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scallion pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 (342 grams) cup flour (228g all purpose, 114g pastry)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup cold water (or as needed)
• Vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions

Paste

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 chicken fat (sesame paste?)
• 3 tbsp oil

Directions:

Dough

1. To make the dough, place the flour in a medium work bowl. Slowly pour in boiling water while stirring clockwise with a pair of chopsticks until large flakes have formed. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, keep stirring until there is little or no dry flour on the bottom of the bowl. Dust both hands with a thin layer of flour. Press and work the dough flakes together by hand to form a dough ball. The dough should slightly stick to the bowl when you lift it.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it gently, adding a little extra flour as needed, until the dough is as soft as an earlobe.
3. Add a teaspoon of oil to a clean bowl and wipe with paper towel to coat the bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Paste

1. While the dough is resting, make a thin paste by mixing together in a small bowl the flour, salt, optional Sichuan peppercorns, chicken fat (lard or shortening), and oil. Set the green onions next to the paste.

Shape pancakes

1. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Working on 1 piece at a time, keeping the other portions covered so that they do not dry out. Use a Chinese rolling pin to roll the ball out into a strip, as thin as you can without tearing the dough, about 45-cm (18-inch) long. Smear one-sixth of the paste on top of the strip and sprinkle one-sixth of the green onions all the way down the strip (footnote 2).
2. Roll up the strip from one of the long sides to form a rope, and then pull this rope gently to form a strand 60-cm (24-inch) long. Coil the strand until you have a flat circle, like a cinnamon roll. Repeat with the rest of the dough and paste until you have 6 circles.
3. Roll this circle out into a 20-cm (8-inch) disk. Repeat with the rest of the strands until you have 6 disks.

(old) Method

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Add water gradually and mix until blended together.
2. On a floured surface, knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
3. Roll into a ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Separate dough into 2 pieces. Roll into balls.
5. On a floured surface, roll out dough thinly (2 mm).
6. Daub some oil over surface of each piece of rolled dough.
7. Spread spring onions evenly over dough.
8. Sprinkle salt, and add a pinch of pepper.
9. Roll dough tightly like a burrito.
10. From end to end, roll each loop into a spiral like a snail shell. Tuck tail end on top of spiral.
11. Roll into a disc about the size of a dinner plate.
12. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to a flat-bottomed frypan, bring to a medium heat, and fry on both sides until golden brown.
13. Slice like a pizza and serve immediately with or without a dipping sauce, or with other Chinese dishes, in place of rice or noodles.

Chinese flour:

1. Chinese flour - In this recipe you will need 2 cups Chinese flour in total. To make the flour, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup pastry (cake) flour and mix well. Scoop out 1/2 cup mixed flour into another bowl for making pancake paste.