Lunar New Year and the Beijing Winter Olympics are near. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a bake to represent both. The basic Chinese Shaobing Flatbread (or pastry) truly is an international bread worthy of recognition. It’s the representation of bread bakes from the east to west and every country in between. In fact, even within China it has more than 100 styles and flavors including sweet and savory versions with or without fillings. Imagine an American Hot Pocket with a flaky, French croissant-style pastry filled like pita bread with layers covered in sesame flavors of China! Now that’s a true international bake!
My Version of the Chinese Shaobing Flatbread
The Chinese Shaobing flatbread version that I’m sharing with you is more like a European pastry without all the work. There are no multiple kneads or folds to get that layered look. The Shaobing is a puffy, layered (with a toasted sesame roux) flatbread that can be filled after baking, like pita bread, with braised meats, veggies, or eggs. It’s a bread for any meal eaten as a side or main course. Traditionally, it’s eaten at breakfast in China.
A Little Chinese Shaobing History
Believe it or not, the Chinese Shaobing bread has been around for thousands of years, at least since the Han Dynasty as early as 206 BC. It was traditionally baked in clay ovens. Today, the ingredients and method of baking vary as much as there are countries represented in the Olympics.
I have fallen in love with making this bread. The preparation is quite simple given the complexity of flavors and layers in the finished product. NO kneading and NO rising! What?! Here’s my shout out to China for the inspiration of my recipe. Thanks China for this really cool take on a flatbread!!
Chinese Shaobing Ingredients
We really don’t have many ingredients. My Chinese Shaobing recipe includes yeast, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, toasted sesame oil (or a neutral oil like avocado or canola), and sesame seeds (white, black, or a combination). You can fill the baked bread with your favorite fillings and eat it like a sandwich.
Activate the Yeast
As usual, begin by activating the yeast. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and ¾ cup of warm water (heated 20-30 seconds in the microwave until the temperature reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.
Mix Dry Ingredients & Combine Wet & Dry
In the meantime, in a large bowl, sift in 240 grams (2 cups) of flour and stir in ½ teaspoon of salt until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the activated yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms. Knead just enough in the bowl with a spatula or spoon until the dough comes together and is smooth. It should be rather sticky.
Quick Rest Time
Grease the top and sides of the dough with oil or cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough rest for 30 minutes. Although we have yeast, we are NOT expecting or needing any rise. We are more interested in the layers than the rise. So we only need a short rest here.
Make the Roux
It’s roux time! Roux is a French cooking term that simply refers to cooking together fat and flour to make a paste. It’s used as a thickener in sauces. For this recipe, our roux consists of toasted sesame oil and flour.
In a small saucepan, pour in ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (2.2 ounces) of oil. Heat on low to medium heat until the oil is hot. Whisk in 80 grams ((⅔ cup) flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk continuously and cook the mixture for 2 minutes, if using toasted sesame oil. If using any other neutral oil like canola or avocado, whisk and cook for ~5 minutes until the flour darkens and has a toasty aroma. The roux will be a thick paste. Spoon it into a small bowl (or the measuring cup you used to measure out the oil) and set it aside to cool.
Oven Prep & Roll the Dough
Preheat the oven 425˚F (220˚C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a heavily floured work surface, scoop out the dough with a spatula. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough into 1/8-inch thickness (~16×12-inch rectangle).
Spoon on Roux & Roll Dough like a Cinnamon Roll
When the roux has cooled, use a spatula to spread the roux in a thin layer over the dough leaving a ½-inch space all around the edges.
Begin at one long end and roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll to the other end. Don’t worry if some of the roux oozes out, just keep rolling. Pinch the long seam at the end to seal it and rotate the roll with the seam facing up. The dough will spread a little as it sits, but don’t worry.
Divide Dough & Seal Cut Edges
Use a knife and divide the dough into 8 relatively equal roll pieces. Just eyeball the cuts.
Move all but one roll of dough out of your way leaving space in the center of your workspace. Seal the cut edges as you move them. Place one roll in the center of your work surface. Pinch to seal the cut sides.
Roll each Piece & Fold Each into Thirds
To make the flaky, layered center, rotate one roll (if not already) so the center seam is facing up while the cut and sealed edges are at a right angle facing your left and right. Roll the dough away from you and towards you out to 5 inches in length.
Make a trifold (envelope shape) with the top and bottom. Fold the top side down a third of the way. Fold the bottom side up a third of the way.
Repeat the same process with the same roll of dough. Rotate the dough so the cut and sealed edges are facing away from and towards you (one side is farthest away from you while the other is towards you). Roll the dough out again to 5 inches in length and repeat with the trifold (envelope shape). Ultimately, you are rolling and folding each dough piece 2 times. side and continue the process with the remaining 7 rolls of dough.
Quick Rest & Sesame Seed Prep
Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds in a small flat plate or dish. I chose to use white sesame seeds on 4 rolls and a mix of white and black sesame seeds on the other 4 rolls. You can use whatever you have or like.
Place Dough Rolls in Sesame Seeds & Roll out Again
With damp hands, lightly dampen the smooth side of a roll dough and place the smooth side down on top of the sesame seeds. Gently press the dough roll in the seeds. Remove the dough from the seeds. With the sesame side facing up, roll the dough into a 6×3-inch rectangle. Use a spatula or bench scraper and lift the dough. Place the rectangle on the large parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 7 rolls of dough. Space each rectangle 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Baking Time!
