Shaobing

What to get ready

• Flour 880 g
• Dry yeast 16 g
• Roasted sesame seeds 160 g
• Oil 200 ml
• Sichuan peppercorns 20 g
• Salt 24 g
• Molasses 80 ml
• Baking powder 12 g

Method

1. 1 Knead the flour with yeast and warm water for 15 minutes, then let it rise for 1 hour.
2. 2 Toast the dry flour with oil in a pan for 4 minutes until it forms a paste to make the separating layer.
3. 3 The oil-based batter is what creates the layers inside; simply brushing with oil won't make the cake separate into layers.
4. 4 Roll the dough into sheets, brush with flour and oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roll them into tubes.
5. 5 Cut the tube into sections, then flatten them into discs 1.5 cm thick.
6. 6 Brush diluted molasses onto the surface, then press into sesame seeds and bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 1 hr 44 min

  Replace step 6: spray both sides of the shaobing with oil, run the air fryer at 215 degrees for 13 minutes and flip at minute 7; sesame seeds crisp up sooner than the oven, space them out and make multiple batches if needed.