Recipe: Shao Bing (Info and many recipes)

What you're looking for is shao bing, which is sometimes called/translated as "sesame pancake," "sesame pastries," "sesame bread pockets," "baked sesame cakes," "pan fried sesame bun," "clay oven rolls," "Chinese pita," and more.

For those who are not familiar, shaobing (烧饼 or 燒餅, 燒餅皮沾滿了芝麻, 芝麻烧饼, 芝麻甜燒餅 or 糖鼓燒餅 when sweet) is a flakey, layered, thin bread that can be made plain, or with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. It is one of the most popular breads in China with over 100 documented varieties. A good description I've seen is a cross between a sesame bagel and a croissant, or focaccia and pita. In China and Taiwan, shao bing are often eaten for breakfast, or as snacks, split open as the base for a variety of sandwiches when fillings are not baked inside. One notorious such sandwich from Taiwan involves a cruller(youtiao) stuffed inside the bread, eaten with warm, fresh soymilk, talk about carbloading!

From street vendors, they're made in barrel shaped charcoal ovens, in restaurants and homes are made on the stovetop (like english muffins or unleavened flatbreads) or oven baked. Some are made with yeast, some without - those served at Chinese/Mongolian buffet restaurants in the U.S. generally use pre-made yeasted versions, such as those you can buy frozen.

I'm including some recipes below that are varieties of shao bing for you to experiment with, but you can also just buy them frozen - LW food cord, Wei Chuan, and Little Alley are brands to look out for at specialty grocery stores.
http://www.lwfoodcorp.com/Frozen/lw0150.html
https://www.instacart.com/kroger/products
http://welluck.com

For recipes closest to what you're looking for, I'd run these websites through google translate:
https://www.xinshipu.com/zuofa/613291
https://post.smzdm.com/p/455192/
http://www.sbar.com.cn/caipu/1297402a61
http://www.sbar.com.cn/caipu/1433689594
https://icook.tw/recipes/118626
https://icook.tw/recipes/217160
https://icook.tw/recipes/50937
https://cookpad.com
https://cookpad.com/t

There are also a number of helpful youtube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXc3lA5OJN8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnEXFFkJ-uA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq775e7cVo8

SESAME FLATBREADS (SHAO BING)
Adapted from the China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp (Workman, 1992)
Makes 18 flatbreads
Time: 1 hour

FOR THE DOUGH:
4 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for rolling out dough
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (or more) vegetable oil for frying.
FOR THE FILLING:
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut, corn, canola or safflower oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt, plus additional salt for sprinkling on top
1 cup untoasted sesame seeds.

Make the dough:
In a mixer fitted with a flat paddle, combine dry ingredients. With mixer running on low speed, add 3/4 cup very hot tap water and then 1 cup very cold tap water in quick succession. Mix just until dough forms a soft ball. If it is very wet and sticks to the paddle, sprinkle in a bit more flour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes.

While the dough rests, make the filling.
In a heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the oils, and heat about 4 minutes, until very hot but not smoking. Add flour, and stir until combined. Add a generous pinch of salt, and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until mixture bubbles and turns pale golden. Remove from heat, and let cool.

Divide dough in half, and gently form each piece into a 9-inch log. Cut each log into 1-inch slices. Place them, cut side down, on a lightly floured surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each slice into a 6-by-3-inch rectangle. With a pastry brush, starting at one end of the rectangle, brush about 1 teaspoon of filling over two-thirds of the dough, leaving a third uncovered. Fold the unfilled third over the filling, as if folding a letter, and then fold the remaining third over that. Rotate dough packet 90 degrees, and roll it out a second time to make another 6-by-3-inch rectangle. Fold dough into thirds again, without adding any additional filling. Press the dough packet, seam side up, into sesame seeds to coat. Roll out a third time into a 6-by-3-inch rectangle, and set aside. Repeat this process with remaining dough.

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add enough oil to lightly glaze the bottom, and heat for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and add as many flatbreads as will fit in a single layer, sesame side down; fry until lightly golden and crusty, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip breads, and fry until the second side is lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Remove flatbreads to paper towels to drain; sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve as they are ready, or keep warm in a 200-degree oven under a foil tent.

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ROUND SHAO BING WITH SESAME FILLING

To make the dough, combine the following ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes:
1 cup warm water
1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp baking powder

When the mixture is foamy, add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Stir until combined. Add another 1/2 cup of flour, stir or begin to knead. Add another 1/2 cup flour, continue to knead until a soft but firm dough forms. (Add more flour if needed). Cover and let rest for 2 hours.

