Sesame Crusted Shao Bing
they are worth the sesame seed clean up!
“Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have” is something my husband and I jokingly say to each other when we so desperately want to wear cozy sweatshirts all day but it’s an unseasonably hot 90 degree October day. This week I’ve been “baking for the weather you want, not the weather you have”, cranking the oven, and filling up our bread box with sourdough and holiday cookie experiments while trying not to sweat. Thankfully we installed AC during the remodel. A girl just wants to bake and enjoy fresh bread because baking season is upon us!
For those of you who might be in a similar temperature situation or interested in Chinese flatbreads, I’m happy to share with you my Sesame Crusted Shao Bing recipe, which don’t require baking in an oven! I have a brown sugar shao bing in my cookbook, Mooncakes and Milk Bread, but this is more along the lines of a classic shao bing. You’ll find these flat breads sold in street stands and bakeries in Northern China and Taiwan. I’ve tried a lot of shao bing and each one more different than the last. Some shao bing are thin and crackery while others are more pillowy soft. Mine falls nicely in the middle. They are soft and fluffy, with a flaky and crisp exterior, and defined layers. I think the sesame seeds and layers are the most distinctive qualities in a shao bing.
The dough is an incredibly simple yeasted dough: flour, water, and yeast. This dough then gets laminated with an oil paste, which is flour mixed with oil. The thought process is much like laminating with butter for pastries and biscuits, the fat within allows the layers of dough to separate as they cook. So when you cut into a shao bing, you’ll find a swirl of beautiful layers that you just want to tear apart and put straight into your mouth.
When you’re laminating, it’s important to use a wooden cutting board because the texture of the wood allows to the dough to grip on and stretch extra thin. This is doable on the counter but there is a tendency to slip. Brushing the board with some oil will help the dough release while simultaneously coating the dough in a little extra fat.
In the video above you’ll see two options for laminating the dough. The first method being most similar, if not identical, to shaping green onions pancakes. You’ll roll up the dough into a rope and then into a coil. The second method is like folding up the dough like a bed sheet, into a neat rectangular package. Both options delivery very layered shao bing, so up to you to decide how you want to shape it!
Now that you’ve toasted up your shao bing and there are sesame seeds all over your counter, what do you do now? Eat them while they are still warm of course (you can always clean up later)! I had my first bite with a drizzle of honey and it was divine. You can mop up a soup, stew, or curry with it or tear them open to stuff with whatever your heart wants. A hearty stew or braised meat would be delicious. Or you can make a breakfast sandwich and happily continue on with your day wishing for Fall weather to finally make it’s appearance in your corner of the world.
I’m off to Ohio for a long much needed weekend at home and it’s going to be a lovely 60 degrees everyday. I’M READY.
Sesame Crusted Shao Bing
makes 6
dough:
180g (3/4 cup) warm water - about 100 F
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
300g (2 1/4 cups) bread flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
oil paste:
90g (1/2 cup) flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
68g (1/4 cup) neutral oil
Neutral oil, for brushing
1/2 cup toasted or untoasted sesame seeds, for coating
steps:
Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast to activate, until the surface of the water is foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add flour and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough is very smooth and tacky, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to the counter and form into a smooth ball. Alternatively, knead the dough by hand until very smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and allow the dough to proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Make the oil paste: In a medium bowl, mix to combine flour, salt, and white pepper. Add the oil and mix until smooth. If the paste is a little clumpy, add a little bit more oil.
Form the shao bing: Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal portions. Roll the dough into small balls and cover with a kitchen towel so they don’t try out. Lightly brush the surface of a wooden cutting board with neutral oil. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten the dough on the cutting board with your palm and then roll out into a very thin rectangle with a rolling pin. Spread a heaping tablespoon of the oil paste all over the dough. Roll up the dough on the long edge into a rope and then form into a coil. Place the dough oil on a baking sheet or cutting board and cover with a towel to prevent drying out. Repeat with remaining portions of dough.
Coat in sesame seeds: Allow the dough to rest for 15 extra minutes. Place sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Working with one shao bing at a time, gently flatten the dough between your hands and then dip both sides in the sesame seeds. For extra crispy shao bing, roll out with a rolling pin until thin before dipping in the sesame seeds.
Cook the shao bing: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Allow it at least 5 minutes to properly warm up. Add the shao bing, however many will fit in the pan, and cover with a lid. Toast the bottoms until lightly golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and flip the shao bing. Toast the other side until lightly golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool while you cook the remaining shao bing.
Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
