MANDARIN PANCAKES
Ingredients
450 g (3½ cups) plain flour
300 ml (1¼ cups) boiling water
1 teaspoon oil
roasted sesame oil
Method
Sift the flour into a bowl (I use my Kenwood mixer), pour the boiling water in, mixing slowly. Add the oil and knead to a firm dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough into three equal portions, roll each portion into a long cylinder, then cut each cylinder into 8 pieces. While cooking the pancakes, keep the pieces covered with a damp tea towel.
Working with 2 pieces at a time, roll each piece into a ball and press into a flat disc with the palm of your hand. Brush one disc with sesame oil and put another disc on top. Use a rolling pin to flatten each pair of discs into a 15 cm (6 in) pancake.
Heat an ungreased frying pan over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Place the pairs of pancakes, one at a time in the pan. Turn over when brown spots appear on the underside. When the second side is cooked, lift pancakes out and carefully peel them apart. Fold each pancake in half, cooked side in and set aside under another damp cloth.
Reheat pancakes in a steamer over simmering water for about 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 24 pancakes
This looks like the type of bread that is used to make Xi’an hamburgers. This is typical street food available in China, and when I am there there is a seller across the road from my work who sells them, I have them for lunch every day. I will track down a recipe and try it out, and if it works I’ll post it here.