Cong you bing / Spring onion pancakes
To make enough pancakes for two, you will need:
- 1 cup plain flour and some for dusting your work surface
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 cup sliced spring onion
- Toasted sesame oil for brushing
- At least 30 minutes to rest the dough
For the dipping sauce you will need:
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sliced spring onions
- 1/4 tsp ginger, grated
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
In a little bowl combine the sauce ingredients and allow to rest and marry at room temp. This can be prepared during the resting of the dough or before you start to shape and cook the pancakes.
For the pancakes, in a heat-safe bowl add your flour and slowly stir in your boiling water with some chopsticks. You might not need all of the water. As soon as the flour starts balling up, you are good to go. I also find putting a towel under the bowl helps to keep in place as you work the hot water into the flour. Once your dough has come together, knead until you get an elastic smooth ball. Cover with a damp towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes, however, the longer the better and this can even be prepared the night before and left to rest in the fridge, covered in clingfilm, overnight.
The boiling water and resting negates gluten development and is what allows the dough to stay flat and give it a nice chewy texture, so don't skip! I usually end up going for a run during this rest period, so planning ahead can certainly help with "dead" time.
Once the dough is rested, dust your work surface and tip out the dough. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Working with one dough ball at a time, flatten the ball into a disk ~15cm in diameter. Sprinkle some spring onion on your dough and then roll the disk up into a log, then spiral the log into a cinnamon bun shape, tucking the end under, this is what is going to help make layers in our pancake. Flatten the bun into a disk again, brush the disk with the sesame oil and then sprinkle more sliced onions onto it, roll up and flatten again before setting it to the side on your damp towel. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and spring onions.
Heat a pan on medium-high with about 1/4 cup of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, slip your pancakes into the oil, avoid crowding the pan, and cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes on each side. It should make a nice brown, crispy pattern. Set aside to drain whilst cooking off any remaining pancakes.
Serve hot and quartered with dipping sauce.