In the meantime, make the spread. sesame paste: Stir it well and measure out 1/4 cup. Add 1-2 Tbsp of sesame oil to until it is able to be spread easily. While a roasted sesame paste is ideal, sub natural peanut butter or tahini. In another small bowl combine 1 egg white with 1 Tbsp water. Mix well. Pour 1 cup of raw sesame seeds into a pan or onto a plate.

Now that everything is assembled, and the dough has risen, punch down the dough and split into two pieces. Roll each half into a rectangle, about 12 x 14 inches. Brush with the spread and sprinkle with salt and pepper (If possible, Sichuan pepper). Starting with the long end, roll the dough tightly, jelly-roll style. Pinch the ends to seal. Cut your log into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 10-12 pieces). Pick up one of the pieces and pinch both ends so the swirl is sealed and a ball forms. It can be easiest to pinch both ends at the same time to minimize the sesame oozing out of one end. Roll into a ball and press into a flat disc, about 2 1/2 inches diameter in 1/4 inches thick. Brush each disk with egg white and press gently into sesame seeds to coat only one side. Let your disks rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Bake your Shao Bing for 10 minutes, sesame side down. Then flip and bake 5 more minutes until golden!

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MING TSAI'S SHAO BING

SHAO BING:
2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups wheat flour, plus 2 cups, plus 2 pounds, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
Water (some warm for the sponge, 1 cup boiling, 1 cup cold)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup sesame seeds
Salt and white pepper

Prepare a saucepan filled with the vegetable oil over medium heat. Slowly add 2 cups of the wheat flour, stirring slowly to ensure that the paste achieves a smooth consistency. Cook for about 5 minutes and then set aside to cool. This is the oil paste. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in a little warm water. Add 2 cups of the wheat flour and the baking powder and combine. Add more warm water to achieve a dough consistency. Cover the dough with plastic and allow the dough to rise, 45 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of boiling water with 2 pounds of the wheat flour. Mix until it has a slightly lumpy consistency and then add 1 or more cups of cold water. Continue mixing and kneading until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover the dough with plastic or cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.

Add the warm water dough to the shao bing and knead until the doughs are incorporated. Cover the mixture and let sit for 15 minutes.

On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a flat, rectangular sheet, about 1/16 to 1/8-inch in thickness. Spread a generous layer of the oil paste over the surface of the dough. To prevent the oil paste from running off the dough, sprinkle lightly with flour. Starting from 1 edge, roll the dough until it becomes 1-inch in diameter. Be sure that the roll is tight. Cut the dough sheet so that the rolled dough may be removed when the diameter is 1 inch. Repeat the process until the entire sheet is transformed into rolls. Carefully, so as not to let the oil paste leak out, stretch out the rolls so that the diameter is reduced to 3/4 of an inch. Cut the stretched roll into 4-inch lengths. Place 1 of the rolls seam-side up and seal the end using a small rolling pin (this will prevent the oil paste from escaping). Fold the roll into thirds, so that the seam is covered. Then roll this tripled roll into a flat dough about 5-inches by 2-inches. Fold this piece into thirds. The stack should be about 2 by 3/4 inches thick. Flip the piece over so that the seam and fold are on the bottom. Cover and set aside. Repeat the process for the remaining rolls. Spread the sesame seeds onto a clean work surface. Flip the square with the smooth face over, onto the sesame seeds. Next, the square may be rolled into either a round or rectangular shape. The round is used in Northern China while the rectangular is common in the South. Rolling presses the sesame seeds into the face of the Shao Bing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the Shao Bing, sesame seed side down, onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the bottom. The uncooked Shao Bing may be frozen for future use. Place the Shao Bing between layers of waxed paper to prevent them from sticking to each other. Using scissors as one does in China, cut open the Shao Bing, like you would a pita bread pocket.

Cook's Note: Salt may be added at any time before the dough is rolled. In Northern China, it is common to dust ground Szechuan peppercorns and salt over the sheet before the oil paste is spread. In addition, seeds other than sesame may be used. The key is to add them to the smooth surface so that the seeds will stick.

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SHAOBING- SESAME SUGAR PANCAKE
芝麻糖烧饼
Servings: 8

WATER DOUGH:
120 grams of plain flour or all purpose flour
50 grams of plain water
40 grams of cooking oil or lard
1 tablespoon of white sugar
OIL DOUGH:
80 grams of top flour or low protein flour
30 grams of cooking oil or lard
FILLINGS:
80 grams of castor sugar
15 grams of top flour or low protein flour
10 grams of sugar
10 grams of maltose
1 tablespoon of milk powder (optional)
COATING:
Some white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of corn syrup mix with 1 tablespoon of water

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Put all the water dough ingredients in a big bowl, stir and knead until well mixed. Divide into 8 equal portions. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Put all the oil dough ingredients in a big bowl, stir and knead until well mixed. Divide into 8 equal portions. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Put all the filling ingredients in a bowl, stir until well combined. If it is very difficult to handle, put the most additional one tablespoon of top flour. Should the need arises, chill until firm before dividing into 8 equal portions.

Take one portion of water dough, shape round, flatten it , put a portion of oil dough on top of the water dough, seal it and shape it round. Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a rectangular shape as evenly and as thin as possible. Roll it up like you are preparing Swiss roll. Turn the "Swiss roll" direction with the shorter side pointing at you. Use a rolling pin to roll it again in a rectangular shape as evenly and as thin as possible. Roll it up again like you are preparing Swiss roll. Use the rolling pin to flatten it into a circle shape.. Put a filling ball on top of the rolled dough, seal the edges, shape it round, sprinkle with some water, coat with sesame seeds and use the rolling pin to roll it flat such that it look like a circular disc shape or oblong disc shape.

Bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry puff up. Best served with traditional breakfast beverages such as soya bean milk.

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SHAOBING WITH MEAT FILLING
鲜肉蟹壳黄
Makes 10 servings

FOR DOUGH:
1) 13/4 cups all purpose flour (280 g), unsifted;
2) 3/4 cup + 4 tsp lukewarm water (200 g), 1 tsp sugar, 11/4 tsp fast rising yeast , 2 tsp all purpose flour;
3) 1 tsp corn oil;
OIL PASTE:
4) 3/4 cup - 2 tsp unsifted all purpose flour (110g), 5 tbsp corn oil (67g);
OTHERS：
5) 1/2 cup white sesame seeds;
MEAT FILLING:
6) 225g extra lean ground pork;
7 ) 50g peeled bamboo shoot, cooked in water for 3 minutes and rinsed and diced;
8 ) 10 dry shrimps soaked in cold water for a few hours;
9) 2 tbsp chopped green onion, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1tbsp corn starch;
10) 1 tbsp light soy sauce,1 tbsp premium soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1/6 tsp white ground pepper, 1/4 tsp sugar, 2/3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chicken broth mix.

DOUGH:
Combine all ingredients of Ingredient 2) in a container, mix well and let it stand for 10 minutes. Pour this yeast water mixture into the Ingredient 1), combine to form a dough. Add 1 tsp corn oil, knead for a minute. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place until it doubles in volume.
Oil paste: Combine all ingredients of Ingredient 4) in a small container, mix well with a spoon, cover and set aside.

MEAT FILLING:
Rinse soaked dry shrimp and dice. Combine all ingredients of Ingredient 6) to in a bowl. Stir in one direction with a pair of chopsticks for 3 minutes, until the mixture is sticky. Set aside.

CHINESE FLATBREAD (SHAOBING):
Rub some corn oil onto both hands and working surface, knead the dough for a few times. Divide into 10 equal portions. Roll out each portion into an oval about 10 cm long, smooth on 1/10 of oil paste. Roll from one end to form a cylinder shape. Turn 90 deg. press down and roll out into a 4 12 cm rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down. Turn 90 deg. roll into a rectangle about 12 by 20 cm. Then fold from one end to form a short cylinder, then roll into a small ball. Cover with food wrap while working on the remaining portions.

Press down the small ball and roll out into a 12-cm circle. Place 2 tbsp filling on top and seal it. Dip the ball into the sesame seeds, take out and turn upside down (sesame side up), press and roll into a 10 cm oval. Repeat for the next 9 portions.

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C, place Shaobing on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-22 minutes until the surface turns golden brown. Broil for 2-3 minutes if needed. Serve warm.

Leftover Shaobing can be stored in an airtight container in a freezer. Warm in a microwave for 15 seconds and then toast the Shaobing before serving.

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LAYERED SESAME SHAO-BING

THE DOUGH:
3/4 (185 grams) of warm water, at around 110 F/45 C
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups (247 grams) of bread flour
1 1/2 cups (225) grams of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams) of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (125 grams) of warm/hot water, at around 160 F/70 C
2 tablespoons (28 grams) of vegetable oil
TO MAKE WHITE SESAME SHAO-BING:
1/2 cup (120 grams) of toasted white sesame paste (this is NOT tahini, but a distinct, Chinese product)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more to top
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup toasted white sesame seeds
HONEY WATER:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon hot water

Mix the instant dry yeast in 3/4 cup of warm water (should be warm but not hot to the touch, and cannot be over 115 F), and let sit for 10 min to foam up. Mix the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt together then divide the mixture into 1/3, and 2/3. Add 1/3 of the flour-mixture in a stand-mixer bowl with a dough-hook, then add 1/2 cup of hot water (not boiling) and mix on low-medium speed until a smooth dough forms. Add the remaining 2/3 cup of flour-mixture and the yeast-water, then mix on low-medium speed until smooth and elastic, approx 5 min. Then add the vegetable oil and knead the dough on medium speed for a few min, until all the oil has been absorbed into the dough. Turn the speed up to medium-high and knead the dough for another 5 min until very smooth, shiny and elastic. The dough should pull away from the bowl when the machine is running, but sticks when the machine stops. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm spot until doubled, approx 1 hour (the dough itself is quite warm and thus will proof much faster than cold water-doughs).

