Chinese Scallion Pancakes (Cong you bing)

1 Add flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour hot water into the bowl while mixing the flour using chopsticks. Once the hot water has been absorbed, pour in the cool water while mixing it with chopsticks. After the dough has absorbed all of the water, knead the dough using your hands. Work the dough until it takes the shape of a rough ball, then transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for another 2-3 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

2 While the dough rests, prepare the filling. Take green onion stalks and cut the white ends from the green parts. Slice the white ends and place them in a small pan with ¼ cup frying oil at 250°F. Fry at this low temperature for 10-15 minutes so the scallions impart their flavor in the oil.

3 Take the green parts of the green onion and cut them in half lengthwise, then slice the green onions, creating little half circles, and place in a bowl.

4 When the scallion oil is done infusing, remove and discard the crispy scallions. Then place the scallion oil in a heat proof cup and add ½ tsp salt, adding 2-4 tbsp of flour to the oil until it creates a paste.

5 Once the dough has rested, knead again on a floured surface for one minute. Then work the dough into a log shape and divide into 6 even portions. Work with one dough ball at a time and cover the others with plastic wrap.

6 Place one dough ball on a floured work surface and begin rolling it out into a rectangle that is about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Then drizzle on a teaspoon or two of the scallion oil paste and spread it across the dough, sprinkling it with a few tablespoons of the green onion halves.

7 Fold the dough up and over 3-4 times from the bottom of the long side, gently pushing out air bubbles as you fold until you have a long flattened tube. Then roll up the dough tube into a spiral. Once rolled up, add a little paste to the end and tuck it under the bun. It should look similar to a cinnamon roll. Leave it in this form to rest for 5 minutes, covered, while you do the same process to the remaining 5 dough balls.

8 Next, flatten the buns into pancakes. Starting with the first dough ball you filled, place your rolling pin on top, gently press down and roll it into a flat circle that is about 8 inches in circumference, creating a pancake.

9 Finally, place a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil has heated, lay in your pancake and cover it with a lid and cook for one minute. Then flip the pancake (away from you so you don’t get splattered with hot oil), cover with the lid again, and cook for another minute. Then remove the lid and continue to flip and cook the pancake, using your spatula to press it into the pan until both sides are golden brown.

10 Once the pancake is golden, remove it from the pan and set it to the side while you cook the rest.