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Toasted Cumin Scallion Pancakes

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A recipe for toasted cumin scallion pancakes that are hot and crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy and flaky on the inside!

Ingredients

Scale

Dough:

  • 2 cups or 260 grams of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of hot water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon of sesame oil 

Filling:

  • 1/3 cup sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup or 43 grams flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground Sichuan pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 stalks or about 2 cups of very thinly sliced scallions, including the white parts with ends discarded – see notes

Dipping sauce using 3-2-1:

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sesame oil and 3/4 of the hot water with chopsticks until you get a shaggy dough. The dough should end up being smooth enough to press on but not sticking to your hands. Drizzle a little bit of hot water if dough is too dry and add very small amounts of flour if the dough is too sticky. Use your hand to finish kneading for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and not too sticky or dry. 
  2. Leave the bowl of dough in the bowl, cover tightly and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes. Work on the pancake filling while the dough sits. 
  3. Bring a small frying pan to medium heat and toast the cumin seeds, tossing around for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Bring a small saucepan to medium heat. Add  1/3 cup sesame oil. Once hot, add the flour, ground Sichuan pepper, ground black pepper, Chinese five spice and salt. Whisk until combined and runny. Remove from heat and set aside. 
  5. When the dough is ready, portion the dough into four equal pieces. Make sure the dough is as perfectly round as possible and make a donut-esque hole in the middle. This is to ensure even portions when splitting.
  6. Cut all the way through one part of the dough to make a log that should be perfectly even. Split into four even pieces using a dough cutter.
  7. On a silicone mat, roll it out one piece of the dough as possible without tearing. This will create flaky layers.
  8. Brush the oil and flour filling over the whole surface. Take the bottom of the pancake and start rolling upwards until it forms a log. Then twist the ends so that it looks like a wrapped piece of candy. Start at one end and roll it so that it looks like a swirl or a snail, tucking the other end underneath. Using a rolling pin, gently flatten the pancake with your hand to help it keep its round shape and then gently roll out into a 6″ disc. Avoid “popping” the pancake as much as possible. 
  9. You will cook and assemble simultaneously unless you want to assemble all of it at once. This is when you store anything you want to freeze for another day. Take any toasted cumin scallion pancakes you want to freeze by snugly wrapping in cling wrap and sticking in the freezer.
  10. Took the scallion pancakes, bring a large cast iron pan to medium heat and cover the bottom with oil. When the oil is heating up, start assembling another onion pancake if you are assembling simultaneously.
  11. When the oil is hot, add the pancake and for the first minute cook, then turn down heat to low-medium heat and cook for an additional for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown patches appear. 
  12. Put finished pancake on a plate without paper towels on a plate to cool down before cutting into 8 slices.
  13. Repeat with the other pancakes. 
  14. Serve with dim sum dipping sauce (3:2:1 ratio of soy sauce, white vinegar and chili oil)

Notes

  • The thinner the scallion slices, the easier they will be work into the dough. Large pieces can tear the dough.
  • When rolling out the dough, be gentle as to create layers instead of a thick, dense texture.
  • To make in advance, roll out the pancakes wrap and tightly using cilng wrap. Stick in freezer until ready to cook. Good in freezer for 3-4 months.

Find it online: https://bakeroise.com/toasted-cumin-scallion-pancakes/