A taste of China

When I lived in China I had a few favorite 'street foods'. There was one in particular that was made on the campus I lived on. There was a window in a building on campus that had a big line every day of students waiting for a breakfast snack. You would buy it based on weight, but would just tell the ladies how much you were wanting price wise. So 5 mao, 1 kuai, 2 kuai. I usually got 5 mao/1 kuai which is about .5-.12 cents. What a splurge:). I decided that I would try and track down and try a recipe for Lao bing (or green onion pancake). Sounds like a horrible thing to have in the morning, but I assure you it is good any time of day!

Here is the recipe I used:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used sea salt)
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced (white and light green parts)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
olive oil

1. Mix 3 cups of the flour, salt, and baking powder together into a kitchen aid mixer with dough hook. Make a well in the center and add the water, the sesame and vegetable oils and the green onions. Work the flour in toward the center with a wooden spoon and stir to incorporate both dry and wet ingredients.
2. Cover or Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls, then flatten them and roll out into disks. (You will need the additional flour to help you roll out the dough)
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the disks with olive oil and place oil-side down until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Brush on oil on the other side and when the dough appears less gummy flip over and toast until golden. Serve immediately. I coated the skillet in oil and dropped the bread in while hot--giving it a more fried appearance.

These were really easy and very much like the tasty China treat I have missed for so many years.