Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Discover how to make Chinese Scallion Pancakes with this easy no-kneading recipe.

Perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these scallion pancakes are simple to prepare with a few basic ingredients and two chopsticks. Ideal for a quick snack or side dish, and serve with a delicious dipping sauce for extra flavor.

What’s Special about this recipe?

This Chinese Scallion Pancakes recipe has some distinctive features compared to more traditional recipes:

No-Knead Approach: Unlike many scallion pancake recipes that require extensive kneading to develop the dough, this recipe simplifies the process by using a no-knead technique.This reduces preparation time and effort.

Chopstick Technique: The use of chopsticks to stir and shape the dough is unique. It helps develop the dough’s gluten without the need for traditional kneading, making it easier to handle.

Low Heat, Low Oil, Cooking with Steaming: This recipe utilizes a low heat setting combined with adding water to the skillet to create a steaming environment. This method ensures the pancakes cook through evenly while maintaining a tender interior.

Minimal Ingredients and Steps: The recipe uses basic ingredients and fewer steps compared to more complex scallion pancake recipes, making it accessible and easy to recreate at home.

Bread-like Texture: Traditional Chinese scallion pancakes are known for their layered and flaky texture, achieved through rolling and folding the dough to create multiple thin layers that separate slightly when cut or torn. This simplified recipe omits the folding steps, so the pancakes won’t have the same flaky texture inside. However, the addition of yeast will introduce small air pockets, giving the pancakes a light and airy, bread-like texture.

Tips for making Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Although this no-knead version of Chinese scallion pancakes is simpler than the traditional recipe, following these key tips will help you avoid ending up with hard or raw pancakes:

1. Stir Thoroughly: Use chopsticks to stir the dough in one direction for at least 10 minutes to achieve a smooth, elastic texture. The longer you stir, the more gluten develops, allowing the dough to trap air and form small air pockets during cooking, resulting in a fluffy interior. For optimal results, you can use the medium speed setting on a stand mixer to stir for 10 minutes. Ensure the dough reaches the texture shown in the image below.

2. Allow Proper Rising: Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. The ideal temperature for dough rising is between 75°F and 85°F (24°C to 29°C). For quicker rising, you can use the proof function on your oven. During summertime, leave the dough at room temperature. In winter, place the dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water to create a warm environment.

I used instant yeast, which allows the dough to rise within 1 hour. If you use active dry yeast, activate it in lukewarm water before mixing it with the flour, and expect the dough to take about 3 hours to double in size.

3. Shape with Two Chopsticks: Due to the high water content and well-developed gluten, this dough is very pliable and stretchy. You can easily lift a long piece of dough with a pair of chopsticks without it breaking. If the dough breaks when you try to pick it up with chopsticks, consider using thicker utensils like the handles of two spatulas. If the dough still breaks, it indicates insufficient gluten development. Next time, stir the dough longer in the first step. For now, you can oil your hands and manually shape the dough into balls.

4. Minimum Use of Oil: This recipe requires significantly less oil than traditional scallion pancakes. Simply spray vegetable oil on your hands and the skillet to prevent sticking and ensure easy handling of the dough. Adding more oil to pan-fry these pancakes can cause excessive splattering due to the high water content in the dough. To avoid this, make sure you just spray or brush your nonstick pan with a thin layer of oil when cooking these pancakes.

5. Control Cooking Temperature: Start by cooking the pancakes over low heat to ensure they cook through without burning. If the temperature is too high, the exterior will become hard quickly while the interior remains soggy and raw. After the initial cooking, increase the heat to medium to achieve a golden brown finish.

6. Use Steaming Technique: Add a little bit of water to the skillet and cover it with a lid to create a steaming environment. This technique, similar to cooking Japanese soufflé pancakes, ensures the pancakes cook evenly and stay tender.

7. Avoid Overcrowding: Cook only a few pancakes at a time to ensure they cook properly and crisp up nicely.

EQUIPMENT

• Kitchen scale (Or Measuring Cups and Spoons)
• Large mixing bowl
• Skillet or Frying Pan
• Chopsticks
• Knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS  

• 500 g all-purpose flour (4 cups)
• 400 g water (1+ ⅔ cups; room temperature)
• 5 g instant yeast (1¼ tsp; Can also use active dry yeast)
• 5 g salt (1 tsp)
• 10 g sugar (2½ tsps)
• 4 bunches scallions
• vegetable oil (for brushing the skillet)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.

2. Stir the mixture in one direction using a pair of chopsticks for about 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and the gluten develops enough that you can lift the dough with the chopsticks without it breaking.

3. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

4. After the dough has risen, finely chop the scallions and add them to the dough. (No need to mix the dough and scallions together.)

5. Spray a thin layer of vegetable oil onto the skillet and heat it over low heat (I used level 2 on my 10-level stovetop).

6. Spray a thin layer of vegetable oil on both of your hands to prevent sticking.

7. Hold a chopstick in each hand and use the tips to lift the dough. Spin the chopsticks in a circular motion until you have a piece of dough about 3 inches in diameter on the tips of the chopsticks.

8. Use your oil-coated hands to transfer the dough from the chopsticks to the oiled skillet. Repeat the process until you have 4 pieces of dough in the skillet, ensuring that they do not touch each other.

9. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the empty space in the skillet to create a steaming environment. Ensure that the water does not come into contact with the pancake doughs.

10. Cover the skillet with its lid and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. (If the heat is too high, the outside may become hard or even burnt while the inside remains raw.)

11. After 10 minutes of cooking, remove the lid, flip the pancakes to cook the other side, and add 1 tablespoon of water to the empty space in the skillet. Cover with the lid and cook over low heat for an additional 10 minutes.

12. After cooking, increase the heat to medium and flip the pancakes, cooking each side until they turn golden brown.

13. Once the pancakes are cooked, transfer them to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining dough portions, making about 8 scallion pancakes in total.

14. Serve hot, optionally with a dipping sauce of your choice (soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil make a great combination).

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