I never really thought that this pastry was very special while I was in Taiwan. I pretty much took it for granted. It wasn't until my dad insisted that I bring home 50 of these from Taiwan when I started to appreciate the deliciousness and versatility of these pockets.
The texture of the shao bing is kind of chewy like a good tortilla, but a bit flaky, but not super crisp like puff pastry. Traditionally, Taiwanese people eat these for breakfast and usually stuff them with a stick of fried dough, similar to an unflavored Mexican churro. Many people like to dunk the combo into warm, sweet, soy milk. I, myself am not a big fan, because I think greasy soy milk is kind of gross, but, I like to stuff the shao bings with thin slices of braised beef or beef shank, or a simple fried egg and cheese. I think this is pretty legit.
This will make about 8-9 shao bings.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups AP flour + extra
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Procedure
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by making the roux, which basically helps create the layers to the pastry. Heat up a pan with the vegetable oil.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and stir every so often until the roux becomes a golden color. Set aside to cool.
4. To make the dough, combine the 2 cups of flour, salt, water and knead until a smooth dough is formed. You may need to add a bit more flour to reach the smooth, but not sticky consistency.
5. Allow the dough to rest for about half an hour.
6. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough until it is about 0.5 cm thick. (Thinner is better).
7. Spread the roux evenly all over the dough.
8. Roll up the dough (like a jelly roll)
9. Cut the dough into 8-9 equal pieces (like making cinnamon rolls). You will see a nice swirly pattern.
10. With the swirl pattern on the sides, press down on the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out into a long oval. This will help form layers.
11. On a lightly floured surface, fold the dough into thirds and use the rolling pin to roll another long rectangle.
12. Fold the dough in half and roll it again until it reaches about a half of a centimeter in thickness. Make sure the surface isn’t floured too heavily, otherwise, you the pastry will be powdery, and gritty, which isn’t too delicious.
13. Repeat for the rest of the cut pieces of dough.
14. Create an egg wash with the egg. Brush the egg wash onto one side of the dough and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
15. Repeat on all the rolled and folded pieces of dough.
16. Place all the dough flat on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and place in the oven.
17. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
18. Turn all the pieces over and bake the other side for 5 minutes.
19. Remove from the oven and to serve, you should be able to easily find a seam to open the pocket.
These freeze pretty well and all you have to do is pop them into the toaster oven for a few minutes, and they will be just as good.
The texture of the shao bing is kind of chewy like a good tortilla, but a bit flaky, but not super crisp like puff pastry. Traditionally, Taiwanese people eat these for breakfast and usually stuff them with a stick of fried dough, similar to an unflavored Mexican churro. Many people like to dunk the combo into warm, sweet, soy milk. I, myself am not a big fan, because I think greasy soy milk is kind of gross, but, I like to stuff the shao bings with thin slices of braised beef or beef shank, or a simple fried egg and cheese. I think this is pretty legit.
This will make about 8-9 shao bings.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups AP flour + extra
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Procedure
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by making the roux, which basically helps create the layers to the pastry. Heat up a pan with the vegetable oil.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and stir every so often until the roux becomes a golden color. Set aside to cool.
4. To make the dough, combine the 2 cups of flour, salt, water and knead until a smooth dough is formed. You may need to add a bit more flour to reach the smooth, but not sticky consistency.
5. Allow the dough to rest for about half an hour.
6. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough until it is about 0.5 cm thick. (Thinner is better).
7. Spread the roux evenly all over the dough.
8. Roll up the dough (like a jelly roll)
9. Cut the dough into 8-9 equal pieces (like making cinnamon rolls). You will see a nice swirly pattern.
10. With the swirl pattern on the sides, press down on the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out into a long oval. This will help form layers.
11. On a lightly floured surface, fold the dough into thirds and use the rolling pin to roll another long rectangle.
12. Fold the dough in half and roll it again until it reaches about a half of a centimeter in thickness. Make sure the surface isn’t floured too heavily, otherwise, you the pastry will be powdery, and gritty, which isn’t too delicious.
13. Repeat for the rest of the cut pieces of dough.
14. Create an egg wash with the egg. Brush the egg wash onto one side of the dough and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
15. Repeat on all the rolled and folded pieces of dough.
16. Place all the dough flat on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and place in the oven.
17. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
18. Turn all the pieces over and bake the other side for 5 minutes.
19. Remove from the oven and to serve, you should be able to easily find a seam to open the pocket.
These freeze pretty well and all you have to do is pop them into the toaster oven for a few minutes, and they will be just as good.