These Scallion Pancakes are a surefire winner. They are crispy on the outside, crunchy in each bite, and flaky all around. I crave these all the time, but what I enjoy most is that you can get pretty creative with how you choose to serve them. They can be made as an appetizer or dinner, and are complimentary to so many sauces and sides. Try out these Scallion Pancakes with my Edamame Hummus or a spicy, ginger soy sauce!
I keep the basics of the pancakes pretty simple - meaning, aside from salt, I only add scallions and sesame oil. After tons of research, I used Lisa Lin's methodology to create the flakiness and it worked so well!
The first step is to take All Purpose Flour and gradually add water in, mixing the dough with a wooden spoon and incorporating / hydrating all of the flour. Once you have enough water, knead with your hands for 5-6 minutes until you have a smooth ball of dough! Cover it with a cloth and leave it to rest for at least an hour, if not for longer at room temperature. I prefer to keep it in the oven while it's off!
Once the dough has rested for an hour, use a knife to roughly cut the pancakes into 8 portions for medium sized pancakes. I used our clean countertop and drizzled it with a little oil in order to roll out the pancakes!
The most important step is to roll out the pancakes so they are SUPER thin, so much so that you can almost see the surface underneath. Spread out the chopped scallions, and roll in from the top and bottom, making sure to not leave any air as you roll! This is what creates that extra flakiness. Next, use one of the sides to roll into a ball just like the picture, and roll out one more time.
This was clearly my first try, so coming up with round circles was completely out of the question - but nonetheless, you'll end up with a multilayered and complex scallion pancake. This is now ready to take to the stove on a cast-iron or non-stick skillet with a little sesame oil and cook off!