes with lid on until the bottom sides crisps up and is browned. Then lower heat slightly, flip, and cover with a lid (add a couple drops of water to help steam the bread to cook through if needed). Add a little oil around edges to crisp up pancake, then cook a minute on each side for bread to crisp up. when tapped the crust should sound crispy and center hollow sounding.

11. Brush with toasted sesame oil right before serving and enjoy!