Spring Pancakes
春饼 (Chun Bing)
Spring pancakes,[1] also known as moo shu pancakes or mandarin pancakes, have been made in Northern China since the Jin Dynasty [2]. These pancakes are unleavened flatbreads similar to tortillas, and are often used in the same way, as a wrap for other foods. They are usually served alongside moo shu dishes or Peking duck. A distinctive feature of spring pancakes is the lamination of the dough—each pancake consists of two layers separated by a thin coat of sesame oil. The pancakes are designed to be pulled into two pieces just before being eaten. This results in two thin pieces of pancake, with a more tender interior side and a crisper exterior side.
Ingredients
1½ cups flour
2/3 cup water, boiled
2 tbsp sesame oil
Begin by boiling some water. Hot water will denature some of the proteins in the flour and prevent as much gluten from forming, resulting in a pliable dough. In a large mixing bowl, place one and a half cups of all-purpose flour. Form a well and pour in 2/3rds cup boiling water, stirring immediately and vigorously with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until a dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, add some more water—if it is too moist, add flour. At this stage the dough will likely be slightly sticky and somewhat crumbly. Begin kneading the dough together in the bowl, bringing the crumbs together into a single ball. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth.
Cover the dough ball with plastic or a clean tea towel, and let rest for 1 hour. As there is no leavening agent in this dough, no rise will occur. However, the dough will relax and become more elastic, which decreases the chance of tearing when we roll out the wrappers.
When the dough is rested, form it into a log about 1 inch in diameter and divide it into 20 equal pieces for rolling out, dusting with flour to avoid sticking. This dough can dry out quickly, especially when it has been divided into small pieces and rolled thin. It is important to keep all dough pieces which are not being worked on covered—both the unrolled pieces and the finished pancakes.
Each pancake consists of two pieces of dough, laminated together and with a layer of sesame oil in between. This creates the two distinctive layers of a spring pancake. Dust a work surface with flour, and roll two pieces of dough out, one at a time. Begin by rolling each small piece of dough into a rough ball between your palms, then flattening it into a puck. Place this puck on the work surface, and place your rolling pin at the center. Roll the pin gently towards the edge, then rotate the puck by 30 degrees or so, place the rolling pin back at the center, and repeat the rolling motion towards the edge. For this first roll we are looking for a disk about 4 inches in diameter.
When you have two disks, brush one side of the first piece of dough with sesame oil. Then place the second piece over the first, with the sesame oil layer in between. Roll the two rounds together into a single disk about 8 inches in diameter. Repeat this process until you have made 10 pancakes.
To cook the pancakes, heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. We will cook each pancake quickly in a dry pan, not unlike how you would cook a tortilla. Add a pancake to the pan and cook for 1 minute per side, or until sufficiently browned for your desired application. If you are looking for a soft and flexible wrapper, shorten the cook time. If you are looking for crispy edges, increase the cook time. Repeat until all the pancakes are cooked. Hold the pancakes under a clean tea towel to keep them warm until ready to serve. Alternatively, spring pancakes also freeze well after cooking. They can be reheated in the pan or in the steamer.
Substitutions
Bread flour can be used in this recipe, but it will create a tougher pancake.
[1] While the names “mandarin pancake” and “moo shu pancake” are most common in the West, the Chinese name for these pancakes, 春饼, translates directly to “spring pancake.”They are traditionally eaten on Lichun (立春), considered the first day of spring on East Asian lunisolar calendars.
[2] 266-420 CE.
Recipe
Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 1 hr 50 min
(+1 hr inactive)
Difficulty: 3/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: nonstick pan, pot, rolling pin, pastry brush
Servings: 10 pancakes
Ingredients
1½ cups flour
2/3 cup water, boiled
2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
1. Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water into the flour, and stir immediately. Continue stirring vigorously until a shaggy dough forms. Adjust the amount of water as necessary.
2. Form the dough into a ball and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. Then let rest, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Shape the dough into a log about 1 inch in diameter, and then cut into 20 equal pieces, dusting them with flour so they do not stick. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.
4. Dust your work surface with flour. Take two pieces of dough and roll each of them into rounds, 4 inches in diameter. Brush one side of the first dough round with sesame oil, then place the second round over the first. Roll the two rounds together into a single disk about 8 inches in diameter.
5. Repeat until you have made 10 pancakes.
6. Heat a dry nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook each pancake for 1 minute per side, or until sufficiently browned for the desired application. Hold the pancakes under a clean tea towel to keep them warm until ready to serve.
