If you have read my write-up on Shanghainese-style breakfasts, you know the breakfast choices in Shanghai range far and wide. This Shanghai Scallion Flatbread (Shànghǎi qiāng bǐng, 上海羌饼) is one of my favorites.
What Is Shanghai Scallion Flatbread?
While I’m calling this a Shanghai Scallion Flatbread because it’s what I grew up with in the Shanghai area, there are different variations of it across China. Basically, it is a leavened, thick pancake, cooked on a griddle rather than baked.
This version has a coating of nutty sesame seeds, with a crisp outer crust that contrasts with its soft and fluffy middle. It has an aroma similar to that of its cousin, the regular scallion pancake we all know and love.
Another Vivid Childhood Food Memory
The ones I remember were much bigger than this homemade version. It was bigger than a large pizza. You would purchase it by weight, because no one could finish even a slice of that giant pancake!
I remember impatiently waiting in line for a piece, mesmerized by the wisps of steam and the soft sizzle of condensation dropping onto the hot metal pan.
I have to admit, the crunchy sesame seed crust was always worth whatever wait was required.
After I made it for the girls the first time, they quickly compared it to Italian focaccia. This flatbread is indeed quite similar to focaccia in terms of thickness, and it has a similar oil-crisped crust.
However, the Shanghai version is much softer and has a hint of sweetness that makes it stand out in my mind.
After thinking about qiāng bǐng for so many years, I’ve finally gotten around to experimenting with my own recipe and documenting it.
It’s very special to me, so do give it a try. I hope you like it as much as I do. (And as much as the rest of the family does, now that they’ve experienced it too!)
Shanghai Scallion Flatbread: Recipe Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and sugar.
Pour in the tepid water and work it into the flour gradually with chopsticks or a rubber spatula.
The dough will be sticky and slightly wet, but still workable. Do your best not to add more flour to the dough from this point on!
Knead the dough until it forms a soft ball.
Cover the mixing bowl with a damp kitchen towel and proof in a warm spot until the dough triples in size, 60-90 minutes. I proof my dough inside my microwave, with a large mug of just-boiled water next to it and the microwave door closed.
After proofing, add the sea salt, white pepper, and ground Sichuan peppercorns (or five spice powder).
Knead for another 5 minutes to combine. If the stickiness of the dough makes it difficult to work with, oil your hands rather than using additional flour.
Cover the dough with the towel again, and let it rest on the counter for another 15 minutes. At this point, you can very finely chop the scallions (they must be small to distribute evenly throughout the pancake and release more flavor).
Knead the dough one more time for 2 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles. Brush a clean, flat work surface (such as a clean counter or cutting board) lightly with oil.
Using an oiled rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin rectangle a little less than ¼-inch (0.6 cm) thick.
Brush the rolled dough with a thin layer of oil.
Evenly cover it with the scallions.
Roll it up lengthwise into a tight log.
Roll the log into a thinner tube (this also helps reduce air pockets).
And roll the tube into a spiral to form a thick disc. Tuck the end underneath.
Use your hands and a rolling pin to press the disc down into a 10” circle.
Sprinkle both sides liberally with sesame seeds, making sure to cover the entire surface.
Press the sesame seeds into the dough with the palm of your hand.
The dough circle will be very soft. Use a bench scraper or a large spatula to flip it before sprinkling the other side with sesame seeds.
In a large flat bottomed non-stick or cast iron pan with a lid (I used a 12” cast iron pan), add 3 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly across the pan’s surface.
Place the dough circle into the oiled pan. (Lay it over your rolling pin to transfer it to the pan.)
Press the dough into the pan.
Cover and allow it to rest for another 20 minutes, without turning on the heat!
After the dough has rested, turn the heat on to medium, with the lid still on. Set a timer for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, open the lid and check the bottom of the pancake.
When it’s evenly golden brown, flip the pancake, cover again, and cook for another 6 minutes.
Remove the lid, and cook for another few minutes to dry out the crust. The pancake is done when both sides are a deep golden brown, and the outer crust is crisp (it should sound hollow when you tap on it).
Enjoy!
Shanghai Scallion Flatbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (can substitute same amount of instant yeast)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 cup tepid water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional; can substitute five spice powder)
- 3 scallions (finely chopped, about 1/2 cup)
- 2-3 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons oil (plus more for brushing; any neutral oil works
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and tepid water with a rubber spatula. The dough will be sticky and slightly wet, but still workable. Do your best not to add more flour to the dough from this point on!
- Knead the dough until it forms a soft, smooth ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp kitchen towel and proof in a warm spot until the dough triples in size, 60-90 minutes. I proof my dough inside my microwave, with a large mug of just-boiled water next to it and the microwave door closed.
- Once the dough is done proofing, add the sea salt, white pepper, and Sichuan peppercorns (or five spice powder). Knead for another 5 minutes, until everything is well-combined. If the stickiness of the dough makes it difficult to work with, oil your hands rather than using additional flour.
- Cover the dough with the towel again, and let it rest on the counter for another 15 minutes. At this point, you can very finely chop the scallions (they must be small to distribute evenly throughout the pancake and release more flavor).
- Knead the dough one more time for 2 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles. Brush a clean, flat work surface (such as a clean counter or cutting board) lightly with oil. Using an oiled rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin rectangle a little less than ¼-inch (0.6 cm) thick.
- Brush the rolled dough with a thin layer of oil, and evenly cover it with the scallions. Roll it up lengthwise into a tight log.
- Roll the log into a thinner tube (this also helps reduce air pockets), and roll the tube into a spiral to form a thick disc. Tuck the end underneath.
