Food Review: Chinese Scallion Rolls

Our Managing Design Editor shares her family recipe for Chinese scallion rolls 

Fluffly Chinese Scallion Rolls warm and fresh straight from the oven.

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

This recipe makes 10 scallion rolls. Each one should be about 2½ inches in diameter and 200 calories.

Ingredients:

• 500 g flour (white flour or a mixture of white and whole wheat flour)

• 3 scallion sticks

• 1 tbsp oil (any kind)

• 1 tbsp table salt (can be adjusted according to preference)

• 5 g active dry yeast

• ½ tsp baking soda

• Water

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

In a bowl, mix the yeast with about ½ cup of water and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add the yeast-water mixture to the flour in a large bowl. I used 40% whole wheat flour and 60% white flour. The more whole wheat flour you use, the rougher the texture of the rolls will be. Knead the mixture into the flour until no liquid remains. 

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

Gradually knead more plain water into the dough until no flour remains. Be careful not to add too much water, or the dough will stick to your hands. Cover the dough to prevent moisture from escaping, and let the dough rest for two to three hours. Chop the three scallion sticks while you are waiting.

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

After the dough has rested for two hours, you should see small pockets of air in it. Add the ½ tsp of baking soda and a bit of water to the dough and knead it until the baking soda is evenly distributed. Do not skip this step, as the rolls may taste sour otherwise. Smear a cutting board with flour to prevent the dough from sticking, and roll the dough into a 8-by-13-inch rectangle on the surface. Pour the tbsp of oil onto the flattened dough and spread it evenly using your fingers. Sprinkle the tbsp of salt evenly onto the dough. Scatter the chopped scallions evenly onto the top ⅔ section of the dough. Fold the bottom ⅓ section of the dough onto the middle section. Fold the middle section onto the top ⅓ section. 

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

Cut the folded dough into 20 strips of equal width. Flatten two strips of dough. Place one strip on top of a second one. Press a chopstick into the center of the stack to create an indentation. Remove the chopstick, flip the dough over, and fold it in half over a chopstick. Twist the ends of the strips together with the chopstick still inserted in the center of the dough. Press down on the twisted dough with the ends of the chopstick to create a roll. Repeat with the 18 other strips of dough to create nine more rolls.

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

Line the steamer, which should have holes in the bottom, with a damp cloth or paper towel and place the rolls on top. Make sure to leave half an inch of space between the rolls because they will expand as they are steamed.

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

Heat a pot of water on the stove on the highest heat setting until it boils. Place the steamer on top of the pot, and cover the steamer with the lid. Change the heat setting to medium, and immediately remove the rolls from the stove after steaming for 15 minutes.

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

If you added enough oil, the layers of dough should be easy to peel apart, like string cheese. 

Photo by Melissa Liu, Managing Print and Design Editor

Enjoy! 

If you try the recipe yourself, please tag us on Instragram at @nhsmessenger or email us a photo at nhsmessenger@gmail.com!