Tingly Scallion Pancakes

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Crispy, chewy and bound to satisfy, this is an adventurous and fun version of this traditional Chinese street snack by adding ground Sichuan peppercorns and Sichuan pepper oil into the filling. You can also dip the pancake directly into the tingly oil when eating for the extra zing.

This recipe is a collaboration between 50Hertz and Lucy Yan from Bites of Potato. She is Chinese living in New York City, a banker by day and baker by nature. Check out her Instagram page for more of her delicious food creations.

Ingredients (to make 5 - 6 pancakes)

Dough:

• 2 cups of AP flour
• A few pinches of salt
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup room temperature water

Paste/ Filling:

• 1/2 cup of thinly sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1 tbsp five spice powder
• 1/4 cup sunflower seed oil or other neutral tasting cooking oil
• 1 tbsp 50Hertz peppercorn oil
• 2 tsp freshly grounded Szechuan peppercorn
• 2 tsp salt

Steps

1. First, make the dough. Mix flour and salt, pour hot water gradually, stir constantly. Once incorporated, start kneading the dough and slowly add the additional room temperature water if the dough feels dry. Knead for around 10 minutes, the final dough ball should be smooth. Cover and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
   
   
2. To make the filling, combine all dry ingredients for the filling including the scallions. Meanwhile heat a small saucepan of cooking oil over medium heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, cool the oil for 1 min (so as not to burn the ingredients) and pour hot oil over the dry mix and stir quickly until it forms a cohesive paste. The hot oil will extract the aroma from the scallions and spice. Add Sichuan pepper oil to the paste.
   
   
3. Now is the fun part. Divide the dough into 50g small balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the balls into thin pancakes. Spread the filling onto the pancake with the back of a spoon evenly. Fold the dough a couple times (see the photos below or YouTube video). This helps create layers in the pancakes, until it becomes a long rectangle. Roll from one side inwardly into a circular disk. Press the disk flat and use the rolling pin to shape the pancake into desired size and thickness.
   
   
   
4. Cook the pancake in a pan over the stove for 5 minutes on each side. To prevent sticking, you can add a small amount of oil to the pan as well.
   

• Tips: You can also use some sourdough discard in the dough recipe to help relax the dough. If so, reduce or skip the room temperature water in the ingredient.