Go Back Email Link
+ servings

Scallion Bing or Chinese Flat Bread (羌饼)

4.78 from 22 votes
These Scallion Bing or Chinese Flat Bread, also known as 羌饼 or qiāng bǐng, are a thick savoury bread that’s pan-fried until golden brown and crisp.
It’s 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.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Dough Rest Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese
Servings 2 8-inch bing
Calories 701 kcal

Equipment

  • Non-stick or cast iron pan
  • A lid for your pan

Ingredients
 
 

Yeast Mixture

Dough

Spice Mix and Filling

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

Salt for Spice Mix:
  • 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

Serving: 1whole | Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1461mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 9mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight :)