Chinese Sesame-Scallion Bread
Focaccia meets scallion pancakes, and it comes together in a skillet.
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time2 hours
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active
- 5
This bread, known as zhima dabing—which translates as “large sesame pancake”—is similar to Chinese scallion pancakes, but is larger, thicker and has a lighter, fluffier crumb. The addition of sweet (also called glutinous) rice flour gives the crust a unique crispness and the interior a satisfying chew. If you can't find sweet rice flour with the baking ingredients, check the Asian aisle for a white box labeled “mochiko,” the Japanese term for the flour. Chop the scallions by thinly slicing them first, then running the knife over them a few times to further break them down. To keep the scallions fresh, prep them toward the end of the dough's one-hour rising time.
Don't use regular rice flour in place of the sweet rice flour, as it won't produce the same texture. Don't use pretoasted sesame seeds, as the seeds brown deeply as the bread cooks; already toasted seeds may end up scorched and bitter. Don't worry if some scallions are exposed on the surface of the dough as you flatten it into a round; this is normal.
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