These Scallion Bing, also known as 羌饼 or qiāng bǐng, are a thick savoury bread that’s pan-fried until golden brown and crisp.
These scallion bing are really fragrant with a crispy crust and a chewy, fluffy inside with layers of scallions and sesame seeds. This is similar to a scallion pancake, except that these are fluffy on the inside from leavened dough.
WHAT IS A BING?
饼 Bing is a generic term used and means ‘flat bread’ there are various versions such as this qiang bing. There is also xian bing which have a filling and are basically stuffed flat breads or pancakes.
The inspiration for my Chinese Stuffed Pancake recipe was drawn from xian bing.
Qiang Bing (羌饼) vs Cong You Bing (葱油饼)
Okay so this might get a bit confusing. They’re both called ‘bing’ which technically mean flat bread, but the latter, cong you bing (葱油饼), is I believe, more commonly known as scallion or green onion pancake.
See below a cong you bing (葱油饼) being cooked on a hot stove.
It’s much thinner compared to the Qiang Bing (羌饼) in this recipe.
There is basically also 葱油饼 (cong you bing), known as green onion or scallion pancake that are made with unleavened dough (basically no yeast).
This variety is very common in Taiwan. You’ll see it being cooked by a lot of street vendors from early morning until late at night in their night markets.
It’s something I have really often whenever I visit.
These Cong You Bing (葱油饼) are made in a similar way but are much thinner and flakier because the dough doesn’t contain yeast. See below a photo of scallion pancake that I love from Taiwan!
To summarise:
Qiang bing – the dough has yeast, so the bing is much thicker and ‘fluffier’
Cong you bing – the dough has no yeast, so the bing or pancake is much thinner and often flakier
Both are pan-fried.
Another version you’ll see below are 小蘇餅 (Xiǎo sū bǐng), that are somewhat like small (小) green onion cakes with filling.
If you can see the crust and the dough, it’s very flaky!
So there are really different variations of bing that are very popular as a street food in China and Taiwan, most especially in the mornings when people are on the way to work. These pieces of bread are a favourite breakfast or really for any time of the day among many people.
Not only is it delicious and filling, but also easy to eat while on-the-go.
This scallion bing is perfect to enjoy for a tasty savoury breakfast, afternoon snack, or with your favourite soup or dishes.
You can also easily prepare a batch of these to cook and enjoy for the coming days.
Some basic equipment you’ll need to make these Scallion Bing or Chinese Flat Bread:
- Rolling pin
- Non-stick or cast iron pan
- A lid for your pan
- Check out the video below to see how to make this!
FOR THE SCALLION BING DOUGH
For the Yeast Mixture
- Warm water
- Sugar
- Instant yeast
- Oil
In a measuring cup or bowl, I just simply mixed together the warm water, sugar, and yeast.
I set this aside and let if foam up. Once it foams up, you can mix in the oil to the mixture.
For the rest of the dough
Meanwhile, for the rest of the dough I simply mixed the salt and flour together in a large bowl.
From there, I poured in the yeast mixture.
With a pair of chopsticks or spatula, mix everything together to create a dough.
Using a Stand Mixer
You can also use a stand mixer for this! Though I simply used my hands to knead everything together.
You’ll need to knead everything together for 5-6 minutes or until you have a ball of dough that no longer sticks to your hands. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl for excess flour!
Place back the ball of dough in the bowl.
Cover the bowl then leave the dough to rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
CAN I MAKE THE DOUGH IN ADVANCE? YES!
If making the dough in advance, leave it to rise first. Afterwards, brush some oil on the container or bowl with a lid. Place the dough i the container and cover it tightly. Refrigerate it until ready to use.
Is there a difference?
I found that the dough I made in advance was a little harder to work with that I needed to flour my work surface and rolling pin heavily to prevent the dough from sticking.
But results wise, the pancakes turned out just as good.
SPICE MIX AND FILLING
While I let the dough rise, I prepare the spice mix and filling.
