Flaky spring-onion pancakes
Roll, coil and flatten your way to crisp layers. These savoury pancakes are a dough project, not a batter.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest / wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- 4 small pancakes
Your new skill: Layering dough and frying it through without burning the outside.
The layers come from rolling an oniony flour-and-oil paste inside the dough. Give yourself room on the worktop; the first pancake is allowed to look handmade.
Your ingredients
Get ready: Heatproof mixing bowl, spoon, rolling pin, board, lidded frying pan and wire rack.
- 250 g plain flourUK note: Not self-raising flour or cornflour.
- 160 ml hot waterUK note: Use a heatproof bowl and a spoon before touching the dough.
- A little neutral oil for the dough and worktop
- 2 tbsp melted refined coconut oilUK note: Lard is another option; neutral oil makes a softer layering paste.
- 2 tbsp plain flour, for the paste
- ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice and ¼ tsp saltUK note: Ground Sichuan pepper gives a different, traditional seasoning option.
- 40 g spring onions, finely chopped
- 1–2 tbsp neutral oil, for fryingUK note: Use a little per batch.
- Soy sauce and rice vinegar, optional dipping sauceUK note: Serve separately.
Let’s make it
-
Bring the dough together
Pour the hot water gradually into the flour, stirring with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, combine into a rough dough. Cover for 15 minutes, then knead until smooth.
-
Make your layering paste
Mix the melted fat, 2 tbsp flour, five-spice and salt. Lightly oil the worktop and rolling pin. Roll the dough into a thin rectangle, roughly 43 × 33 cm.
-
Roll the layers in
Spread the paste over the rectangle, sprinkle with spring onions, and roll up from a short edge into a loose log. Cut into four equal pieces. Stand each spiral-side up, press down and roll into a pancake about 13 cm wide. No need for perfect circles.
-
Fry with patience
Warm a little frying oil over medium heat. Add a pancake, cover and cook for about 2–3 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so it becomes golden while the middle cooks. Repeat with the rest. Rest on a rack for 2 minutes before cutting; the centre should show cooked layers, not wet floury dough.
Your next little win
Tear or slice into wedges and serve warm. If the outside browns too fast, lower the heat and let the centre catch up. A lopsided shape changes absolutely nothing about the crunch.
For something alongside, try smashed cucumber salad.
Keeping it: Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 48 hours. Reheat once in a pan until hot throughout.
Cooked it? Give your chef panda a kitchen win.
