Sesame Pancake (芝麻大餅)

One of our college friend's father used to make sesame pancakes and feed all of us everytime we have a party.  His sesame pancakes is better than the ones made in Restaurant.  Recently, he moved back to Taiwan and we feel so sad that we won't be able to enjoy the homemade pancakes anymore.


In the new year party, my friend and his better half made the pancakes that is as good as their father's.  Now the torch is passed on and I got my friend's blessing to share the recipe.   I am going to try it soon.

Ingredients:

4 cup of all purpose flours
1.75 tsp yeast
scallions (1 bundle, about 9 stems)
unroasted white sesame seeds


Steps:
1. Add 1tsp sugar and 1.75 tsp yeast on one cup of warm water, wait for 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbling.

2. Chop scallions finely.

2. Add yeast water into four cups of all-purpose flour, add another 3/4 cup of cold water.  Mix all together with mixer (set to level 2) for 2 minutes (or hand-kneading) until the surface is smooth.  Cover it up with a wet paper towel (or plastic wrap).  Turn the oven to 200 degree for 20 seconds.  Turn it off and then put the dough in the oven for 45 minutes (on a warm day, you can leave it under room temperature or in front of a sunny window).  Let the dough rise until it is doubled in its size.

3. Put the dough in the mixer and mix it for two minutes (at level 2).  Cut the dough into three even parts to make three pancakes.  Use roller to roll into a big, thin pancake (see leftmost picture below), brush vegetable oil evenly (about 1 TB), sprinkle 1 tsp salt evenly, then sprinkle finely chopped scallions (about 3 stalks for each pancake, see middle picture below).  Roll it up, press both ends tight and twist and spiral up (see rightmost picture below, similar to scallion pancakes, 蔥油餅).  The press it down from the top and use a roller to make it a 8 to 10 inch pancake.

4. Brush one tsp water on the surface of the pancake.  Sprinkle the unroasted white sesame seeds generously and press them firmly.  Leave it out for 10 minutes.

5. In a 10-inch fry pan, heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in medium to low heat, put the pancake with the sesame seed side faced down.  Cover it for 5 minutes.  Flip over for another 4 minutes.  Check the color,  make sure the color is golden brown.  Don't burn the sesame seeds.

Note: if you don't have a mixer, use your hand to knead the dough until the surface of the dough is smooth and there is no dough stick to the bowl.