Flaky Scallion Pancakes

This Chinese dish is probably my favorite thing to snack on. It's the perfect combination of crunchy, flaky, and chewy. I would HIGHLY recommend trying it today, like right now!

Total Time

1 hour 40 minutes

100

Difficulty

Medium

Watch Recipe Video

TikTok

Simple Tasty Recipes

Instructions

Make the Dough:
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. With a fork, stir in water slowly until no dry bits are left.
2. Start kneading your dough on a lightly floured countertop until smooth, about 10 minutes. If you did not weight your ingredients, you might need to adjust with more flour or water. The dough should not be sticky nor too dry either.
3. Once the dough is smooth, shape into a ball, grease a bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Let sit for 1 hour.
Shape the Pancakes:
1. After 1 hour, cut your rested dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into a ball. You will be working with one ball at a time so cover your other pieces with a dry towel or plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
2. Roll out the dough ball into a rectangle. Oil your surface if it starts to stick. It doesn't have to be perfect, mine never is. It's also okay if it rips slightly.
3. Important: Roll the dough out until it is see-through thin. I like to take both hands underneath and gently pull the dough out.
4. Once it's super thin, spread about 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil all over, don't miss the edges. Sprinkle salt or Chinese 5 spice all over along with your sliced scallions.
5. Now fold your dough by taking the top third and folding it over the middle leaving a third exposed. Now, take the bottom third and fold it over so it looks like a pamphlet. Then, roll into a rope, don't fold/ roll too tightly.
6. Next, coil the rope by taking one end and creating a snake-like shape. Tuck the end underneath. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Watch my Scallion Pancake TikTok video to see the full process.
Cook the Pancakes:
1. Take one coiled ball and roll out into a 10-inch ish thin circle. It's okay if some scallions pop out, it happens to me every time.
2. Heat a large skillet with a healthy splash of oil, I use a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet.
3. Transfer your rolled out pancake to the hot skillet and cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until it is golden brown, flip. Try to make your pancake as flat as possible so it browns evenly. I also like to flip several times and press down on different parts of the pancake so I can better control the browning.
4. Once browned, remove from heat and place on a wire rack to cool. The wire rack will help keep it crispy. Repeat with the remaining pancakes and serve hot. I like to eat it plain but try it with chili oil or soy sauce.