Chinese Sesame Scallion Bread/Zhi Ma Da Bing (芝麻大餅)

hand grabbing a slice of scallion bread
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This Chinese sesame scallion bread or zhi ma da bing (芝麻大餅) has a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. It is the leavened version of the Chinese scallion pancakes. Instead of baking the bread, you pan fry it to perfection. It’s filled with scallions, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, and crusted with sesame seeds. I love eating it with some XO sauce or chili crisp! The flavors are so comforting and nothing beats a savory, warm bread!

chinese sesame scallion bread slicedough coiled upbread pan frying on the stovechinese sesame scallion bread slicehand grabbing a slice of scallion bread plate of cut up chinese sesame scallion bread and XO sauce close up of XO sauce with a wooden spoon in it shot of scallion bread with XO sauce on top

Chinese Sesame Scallion Bread/Zhi Ma Da Bing (芝麻大餅)

This Chinese sesame scallion bread or zhi ma da bing has a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. It's flavorful and easy to make!
Print Recipe
hand grabbing a slice of scallion bread

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cup bread flour (AP flour works too)
  • 2 tsp pure organic cane sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • sea salt
  • Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 3-4 tbsp sesame seeds
  • olive or avocado oil for cooking

Instructions

  • In the bowl of your stand up mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir until combined. Add the oil and warm water. Using your dough hook attachment, knead for 5-6 minutes. Check dough after 1-2 minutes of kneading. Add more water (1 tsp at a time) if the dough is looking dry or add more flour if dough is looking too wet. My dough took about 2 minutes of kneading to stop looking shaggy. Dough should be slightly sticky. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm area to rise for 1.5 hours.
  • Roll dough out into a large, thin rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Drizzle sesame oil on top and brush it evenly over the top. Sprinkle the top liberally with sea salt and five spice powder. Spread scallions over it. From the long end of the rectangle, gently roll dough up with scallions on the inside. Form the roll into a spiral/coil (see picture above). Carefully flatten the spiral with your hands and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large disc about 3/4-1 inch thick. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over the top and quickly flip it to add more sesame seeds on the other side. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
  • Heat a large skillet with oil on medium heat. Carefully place the dough in the skillet. Cover skillet with a lid and cook for 7 minutes without opening the lid. Once time is up, uncover and check the bottom. It should be golden brown. Carefully and quickly flip the bread over and lower heat slightly. Cover the skillet and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Check the bottom for doneness. Keep cooking until nice and golden on both sides. Place on a cooling rack for 10 minute to rest before slicing. Enjoy warm with XO sauce or chili crisp.
Servings: 6
Author: valeria.chao