Unleavened aromatic flatbread studded with sesame seeds on the outside and multiple flaky layers on the inside is popular street food and breakfast in Northern China and Taiwan. They are so delicious and go with many savory fillings or are great on their own.
Combine cake flour, sesame paste, five-spice powder and salt in a heat-proof bowl
Heat 1/8 cup of oil until it starts to smoke and immediately but carefully pour into the flour mixture you prepared. Stir into a smooth paste and set aside while you prepare other things
Prepare the dough:
Combine cake flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add in the hot water while stirring with a wooden spatula until you get a mass of dough. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and start kneading until you can form a rather smooth dough. Transfer out to a work surface and knead again for another 5 minutes until you get a dough that is a bit smoother than before, slightly sticky to the touch (just a bit)
Put the dough back into the mixing bowl. Cover tightly and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not skip this step
After the rest, transfer the dough to a work surface again and knead for another 3-5 minutes. You will have a smooth dough now. Return to a bowl again. Cover and rest one last time for another 20 minutes
Laminating:
Dust your work surface with all-purpose flour. Use a rolling pin and start rolling the dough out into a rectangle, about 1/3-1/2 cm in thickness. Roll it out as evenly as possible so the dough has the same thickness all around
Spread the filling all over the surface, leaving about 1/2-inch border on all side. Then start rolling from the long side, like a Swiss roll. Be sure to roll tightly. Cut into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time
Take one dough and flatten it slightly with your palm. Use a rolling pin and roll out from the middle all the way to the top. Then roll upwards tightly to form a cylinder
Rotate 90 degree and roll out 1/3 from the top. Fold the other half over. Flip it up and roll out 1/3 from the top then fold the other half overand roll out 1/3 from the top then fold the other half over
Apply topping:
Combine soy sauce and water in one bowl. Put raw sesame seeds in another bowl
Dip into soy sauce and then press into the sesame seeds. Put on a baking sheet, topping side down. Repeat with the rest of the dough and toppings. Cover with cling wrap and rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475 F (246 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, lower the temperature by about 20 degrees. Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack to let it preheat with the oven at the same time
Shape into flatbread:
Take the first dough you laminated, sesame seeds side down. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into roughly about 8 x 4 inches rectangle. Repeat with the rest of the dough
Remove the preheated baking sheet out and quickly arrange the flatbread, sesame seeds side down and return into the oven to let them bake for 10 minutes. Then flip them over, so the sesame seeds sides are up now. Then return to the oven and bake for another 4-6 minutes or until lightly golden brown
Cooling:
Remove from the oven and use a tong to transfer them to a cooling rack to let them cool down
Serving suggestions:
Use a serrated knife to slice them in half horizontally. You can eat them plain, or serve with a pair of you tiao (Chinese fried cruller), braised beef, smoked meats, or pretty much any savory filling of your choice