Chinese scallion pancakes (cong you bing)
Crisp, flaky scallion pancakes with chewy layers scented by sesame oil and fresh spring onions — perfect snack or starter with dipping sauce.
These Chinese scallion pancakes (cong you bing) are the kind of street-food magic you can make at home: crisp outside, layered and chewy inside, flecked with bright spring onion. They’re brilliant as a snack, starter or to tear up and serve with a bowl of soup.
The trick is a soft, rested dough and a light smear of oil before rolling to create the flaky layers. Don’t fear the rolling — it’s therapeutic once you get the hang of it.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour — plus extra for dusting (about 20 g)
- 180 ml boiling water
- 5 ml fine sea salt — plus extra for seasoning
- 60 ml vegetable oil — 30 ml for laminating, 30 ml for frying
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 4 spring onions — thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
Equipment
- rolling pin
- weighing scales
- pastry brush
Instructions
Put the plain flour and the fine sea salt in a large bowl. Make a well, pour in the boiling water gradually while stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. When cool enough to handle, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4–6 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth or cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten and is essential for easy rolling and flaky layers.
While the dough rests, trim and finely slice the spring onions (separate whites and greens if you like). In a small bowl combine the vegetable oil and sesame oil and mix.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep the others covered), roll into a rough rectangle about 20 x 15 cm on a lightly floured surface. Brush a thin, even layer of the oil mixture over the surface, sprinkle a pinch of fine sea salt and scatter a generous handful of sliced spring onions over the oil. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up like a Swiss roll into a tight log, then coil the log into a round snail. Flatten slightly with your hand and roll out gently to a pancake about 18 cm across and roughly 3–4 mm thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Place a frying pan on the hob over medium heat. Add about 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil, wipe to an even film, then fry two pancakes at a time. Cook for about 2–3 minutes each side, adjusting the heat so they colour evenly without burning — you want a deep golden-brown and crisp surface. Repeat with remaining pancakes, adding more oil as needed.
Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain briefly. Slice into wedges and serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce.
Tips
- Rest the dough a full 30 minutes; it makes rolling far easier and prevents the pancakes springing back.
- When rolling the coils, keep a little extra plain flour for dusting but use sparingly — too much flour ruins the layers.
- Cook on medium heat and watch the first pancake carefully to learn how your hob performs; adjust heat to avoid burning.
- Make ahead: cook, cool, and freeze on a baking tray, then reheat in a hot frying pan or oven until crisp.
- If a pancake tears while rolling, patch it with a little dough and press gently — the tear will be nearly invisible once cooked.
Substitutions
plain flour → bread flour, same quantity (300 g)
Stays closesesame oil → extra vegetable oil, same quantity for laminating
Stays closespring onions → chives or finely sliced leeks, same quantity
Stays closeplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same quantity (texture will be noticeably different and less chewy)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 420
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 57 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes — you can make the dough and refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 24 hours. Bring back to room temperature before rolling; you may need an extra 10–15 minutes of resting.
How do I reheat leftovers so they stay crisp?
Reheat in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes each side or in a preheated 200°C fan/220°C conventional oven for 5–7 minutes; avoid the microwave or they’ll go soggy.
Why are my pancakes not flaky?
Usually because the dough wasn’t rested enough or you used too much flour when rolling. Also ensure you brush a thin, even layer of oil before scattering the spring onions.
Can I freeze uncooked or cooked pancakes?
Both work. Freeze uncooked rolled pancakes on a tray, then transfer to a bag (freeze up to 1 month). Cook from frozen or thaw then pan-fry. Cooked pancakes freeze well and re-crisp nicely straight from frozen.
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