Recipe Index

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ⅔ cup boiling water
• ⅓ cup cold tap water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons warm tap water, plus more for brushing the dough
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup sesame seeds

Method

1. Make the roux by heating the first measure of vegetable oil in a small pan over medium heat for a minute until shimmering, stirring in the smaller measure of all-purpose flour quickly, then cooking the mixture over low heat with constant stirring for about 3 minutes until it colours like peanut butter, stirring for a minute more off the heat before scraping it into a heatproof bowl.
2. Put the larger measure of all-purpose flour in a big bowl, stir in the boiling water with a spatula, add the cold tap water and stir again, then bring the dough together by hand, adding a tablespoon or two of warm tap water only if it feels dry, and knead it on a work surface for 2 minutes until smooth and damp but not sticky.
3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into an 18 by 12 inch rectangle ¼ inch thick with its long edge facing you, stir the roux, spread about 4 tablespoons of it over the dough leaving a ½-inch border, and sprinkle the kosher salt across the roux.
4. Roll the rectangle up from its long edge into a cylinder, pinch its ends closed to seal the seam, and cut the cylinder into eight equal segments.
5. Heat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper while the pieces are shaped.
6. Stand each segment seam-down with a cut edge facing you, roll it into a 5 by 3½ inch rectangle, flip it seam-up, fold it in thirds like a letter, roll it out to the same size again, fold it in thirds once more and set it aside flap-down, repeating with every segment.
7. Put the sesame seeds on a small plate, brush the top of each folded piece with a little water, dip the moistened side into the seeds, roll each piece seed-side up into a 5 by 3½ inch rectangle, and arrange the breads on the prepared sheet.
8. Bake the shao bing for 15 minutes, flip them all, and bake 4 minutes more until they puff and colour lightly, then let them cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data