For the spice mix:
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste (see notes)
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
For the rest of the filling:
- 3/4 cup finely chopped scallions
- Sesame oil or neutral oil, for brushing
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
SHAPING THE BING
You can watch the video below for a complete step-by-step.
Lightly flour your work surface then place the ball of dough on the surface.
Lightly flour your rolling pin. From there, roll out the ball of dough. Keep rolling until you have a large rectangular sheet of dough that’s roughly 14 by 9” (36 x 22 cm). It doesn’t have to be a perfect rectangle, so don’t worry. The dough should be around 1/3-inch thick (less than 1 cm).
When you have the rolled out dough, brush a thin layer of oil on the surface of the dough.
Evenly sprinkle on all of the spice mix throughout the piece of dough.
Afterwards, evenly distribute the scallions on the dough.
Lastly, sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
Once all the toppings are set, roll the bing from one end.
You will end up with a log, similar to how you make a cinnamon roll.
Pinch the edges to seal completely.
Divide the long roll into half.
From there roll 1 piece of dough inwards, creating a spiral shape (like a snail). Tuck the ends underneath.
Repeat this for the other piece of dough.
Cover the pieces of bing to prevent them from drying out.
HOW TO MAKE THE BING OR FLATBREAD
On a large chopping board or flat surface, brush a thin layer of oil.
Place a piece of rolled bing on the surface. Lightly flour your rolling pin if needed.
Press down on the dough them roll out the bing into an 8” circle.
If coating with sesame seeds, brush a thin layer on the exposed side and then sprinkled 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds.
Lightly press down on the sesame seeds to allow them to stick to the dough.
Carefully flip over the rolled out bing. You can use a large spatula for this or simply use your hands. Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds and pat down as well.
Leave the piece of pancake on the board or transfer it to a plate.
Cover it with a towel and leave it to rest in a warm spot for 15 minutes before cooking.
Repeat this rolling out process for the remaining piece of rolled bing until you have 2 8-inch pancakes.
COOKING THE BING: 2 OPTIONS
OPTION 1: With Oil on a Cast Iron Pan
For this versoIn, I used a cast iron pan.
Once the oil is hot, place the pancake on the pan. Leave to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Carefully flip the pancake over and then cover your pan.
Covering the pan will help cook it on the inside since it’s quite thick.
Leave the pancake to cook and the remaining side to crisp up for another 4-5 minutes.
You will notice that the pancake will fluff up and rise a bit more due to the yeast.
Remove the cover and check on the remaining side. If it’s golden brown and crisp, you can flip if over and crisp the other side more, if you’d like. Both sides should be golden brown.
Carefully tap on the bing bread with your finger or spatula. it should sound crisp and hollow on the outside.
OPTION 2: No Oil on Non-Stick Pan
For this version, I used a non-stick pan to cook the scallion bing.
I then just repeated the same steps as the version with oil until I had the bread crisp on both sides.
THE VERDICT
Both versions turn out really crisp but I found that those cooked in oil turn out a little bit crispier and more golden brown for the crust.
STORAGE TIPS AND REHEATING LEFTOVER BING
- You can store the cooked bing at room temperature for 2-3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (or even longer). To reheat, simply pan-fry until crisp on both sides. You can also reheat it in an oven toaster.
- To freeze, simply place the bing in a container to resealable bag. To reheat, simply pan-fry until crisp on both sides. You can also reheat it in an oven toaster.
You’ll find the full recipe for this scallion bing below!
If you try out this recipe, I’d appreciate if you leave a rating or simply click on the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on my recipe card!
You might enjoy these other Chinese recipes:
- Scallion and Sesame Buns
- Chinese Chive Pies
- Chinese Sweet and Sour “Pork”
- Crispy Wontons
- Vegetable Dumplings
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
Scallion Bing or Chinese Flat Bread (羌饼)
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Non-stick or cast iron pan
- A lid for your pan
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture
- 3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115F or 40-45C), hot to the touch but not scalding
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 255g, plus more for flouring your work surface
- 1 tsp salt
Spice Mix and Filling
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste (see notes)
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 3/4 cup finely chopped scallions
- Sesame oil or neutral oil for brushing
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Coating (Optional)
- Sesame oil or neutral oil for brushing
- 1/4-1/2 cup sesame seeds
For Cooking
Instructions
Yeast Mixture
- You can watch the video below or the steps above to see how to make these from scratch.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, mix together the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Mix well and set aside.
