Unleavened aromatic savory 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.
If you have not tried this Chinese shao bing before, I strongly encourage you to do so. These shao bing are really so good and they are made with ingredients that most people have in their pantries. These flatbreads are our family’s new favorite unleavened bread. They are not just flatbread. They are so aromatic thanks to the five-spice and sesame paste filling.
This is a savory shao bing
There are sweet shao bing and also savory shao bing. The savory shao bing are usually eaten with things like fried you tiao, braised beef, pork, smoked meat, etc. The sweet shao bing can be filled with brown sugar, honey, red bean paste, sweet black sesame paste, etc.
How to make shao bing at home
1. Combine cake flour, sesame paste, five-spice powder and salt in a heat-proof bowl
2. 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
3. Combine cake flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl
4. Gradually add in the hot water
hot boiling water
5. Stir with a wooden spatula until you get a mass of dough
6. 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)
7. Put the dough back into the mixing bowl. Cover tightly and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not skip this step
8. 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
9. Return to a bowl again. Cover and rest one last time for another 20 minutes
10. 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
11. Spread the filling all over the surface, leaving about 1/2-inch border on all side.
12. Then start rolling from the long side, like a Swiss roll. Be sure to roll tightly
13. Cut into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife. Keep them covered and work with one dough at a time
14. Take one dough (seam side up) and flatten it slightly with your palm
15. Use a rolling pin and roll out from the middle all the way to the top.
How it looks like on the side
16. Then roll upwards tightly to form a cylinder
17. Rotate 90 degree
18. Roll out 1/3 from the top
19. Fold the other half over
20. Flip the other side up
21. Roll out 1/3 from the top then fold the other half over
22. 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
23. Put them on a baking sheet. 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
24. 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
25. 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
26. Remove from the oven and use a tong to transfer them to a cooling rack to let them cool down
27. Use a serrated knife to slice them in half horizontally. You can eat them plain, or serve them with a pair of you tiao (Chinese fried cruller), braised beef, smoked meats, or pretty much any savory filling of your choice
I have some leftover rotisserie chicken on hand and so I pulled and shredded the meat. Add some caramelized onion, some lettuce, and some chili sauce. Lunch was taken care of!
I filled with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, some lettuce, and caramelized onion
Did you make this Chinese shao bing recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Did you make this shao bing recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
The recipe is adapted from here
Shao Bing (Chinese Sesame Flatbread)
Ingredients
Filling:
- 50 gr cake flour or low-gluten flour
- 20 gr sesame paste
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 20 gr hot oil
Dough:
- 400 gr cake flour or low-gluten flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 250 ml hot boiling water
- 1 Tbsp Oil or as needed
- All-purpose flour for dusting
Topping:
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp water
- ½ cup raw white sesame seeds or more as needed
Instructions
Prepare the filling:
- 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