- Use your hands and a rolling pin to press the disc down into a 10” circle. Sprinkle both sides liberally with sesame seeds, making sure the entire surface is covered. Press the sesame seeds into the dough with the palm of your hand. (The dough circle will be very soft, so use a bench scraper or large spatula to help you flip it over before sprinkling the other side with sesame seeds too).
- In a large flat bottomed non-stick or cast iron pan with a lid (I used a 12” cast iron pan), add 3 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly across the pan’s surface. Place the dough circle into the oiled pan. (Lay it over your rolling pin to transfer it to the pan.) Cover and allow it to rest for another 20 minutes, without turning on the heat!
- After the dough has rested, turn the heat on to medium, with the lid still on. Set a timer for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, open the lid and check the bottom. When it’s evenly golden brown, flip the pancake, cover again, and cook for another 6 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and cook for another few minutes to dry out the crust. The pancake is done when both sides are a deep golden brown, and the outer crust is crisp (it should sound hollow when you tap on it). Slice and enjoy!
Made this for the first time tonight and hot damn, this was a slam dunk. Absolutely phenomenal, and uses ingredients I always have at home! I’ll be making this a lot in the future, for sure.
Yayyy! Love it :-)
Hi Judy, whenever I make a dish with many steps like this I make extra to freeze for future easy meals. How well does this freeze and what is the best way to reheat?
Appreciate all what you do for us Aloha!
Hi Hilo, I think it’s ok to freeze the cooked qiangbing.
Uh.. I tried this with quick rise yeast… and literally there was no rise in my dough…
Hi Amanda, it shouldn’t be, unless there is a problem with the yeast or the water temperature was too high and killed the yeast.
I’ve made this recipe twice now, and the flavor is just fantastic. That said, I am having one consistent issue: my cast iron is taking too long to heat up evenly when going from cold to medium heat, which means that either I have to take the heat too high (leaving my flatbread blackened in some areas) or the heat is too low and the flatbread doesn’t puff up properly – and even then, the amount of time it takes to cook through still leaves blackened areas. I’m making this again tonight and I think I will preheat my cast-iron in the oven, do the final proof of the flatbread outside of the pan, and then transfer to the pan once it has even heating. Has anyone else had this issue? (note that I’m cooking on an electric stove top which is just the bane of my existence.)
Hi Hannah, I have a quick solution. Don’t change anything except increasing the 1st cooking time from 12 minutes to 15 – 18 minutes. As you can see, I cooked it in my cast iron pan too.
Thanks for responding! I’m a little confused by this solution though – the bottom is burnt to a blackened color if I put the burner temp at anything above a low. I’ll certainly try it at low temp for 15 min, but I was also thinking that next time I may start it on the stove top but move it to the oven for consistent overall heat. Have you done an oven version?
No, Hannah, I have not tried the oven.
I made this last night and it was not only great in the taste department but, also, I found it quite fun to make! I used my cast iron skillet and had no issues with sticking and/or sesame seeds not adhering; I did not use the recommended 3 tbsp. of oil in the pan since mine is quite well seasoned. Looking forward to making it again in the future with five spice powder.
So great, Michael, thank you for trying this recipe. I think I will make one now :-)
I made this today, and the good news is, it’s delicious. But there are few things about the recipe you might want to tweak. First, I discovered the perfect surface for working the dough without it sticking: a silicone baking mat. I did oil it lightly, as I did the marble rolling pin I used, and the dough was very manageable. I was able to lift it and turn it repeatedly with just my hands. No scraper needed.
Now, the not-so-good: I used a non-stick skillet, and this is way too much oil for that pan. First thing, when I went to flip the pancake, the condensation on the lid dripped into the hot oil, which spat hot, oil-covered sesame seeds all over me and my kitchen. It was a good thing I was wearing glasses or they would have gone into my eyes. The pancake also turned out very oily. I blotted it on paper towels before eating it. Also, most of the sesame seeds fell off during the cooking, even though I pressed them on with my hands.
I would try this again, but with maybe 1/3 as much oil in the pan. And maybe use the rolling piñon the sesame seeds?
You know I love you guys, but I need to honest.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Cheryl, and your honesty :-) All points are well noted and be considered. Many thanks!
Thank you for all the details and tips you provide in this recipe, like oiling the rolling pin! I will use my sourdough starter when I do this. I used to poo poo sesame seeds thinking they didn’t have much flavor until I started getting more serious about Asian cooking. Now I realize the flavor they provide so I won’t be leaving them out! And I can see they would especially good toasting in the cast iron pan.
Hope you give this recipe a try, Linda :-)
Very delicious looking. Will definitely try it!
Please let us know how you like it when you give this recipe a try, Rachel.
Great recipe, thanks for posting! I weighted the flour at 125 grams per cup, then used a stand mixer to do the hard work. It did seem a bit wet so I did add in maybe another 20 grams or so of flour? That helped – still plenty wet, and great results using a cast iron dutch oven. And I also loved the tip on using the microwave with a cup of boiled water in it, what a great idea – I live in Michigan, winter house temps aren’t great for yeast breads, but the bowl was nice and warm & kept humid in the microwave.
That’s awesome, and thank you for your lovely comment, Steve.
I had a lot of hope, but I had the opposite problem, it was too dry! Didn’t proof. Next time.
SO. INSANELY. GOOD!!!
Sadly only makes one serving. :P watch your heat so it cooks slow enough wo burning. If it falls apart a bit whilst rolling and turning before going i to the pan, pinch it together w a non-judgmental love.
Lovely, Toni Jean, and it’s easy to make too :-)