Flaky Chinese scallion pancakes

Method

1. 01

   Make and rest the hot-water dough

   Mix 300 g flour and 4 g dough salt. Stir in 150 ml boiling water, then 60 ml room-temperature water; knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

   

2. 02

   Make the oil paste

   Stir 30 g flour into 45 ml of the 60 ml neutral oil to make a spreadable paste. Reserve the remaining 15 ml oil for frying the pancakes.

   

3. 03

   Roll in scallions

   Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll one into a 25 cm by 15 cm rectangle, brush with oil paste, scatter 25 g of the 100 g scallions, and roll from the long edge into a rope. Repeat for all four.

   

4. 04

   Coil and flatten

   Coil each rope, tuck its end underneath, flatten it, and roll to a 16 cm round. Keep the layers intact and do not press out all the oil paste.

   

5. 05

   Rest while shaping the rest

   Cover the first rolled pancake and rest it for 10 minutes while shaping the other three. This short rest relaxes the gluten so the rounds do not spring back.

   

6. 06

   Pan-fry at medium heat

   Heat a skillet over medium heat and use exactly 3.75 ml of the reserved frying oil per pancake. Cook each side for 2–3 minutes, pressing and rotating occasionally, until blistered, crisp, deeply golden, and fully set at the centre.

   

7. 07

   Mix the dipping sauce

   Whisk 30 ml light soy sauce, 15 ml rice vinegar, and 10 ml chili oil. Keep the dip separate from the hot pancakes so the surfaces remain crisp.

   

8. 08

   Separate the layers and serve

   Tap the edge of each hot pancake against the board for 10 seconds to separate the layers. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with the measured dip.