- Leave the mixture for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to foam up. After it foams up, mix in the oil.
Preparing the Dough
- Meanwhile, add the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Create a well in the centre and add in the yeast mixture. With a pair of chopsticks or spatula, mix everything together to create a dough.
- You can also use a stand mixer for this. I simply used my hands to knead everything together.
- Knead everything for 5-6 minutes or until you have a ball of dough that no longer sticks to your hands. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl for excess flour.
- Place the ball of dough in the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Leave the dough to rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
- You can check out the steps under ‘Making the Dough in Advance’ below if you plan to make the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
Spice Mix and Filling
- Prepare the spice mix by mixing together the white pepper, 5 spice powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Finely chop the scallions and set aside in a bowl.
Shaping the Bing
- You can watch the video below for a complete step-by-step.
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Place the ball of dough on the surface.
- Lightly flour your rolling pin. From there, roll our the ball of dough.
- Keep rolling until you have a large rectangular sheet of dough that’s roughly 14 by 9” (36 x 22 cm). It doesn’t have to be a perfect rectangle, so don’t worry. The dough should be around 1/3-inch thick (less than 1 cm).
- When you have the rolled out dough, brush a thin layer of oil on the surface of the dough.
- Evenly sprinkle on all of the spice mix throughout the piece of dough.
- Afterwards, evenly distribute the scallions on the dough.
- Lastly, sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
- Once all the toppings are set, roll the bing from one end.
- You will end up with a log, similar to how you make a cinnamon roll.
- Pinch the edges to seal completely.
- Divide the long roll into half.
- From there roll 1 piece of dough inwards, creating a spiral shape (like a snail). Tuck the ends underneath.
- Repeat this for the other piece of dough. Cover the pieces of bing to prevent them from drying out.
Rolling Out the Bing
- On a large chopping board or flat surface, brush a thin layer of oil.
- Place a piece of rolled bing on the surface. Lightly flour your rolling pin if needed.
- Press down on the dough them roll out the bing into an 8” circle.
- If coating with sesame seeds, brush a thin layer on the exposed side and then sprinkled 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds.
- Lightly press down on the sesame seeds to allow them to stick to the dough.
- Carefully flip over the rolled out bing. You can use a large spatula for this or simply use your hands. Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds and pat down as well.
- Leave the piece of bing on the board or transfer it to a plate. Cover it with a towel and leave it to rest in a warm spot for 15 minutes before cooking.
- Repeat this rolling out process for the remaining piece of rolled bing until you have 2 8-inch bings.
Cooking the Bing with Oil
- Heat a large non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. If you prefer to cook this with no additional oil, see the steps below.
- Add some oil to coat the surface of the pan. Once the oil is hot, place the bing on the pan. Leave to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Carefully flip the bing over and then cover your pan. This will help to cook the insides since the bing is quite thick. Leave the pancake to cook and the remaining side to crisp up for another 4-5 minutes.
- You will notice that the bing will fluff up and rise a bit more due to the yeast.
- Remove the cover and check on the remaining side. If it’s golden brown and crisp, you can flip if over and crisp the other side more, if you’d like. Both sides should be golden brown.
- Carefully tap on the bing with your finger or spatula. it should sound crisp and hollow on the outside.
- Remove the bing from the pan and transfer to a plate or chopping board. Leave to cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing.
- Repeat this cooking step for the remaining bing until both pieces are cooked.
Cooking the Bing with No Oil (Using a non-stick pan)
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Once hot, lower the heat then place the bing on the pan. Leave it to crisp over medium low to low heat for around 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Keep an eye out for the bing to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Carefully flip the bing over and then cover your pan. This will help to cook the insides since the pancake is quite thick. Leave the pancake to cook and the remaining side to crisp up for another 4-5 minutes.
