Chinese Pan Bread Recipes

PAN-FRIED CHINESE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt in warm water, and mix in 1 cup of flour to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead until slightly springy, about 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, knead in 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Divide the dough into 8 equal-size pieces, and keep the pieces covered with a cloth.
• In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of flour with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to make a mixture like fine crumbs.
• On a floured work surface, roll a piece of dough out into a thin square about 5x7 inches in size, brush the dough with toasted sesame oil, and sprinkle lightly with about 1 1/2 teaspoon of the flour-oil mixture. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion onto the dough, and spread the onion out evenly. Starting with a long end, roll the dough up into a rope shape, and pinch the seam and the ends closed. Roll the rope shape into a flat spiral, and press lightly with your hands to compact the spiral and keep it from unrolling.
• Place the spiral down onto the floured work surface, and gently roll it out into a pancake with the onions folded inside, turning the pancake over often as you roll it out. Roll gently and turn often to avoid making holes in the pancakes. Finished pancakes should be about 5 inches in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces, making 8 onion pancakes.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, and brush with vegetable oil. Pan-fry each pancake in the hot skillet until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

CHINESE PAN BREAD

Steps:

• mix the flour and water together. knead it into a dough.
• combine the oil,green onion, and salt, and add to the dough
• knead it all together, and shape the dough into a long rectangular shape. twist it, knead, twist it, knead. [
• section the dough into 3-4sections (or more..depending on size)
• roll the dough to .5inches or less thickness.
• pan fry them.

CHINESE MILK BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk the 2 tablespoons (18 g) bread flour with 1/2 cup cold water in a medium saucepan until no lumps remain. Cook, whisking constantly over medium heat until thickened and opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer bowl and let cool slightly. Add the 1/2 cup milk and whisk by hand until the mixture is broken up in small pieces. Whisk in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit until foamy on the surface, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease a large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. Grease a 9-inch nonstick springform or cake pan with 3-inch-high sides using another 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
• Top the yeast mixture with the following ingredients in this order: 1 of the eggs, the dry milk powder, remaining 2 cups (240 g) bread flour, the cake flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on low speed until all the flour is moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and passes the window pane test, about 10 minutes (see Cook's Note); scrape down the bowl halfway through. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter on medium-low speed until absorbed. Repeat, adding 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is smooth, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a tight ball by pulling the edges of the dough toward the center. Toss in the prepared bowl to coat with butter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Reserve plastic wrap.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and flatten to deflate it. Divide into 8 equal pieces, each about 90 g. Flatten 1 piece into a 3-inch disk and gather all the edges to meet at the center. Flip over and roll into a ball on a work surface, cupping the top of the dough with one hand, until the ball is completely smooth. Repeat with the remaining pieces and transfer all the balls to the prepared pan. Cover with the reserved plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and the buns completely cover the bottom of the pan, about 35 minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until no streaks of egg white remain and set aside. Brush onto each bun. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the hot water with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is slightly dissolved. Brush onto the tops of the buns when they're done baking and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the pan, release the buns from the springform or cake pan and let cool on a wire rack until still slightly warm. Enjoy the soft and sweet buns.
• The buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.

PAN-FRIED SCALLION & CHIVE BREAD (CHONG YU BING)

Steps:

• Combine oil and chili oil in a small dish and set aside. Combine scallions, cilantro and chives in another bowl and set aside.
• Combine flour and baking powder in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat paddle. With machine running on low speed, add hot and cold water in quick succession. Stop machine as soon as dough comes together in a soft ball. If it's very tacky and sticky, add a bit more flour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes. (If the dough has been made in a food processor, let rest 40 minutes.) Roll gently into a smooth log. Cut evenly into 4 pieces, then put each piece, cut side down, on the lightly floured board. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Working with a piece at a time, shape dough by rolling into a thin, even circle about 7 ½ inches in diameter. Brush top with a generous film of the oil mixture, then sprinkle evenly with a rounded ¼ teaspoon salt. Heap dough with 2/3 cup of reserved greens, then spread evenly over top. Roll up dough into a fat cylinder - it doesn't need to be too tight. Grasp one end of the dough and wind other end around it in a tight spiral. Tuck tail end underneath and press lightly with your hand to flatten. Gently roll out into a 6-inch circle. Put aside on a freshly floured spot, then repeat with remaining dough.
• Cook breads immediately to prevent a soggy texture. Heat an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact. Add enough oil to glaze bottom by 1/8 inch, swirling to coat; reduce heat to moderate. When oil is hot enough to foam a pinch of flour, add first bread to pan. Cook until bottom is golden and a bit crusty, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust heat so bread doesn't scorch. Flip and fry until golden, about 3 minutes longer. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with oil and remaining dough.
• Serve breads fresh from skillet, each cut into fourths. Or let cool and hold at room temperature up to 8 hours. Reheat in 350°F oven until hot, about 5 minutes.

TEXAS PAN BREAD (PAN DE CAMPO)

Steps:

• This is from a recipe my grandmother use to make in Texas.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Stir together the dry ingredients.
• Blend in the butter using a pastry cutter (you can use your fingers) until the mixture is crumbly.
• Add milk slowly until a soft, not to sticky, ball of dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute.
• Flatten the ball of dough and roll out into about a 1/2 inch thick round.
• Place some butter (about a tablespoon) in a cast iron skillet.
• Place iron skillet in oven just to melt the butter.
• Remove the iron skillet as soon as the butter melts and swirl the butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Carefully place the dough into the skillet.
• Bake about 6 minutes, then flip the bread and bake another 6 minutes.
• Variations: Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of bread after flipping. Spread a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon on top after flipping.