TO MAKE WHITE SESAME SHAO-BING:
Preheat the oven on 365 F/185 C. Mix the toasted white sesame paste with ground black pepper and ground white pepper until smooth, and set aside. Mix the honey with hot water until completely dissolved, set aside. Punch the air out of the dough then transfer to a floured surface. Divide the dough in half, and keep one covered in plastic wrap (with enough counter-space, you can prepare the entire dough in one go). Flouring the surface and the dough as needed then roll the dough out into a large and thin, 1/8? thick rectangular sheet (as "rectangular" as you can). Evenly spread a thin layer of the sesame paste-mixture over the sheet extending all the way to the edges (it may be a little messy but I find that fingers are the best tool for this), sprinkle 1/2 tsp of sea salt evenly on top, then tightly roll the sheet together into a scroll. Cut the scroll into 5 equal portions. Use your fingers to tightly pinch together the two openings on each end, then gently roll it into a 1/3? thick square (if there's air inside the pocket making the rolling difficult, pierce the dough a few times with toothpick to release air). Roll the square into a mini scroll again, and tuck both sides under to turn into a ball. The "seams"/where the folds meet, may not stick together because of the dusted flour, so dab your finger with some honey water and gently pinch them together until they stick. Don't worry if the dough tears slightly. Place the seams-side down, and repeat with the rest. Do the same with the second portion of the dough. Place parchment paper over the baking-sheet. Take one dough-ball and dip the bottom in the honey water, then place it on top of the parchment. Dab your fingers in honey water again and press the dough-ball out into a flat disk (the honey water will help the dough stick to the parchment which makes the spreading easier, and it also prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers). Repeat with the rest (no need for too much room in between each shao-bing). Then generously brush the top of each bing with honey water (like you would with egg wash), and sprinkle with a pinch of ground black pepper, and cover the top with toasted white sesame seeds.

Bake in the oven for 20 ~ 25 min until golden browned on all sides. Transfer to a cooling rack after baking.

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Shao Bing

A INGREDIENTS
All-purpose flour 450 g
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Lard 15 g
Peanut oil 25 g
Hot water (80-100 C; 175-210 F) 225 g
Cold water 30-50 g

Measure the all purpose flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add lard and the peanut oil to the flour and break apart the lark into the flour using your fingertips until all the big chunks are broken. Mix the hot water into the dough, a bit at a time, try to pick up all the loose flour at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Add enough cold water into the flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp for 30-40 minutes.

B INGREDIENTS
Cake flour 120 g
Peanut oil 50 g
Lard 25 g

Heat the peanut oil and lard in a frying pan until fragrant and lightly smoking. Add the cake flour into the pan and cook until the raw flour smell is replaced by cooked flour smell and the color is light golden. Scoop out the filling into a bowl. Place the bowl in frig until the dough is ready for assembling.

C Ingredients
White sesame, toasted 1/4 cup

Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle generously with flour to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out into a 12x18 inch flat, spread the filling evenly onto the flat, leave a 1 inch edge at the sides empty. Roll up the dough from the long side into an 18 inch log, sealing the opening by pinching the dough together as the dough roll up, then seal the two ends. Mark the long dough log with the back of a knife into 12 equal portions. Snap each portions off with your hand, sealing the opening with your fingers. Place the dough, sealing-point at the center, on a lightly floured surface, press down with palm, roll out into a long rectangle, smooth side down, fold towards the center like a letter. Seal side down, turn 90 degree, roll the dough out to a long rectangle, turn the dough over so the smooth side is down, pick up the two short sides, fold towards the center, then fold the dough in half at the center, like a book, this is a book fold.

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

Seal side down, spray a bit of water onto the top side, then press the water side into the bowl with toasted sesame. Place the dough on a floured surface, sesame side up. Roll the dough into a long rectangle about 2x6 inches. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sesame side down. Repeat for the rest of the dough.

Bake in the oven for 6 minutes, remove the baking sheet, flip the pockets over, bake for an additional 15-17 minutes until puffy and slightly golden. Serving: 12