I’m glad to say that this Shanghai Sesame Pancake recipe (上海大饼) concludes that mission. If this is the first time you’re hearing about The Four Warriors, check out our rundown of how to eat like a local for breakfast in Shanghai. (Be warned, that post will make you very hungry.)
Butter or Lard?
For this one, I’m going to keep it short, so we can get to the da bing. The one thing I want to point out is that Shanghainese cooking uses quite bit of lard (remember this guy from a Shanghai street food stall making Shanghai Scallion Pancakes? He adds a small handful of lard, followed by a large handful of scallions for each pancake. This Shanghai da bing (大饼) or sesame pancake recipe is no exception. But in practice, we are a bit more receptive to butter than lard, since it’s readily available, so I took the liberty of making the recipe a bit more flexible. The end result is still pretty awesome. For vegans, vegetable shortening is another alternative.
Only in Shanghai—Or Your Kitchen
For us Shanghainese people living overseas, we all know that it’s literally impossible to find good da bing (Chinese sesame pancake) anywhere. Good you tiao (油条) or Chinese fired dough, is no problem (check the freezer section of your Asian supermarket), but try locating a decent da bing, and fuhgettabout it! Without da bing, you tiao (油条) is like a lost soul searching for its soulmate, and that perfect marriage often hasn’t been possible for us stateside. Until now that is. The taste of home is right at your fingertips–let’s get to it!
Shanghai Sesame Pancakes: Recipe Instructions
Mix all of the dough ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, water) together using an electric mixer (or by hand) to form a soft and smooth dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, make the pastry dough. Then make the pastry dough. Mix together melted butter or lard, flour, salt, Sichuan peppercorn powder, white pepper, and scallions in a bowl using a rubber spatula. Make sure everything is evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Divide the pastry dough into 10 equal pieces and roll each into a ball while it’s still chilled. Flatten the dough ball and wrap the pastry dough ball inside it. Pinch the outer layer closed. Flatten with the palm of your hand… And roll out into an oval shape, about an eighth of an inch thick. Fold the oval in half lengthwise, and roll into a coil. Turn the roll on its side, and flatten with the palm of your hand once again. Roll into another oval. This step creates some “lamination” in the dough, which will give you flaky layers in your da bing. Place the da bing on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with water, and sprinkle generously with an even layer of sesame seeds, pressing them lightly into the dough. Bake the sesame pancakes for 18 minutes until lightly golden brown. Be careful not to over-bake them. Be sure to serve the da bing with you tiao (油条)! It’s a delicious carb on carb combination that you won’t regret. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container, and reheat in a toaster oven at 350 degrees F.
