Scallion pancakes- extra flaky layers guaranteed!

Chinese pancake variations may be a dime in the dozen, but this traditional flatbread is the og

This is a beginner friendly recipe with amazing results. Maybe that's why I revisit this recipe week after week, or when I'm just craving a savory snack. It was perhaps one of the first traditional recipes I've ever tried, and one that I still swear by. While the west has garlic oil, the East holds scallion oil in the same regard, and with its fragrance folded within a slight crunch through each pillowy -soft layer, you'll understand why.

Servings: 4 pancakes

Ingredients

Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup warm temperature water (80F-100F)

Flaky slurry:

1/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup oil (1:1 ratio)

Salt to taste

1/2 heaping cup of chopped scallions

Steps

1. Add water slowly, stirring until lumpy, slightly sticky dough forms.

2. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.

3. Make slurry of flour and oil, stirring until it is uniformly mixed

4. Take the dough out, and knead it a few times to ensure that the dough is completely homogeneous and smooth.

5. Divide the dough into 4 or 6 equal portions.

6. On a floured surface, roll the dough out as thin of a piece as possible, without ripping it.

7. Spread 2 spoonfuls of the flour and oil slurry evenly across the surface of the dough.

8. Sprinkle a pinch salt across the surface of the dough. Rub the salt in with your fingers- it should be enough salt that you feel some grains on your fingertips, but not that it coats your finger. Around a 1/2 tsp per pancake is a good start. If you want it more salty, you can also sprinkle some more on after it cooks.

9. Sprinkle scallions across the entire surface of the dough evenly so that it covers the majority of the dough.

10. Then, as if you were making cinnamon rolls, roll the dough up as tightly as possible, making sure to keep any air bubbles out.

11. Roll the snake up into a spiral, tucking the end underneath the spiral. Flatten the spiral out with your palm to make a round, then roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Do not flatten it out too much or else the resulting pancake will be crispy instead of fluffy inside.

12. Repeat for the rest of the dough

13. Pan fry or fry in oil over medium to medium low heat, preferably on a cast iron pan.

14. For a crispier and more tender pancake, add more oil (enough so that the oil comes up to the sides or slightly over the top of the dough. For a chewier and less crispy pancake (or slightly less fattening), use less oil; only enough to coat the pan.

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