Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing)

Flaky, crispy, savory pancakes layered with scallions — Chinese street food perfection.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup scallions, finely chopped
• Oil for frying
• Dipping sauce: soy sauce + rice vinegar + chili oil

Method

1. Mix flour, salt, boiling water into a dough. Knead 5 min. Rest 30 min.

2. Divide into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin circle. Brush with sesame oil, sprinkle scallions and salt.

3. Roll up tightly into a log, then coil into a spiral. Flatten and roll out again into a circle.

4. Pan-fry in oil over medium heat 3 min per side until golden and flaky.

5. Serve with dipping sauce.

What You're Practicing

• The roll-coil-flatten technique creates the signature flaky layers.
• Boiling water (not cold) makes the dough tender and pliable — same hot-water dough as dumplings.