- You will notice that the bing will fluff up and rise a bit more due to the yeast.
- Remove the cover and check on the remaining side. If it’s golden brown and crisp, you can flip if over and crisp the other side more, if you’d like. Both sides should be golden brown.
- Carefully tap on the bing with your finger or spatula. it should sound crisp and hollow on the outside.
- Remove the bing from the pan and transfer to a plate or chopping board. Leave to cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing.
- Repeat this cooking step for the remaining bing until both pieces are cooked.
- Note: this oil-free cooking process yields crispy pieces of bing too but I find then a little bit more dry compared to those cooked with oil.
Slicing and Serving the Bing
- For the bing, I simply sliced each piece into 4 pieces each. So I ended up with 8 pieces in total.
- Enjoy your bing while they’re hot so they’ll still be crispy on the outside and really fluffy and aromatic on the inside.
Storage and Reheat
- You can store the cooked bing at room temperature for 2-3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (or even longer). To reheat, simply pan-fry until crisp on both sides. You can also reheat it in an oven toaster.
- To freeze, simply place the bing in a container to resealable bag. To reheat, simply pan-fry until crisp on both sides. You can also reheat it in an oven toaster.
Making the Dough in Advance
- If making the dough in advance, leave it to rise first. Afterwards, brush some oil on the container or bowl with a lid. Place the dough i the container and cover it tightly. Refrigerate it until ready to use.
- Before you use your refrigerated dough, make sure to put it out at room temperature a few hours before you intend to knead it. This way the dough can rest and come to room temperature. It may also rise a little bit more. It’ll also be easier to work with.
- Overall, I find that the dough I made in advance was a little harder to work with that I needed to flour my work surface and rolling pin heavily to prevent the dough from sticking.
- But results wise, the bings turned out just as good.
WATCH Video
Notes
- You can opt to add more a pinch more of salt to the original 1/4 tsp. I find that the bread comes out with a little more flavour with a pinch more salt, which is perfect if you’re enjoying this bread as is.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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This Post Has 17 Comments
Just made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. So flavorful and chewy which was a different take to scallion pancakes.
Hi Elisa, thanks for trying it out. Hope you enjoyed making them!
This was so delicious. Will definitely make again and again.
Thanks Robin, glad you enjoyed it!
I would love to make recipe, thanks for sharing. I do have a question. What does the 5 spice you used contain? Which 5 spices? Im having a hard time knowing which one is right. Some brands have a different mix of spices ( some have ginger others have white pepper, others do not)… Thanks so much!
Hi Pri! They can vary depending on the brand you get but personally I go for those with a mix of sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and star anise. ◡̈ hope this helps!
Thanks so much!!!! I will buy that one. I appreciate it so much. All of your recipes look amazing.
Just tried this recipe today first time and it was so delicious. I love yeasted bread and this one was amazing ?
Thank you Shreyanchita! Glad you liked it 😉
Could I substitute the scallions with chives?
Hi! Yes you can 🙂
What’s the best way to store the leftovers?
Hi Stacy! You can refrigerate leftovers and just reheat in an over/pan when ready to enjoy ◡̈
Even after 4c of flour the dough was waaaayyyy to sticky… 5 cups of flour instead of the 2 the recipe claims… not sure about those who say they made it and its great… very inaccurate recipe
But thanx i guess
Hi Ma, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well. Did you use 3/4 cup water as the recipe states? I’ve made this recipe many times before and never had any problems with the flour to water ratio. I sometimes have to add an additional 1-2 tbsp flour when the dough’s still a but sticky (can also depend on the weather if it’s a humid when I make it) but have never had to double the amount of flour with that amount of water, which isn’t a lot.
I enjoyed making this but must have used a bit too much water or something as it was incredibly wet! I had to add probably another 50g flour to get it to come together. (I also made the mistake of trying to knead it when it was actually way too wet so got covered in sticky dough >.<). I would make it again though, and just watch the dough isn’t too wet before I try to take it out of the bowl.
Oh no! Hope it still turned out good after cooking! 😅