Place the baking sheet in the oven on the center rack and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Check Out the Baked Chinese Shaobing Flatbread!
You can serve and enjoy them immediately. Notice how nicely the sesame seeds stay on each roll. Check out the rolled look at the ends.
The Chinese Shaobing Close Up
There’s a thin, crunchy outer layer with soft, sesame flavored inner folds.
How to Eat & Store the Chinese Shaobing Flatbread
You can cut the edge with a knife or scissors and open the bread up like a book. Stuff the pastry like a sandwich (or pita) with your preferred meats, eggs, or veggies. Keep it simple and just eat the rolls as they are. You can store them at room temperature or freeze them, thaw, and toast them in the toaster oven.
Chinese Shaobing Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a “fancy” feeling, layered bread to make, this is a good option. The final product looks complex, but it really isn’t compared to making French pastries. The lack of kneading and rising with very little time to rest makes this process go very quickly. During the two short resting times, there are other steps to do, so there’s no wasted time. For homemade bread, it comes together fairly quickly. The flavors of sesame are a nice change. However, if you want to add ingredients like cheese, you may want to use a neutral oil in place of toasted sesame.
Baker’s Perspective
While I don’t mind kneading dough for homemade bread, sometimes I don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen making bread. This bread is not like that at all. During the 30 minutes resting time, you’re busy making the sesame oil roux which happens in less time. I’ve never made bread that used a roux as a layered spread; what a unique step! The rolling and folding are very easy and the assembly line is a mindless process. Overall, great, unique bread to make that doesn’t take all day. I say, go for it!
Taster’s Perspective
Scott enjoyed the sesame flavors and crusty exterior with layered interior. He enjoyed eating this bread by itself (as a meal accompaniment) and as a sandwich bread with an egg and scallion omelet. It makes a good sandwich bread particularly for those who aren’t fans of thick sandwich bread. The toasted sesame oil was the dominate flavor. However, if you would prefer a mild, simple flavored bread, use a neutral oil (like canola or avocado) instead. Overall, this is a good homemade bread and a nice change from a typical western flatbread.
For visuals in making this bread, check out my YouTube video. “Chinese Shaobing Flatbread: A Sesame Roux Layered, Flaky Pastry.”
Chinese Shaobing Flatbread
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tsp (4 g) active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar superfine is preferred
- ¾ cup (6 oz / 177 g) water heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (sifted) fluffed, scooped, & leveled off in cup
- ½ tsp (4 g) salt
Roux:
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (2.2 oz) toasted sesame oil or neutral oil like avocado, vegetable, etc.
- 80 g (⅔ cup) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
Topping:
- ¼ cup sesame seeds white, black, or combination
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, whisk together yeast, sugar, and warm water (heated 20-30 seconds in microwave). Set aside for 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.
- In a large bowl, sift in the flour and stir in the salt until well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the activated yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms. Knead with a spatula just enough in the bowl until the dough comes together and is smooth. It should be rather sticky.
- Grease the top and sides of the dough with oil or cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Make the Roux:
- In a small saucepan, add oil and heat on low- medium heat until hot. Whisk in the flour and salt. Whisk continuously and cook the mixture for 2 minutes, if using toasted sesame oil. If using any other neutral oil, whisk and cook for ~5 minutes until the flour darkens and has a toasty aroma. The roux will be a thick paste.
- Spoon the roux into a small bowl to cool.
Roll, Fill, Shape, & Bake the Flatbread:
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a heavily floured work surface, scoop out the dough with a spatula. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough into an 1/8-inch thickness (~16×12-inch rectangle).
- Use a spatula to spread the roux over the dough leaving ½-inch space all around the edges.
- Begin at one long end and roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll to the other end. Pinch the seam at the end to seal it and rotate the roll so that the seam faces up.
- Use a knife and divide the dough into 8 relatively equal roll pieces.
- Move all but one roll of dough out of the way from the center of the workspace. Seal the cut edges as you move them. Place one roll in the center of the work surface. Pinch to seal the cut sides again, if needed.
- To make the flaky, layered center, rotate one roll (if not already) so the center seam is facing up while the cut and sealed edges are at a right angle facing your left and right. Roll the dough away from you and towards you to 5 inches in length.
- Make a trifold (envelope shape) with the top and bottom. Fold the top down a third of the way. Fold the bottom up a third of the way.
- Repeat the same process with the same roll of dough. Rotate the dough so now the cut and sealed edges are facing away and towards you (one side is farthest away from you while the other is towards you). Roll the dough out again to 5 inches in length and repeat with the trifold (envelope shape).
- Set the roll aside and continue the process with the remaining 7 rolls of dough. Cover and allow the rolls to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds in a small flat plate or dish.
- With damp hands, lightly dampen the smooth side of a roll dough and place the smooth side down on top of the sesame seeds. Press down on the dough lighlty so the seeds stick to the dough. Remove the dough from the seeds. With the sesame side facing up, roll the dough into a 6×3-inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on the large parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 7 rolls of dough. Space each rectangle 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven on the center rack and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
You might be interested in some of these other individual bread roll favorites.
The Berry Rolls (My Grandma’s Recipe)
Mexican Conchas (Lightly Sweetened Roll)
Columbian Pandebono 30-Minute Cheese Rolls (Gluten Free)
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!