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The yeasted or leavened scallion flatbread are thick, fluffy, studded with aromatic green onion and have a nice crisp sesame crust on the outside. It’s more like a flatbread than a pancake.
You have to try this Shanghai yeasted scallion flatbread if you haven’t already! I love the popular crisp and flaky scallion pancakes (cong you bing), but I really enjoy this soft and slightly chewy yeasted scallion flatbread.
Why you’ll love this recipe
1. The dough is prepared without using a machine
2. The flatbread is soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy on the inside and has a nice nutty sesame crust on the outside
3. It’s one of the easiest flatbreads one can make
How to make Shanghai Yeasted/Leavened Scallion Flatbread
1. Combine flour and salt and set aside in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine yeast with warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add this into the flour mixture and knead it into a rough dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes
2. After the rest, oil your hands or spray with cooking spray and knead the dough a few times into a smooth dough. You will be surprised by how easy it is to knead the dough now. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let it proofs at a warm place until double in size. This may take about 1 hour or longer, depending on the temperature where you are. At a warm place, it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour
3. After proofing, deflate the dough. Punch out all the air and divide the dough into 2, cover them and rest the doughs for 15 minutes. This rest is important so it’s easier for you to roll out the dough without fighting the gluten
4. Work with one dough at a time and keep the other covered. Lightly floured your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out into about 45 cm wide rectangle.
5. Brush with some oil
6. Sprinkle some salt and finely chopped green onion evenly on the surface
7. Roll the dough up or down like a Swiss roll into a long strip. Seal both open ends.
8. Then gently stretch and pull the dough strip into about 60 cm in length
9. Then twist the dough on its length while rolling the dough into a coil and tuck the tail to the bottom of the dough. Repeat with the other dough. Then cover and rest for 10 minutes
10. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a circle about 25 cm in diameter
11. Dab the surface with some water and sprinkle on 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds. Lightly press so the sesame seeds stick to the dough
12. Put about 1 Tbsp of oil on a pan. Place the shaped dough on the pan. Cover and let it proof for about 20 minutes. While waiting, flatten the other dough into a circle about 25 cm in diameter like you did before and let it rest for 20 minutes too.
13. Then turn on the fire on the stove over medium-low and cook the flatbread until the bottom is lightly golden brown and then flip to the other side and cook until the bottom is golden brown again. Flip again and cook for another minute or two and remove from the pan
14. You can continue cooking the second flatbread since it has been proved while waiting for the first flatbread to proof and cook. Add the rest of the cooking oil and cook the second flat bread
15. Cut the flatbread into wedges and serve while they are still crisp on the outside and fluffy inside
How to store leftovers Shanghai scallion flatbread
1. Let the flatbread cools down completely
2. Wrap with cling wrap and store in an air-tight container. They can be kept at room temperature for 3 days
3. For longer storage, freeze individually-wrapped bread for up to 1 month
4. Simply reheat in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and heated through or in a preheated oven at 350 F (180 C), loosely cover with a foil for 10-15 minutes
Did you make this Shanghai yeasted scallion flatbread recipe?
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Shanghai Yeasted Scallion Pancakes/Flatbread
Ingredients
Dough:
- 300 gr all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 190 ml lukewarm water
Toppings:
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 stalks green onion
- 2 Tbsp Toasted white sesame seeds divided
To cook the bread:
- 2 Tbsp Cooking oil divided
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- Combine flour and salt and set aside in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine yeast with warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add this into the flour mixture and knead into a rough dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes300 gr all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp active dry yeast, 190 ml lukewarm water, 1 tsp sugar
- After the rest, oil your hands or spray with cooking spray and knead the dough a few times into a smooth dough. You will be surprised by how easy it is to knead the dough now
Proof the dough:
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let it proofs at a warm place until double in size. This may take about 1 hour or longer, depending on the temperature where you are. At a warm place, it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour
Shaping:
- After proofing, deflate the dough. Punch out all the air and divide the dough into 2, cover them and rest the doughs for 15 minutes. This rest is important so it's easier for you to roll out the dough without fighting the gluten
- Work with one dough at a time and keep the other covered. Lightly floured your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out into about 45 cm wide rectangle. Brush with some oil, sprinkle some salt and finely chopped green onion evenly on the surface. Roll the dough up or down like a Swiss roll into a long strip. Seal both open ends. Then gently stretch and pull the dough strip into about 60 cm in length1/2 tsp salt, 3 stalks green onion, 2 Tbsp Toasted white sesame seeds
- Then twist the dough on its length while rolling the dough into a coil and tuck the tail to the bottom of the dough. Repeat with the other dough. Then cover and rest for 10 minutes
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a circle about 25 cm in diameter. Dab the surface with some water and sprinkle on 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds. Lightly press so the sesame seeds stick to the dough
Second proofing:
- Put about 1 Tbsp of oil on a pan. Place the shaped dough on the pan. Cover and let it proof for about 20 minutes. While waiting, flatten the other dough into a circle about 25 cm in diameter like you did before and let it rest for 20 minutes too.
Cooking:
- Then turn on the fire on the stove over medium-low and cook the flatbread until the bottom is lightly golden brown and then flip to the other side and cook until the bottom is golden brown again. Flip again and cook for another minute or two and remove from the pan2 Tbsp Cooking oil
- You can continue cooking the second flatbread since it has been proved while waiting for the first flatbread to proof and cook. Add the rest of the cooking oil and cook the second flat bread
To serve:
- Cut the flatbread into wedges and serve while they are still crisp on the outside and fluffy inside
6 comments
Wonderful! What a hit this turned out to be. My dough ended up rather moist, but it still worked. I oiled a silicon mat and then stretched the dough. Could not have used a rolling pin.
Thank you for the detailed description
Is it possible to make this ahead and then keep in the fridge before frying?
Hi Afra, try to adjust the amount of water next time if you plan to make them again. See if that helps with the stickiness.
You can probably let the second proofing done in the fridge and then fry it later, but I don’t recommend keeping it for more than a day however. The already-cooked flatbread can be kept frozen and reheat though!
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond
Excellent recipe! Delicious!
Love this recipe, already made it several times now. My kids love it as well!
Hi Jane, happy to know that 🙂