Chinese Sesame Flatbread (燒餅)

Explosively flaky layers with a toasted sesame crust- you'll get out of bed for this savory breakfast staple. Breakfast burger? Been there. A decadent (Chinese) donut sandwich- done that. The classic shao bing is hard to beat.

At least when I'm on vacation in Taiwan, I love knowing that breakfast stalls are plentiful, and a piping hot shao bing is not far away. By itself, it is already leagues above any plain old bread. The toasted sesame, the chewy flaky layers, and the extra oomph from the tandoor oven is already quite a lot to process. Then add a Chinese donut (mind you, the Chinese have been doing this variation of the donut sandwich for decades), and you'll find utter decadence in a paradoxical light and fluffy bite.

Servings: 10

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 ¾ cups flour (470g)

• 2 tsp salt

• ½ cup hot water (195F)

• ¾ cup cold water

• 2 tbs oil

• White sesame seeds

Roux

• ⅔ cup flour

• ⅓ cup oil

Steps

1. Form dough: mix flour and salt together. Then add hot water.

2. Once hot water is incorporated, add cold water. Knead until the dough comes together.

3. Add oil and continue kneading until smooth.

4. Rest the dough for 30 minutes covered.

5. Make roux: add oil and flour into a pot and set on medium heat. Stir just until it comes together in a ball.

6. For the savory version, this is where you add black pepper and green onions.

7. Roll out the dough into a rectangle until it is a quarter inch thick. Spread the roux across the surface, leaving about an inch around the border (jelly roll style!)

8. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll into a long rope.

9. Divide dough into 8 pieces

10. The rolling frenzy: roll a piece into a rectangle, fold in half top-bottom, leaving a small space before the edge.

11. Roll the dough out longways, then roll the dough up in the same direction top-bottom so that it is an inch thick.

12. Turn the dough 90 degrees, then repeat steps 9-10.

13. Repeat with the rest of the dough

14. Coat one side of the dough by dipping it into a bowl of white sesame seeds .

15. Turn the dough over so that the sesame side is face down. Roll the dough out into a square, then fold in half so that the swirl from rolling the dough up is at the ends.

16. Brush the top of the dough in sesame oil

17. Rest the dough for another 20 minutes

18. To get more of an authentic tandoor oven taste, pan fry in a cast-iron for 4 minutes each side, sesame side down first. Transfer to the oven and finish baking at 500F for 8 minutes.

19. Preheat the oven to 500F and bake for 10 minutes.

20. Take out of the oven and enjoy it while it’s nice and toasty.

21. Filling suggestions: green onion and egg omelet, Chinese donut, pork floss, salad style (cabbage, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, and sweet mayo).

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