Screw Twists

Screw Twists

　　Screw Twists

　　　　are a type of noodle dish. Their outer layer consists of extremely fine strands of dough that become crisp at the slightest touch.

　　Making Method

　　　　First, proof the dough; once it has risen, knead it down to a smaller size. After it rises again, it’s ready to be shaped.

　　Roll the proofed dough into a long sheet, then spread sesame paste on it; (I also forgot one small detail: toast the Sichuan peppercorns, grind them into powder, mix in salt to make Sichuan pepper salt.) Sprinkle the Sichuan pepper salt over the dough, then fold the long sheet in half lengthwise. (At this point, the sheet becomes half its original size.) Cut it into half-inch-wide strips. Hold both ends of a strip, turn one hand while pulling with the other until the whole strand is twisted. Then press the twisted dough lightly to make it thinner. Cook it on a griddle until golden brown on both sides.

　　History of Screw Twists

　　　　The originator of these crispy ring-shaped Screw Twists was a man named Sun Deshan. He was once a pastry chef in the “Imperial Kitchen” during the late Qing Dynasty. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, he left the palace and started running a breakfast shop outside Di’anmen. He taught his apprentice, Wu Dianyuan, all the skills for making these crispy twists. Wu Dianyuan then opened his own small breakfast shop. As a result, there was a several-year gap during which Beijingers couldn’t enjoy Screw Twists — the brief period when Wu Dianyuan and his master were transitioning.