Xi'an Crispy Pastry

Xi'an Crispy Pastry

　　The crispy pastry evolved from the layered baked cakes of the Tang Dynasty, refined over generations by chefs. It is hailed as the “Number One Pastry of Western Qin” and is also known as Layered Crispy Pastry.

　　The pastry is made with refined white flour, vegetable oil, and appropriate amounts of alkaline and spiced salt. The process includes making the dough layers, mixing the dough, forming the pastry, and then pan-frying or baking it. When making the dough layers, the ratio of oil to flour is one to three. Cook the oil, then pour in an appropriate amount of flour and repeatedly knead and stir it into a crumbly mixture. Add warm water to form the dough, then stretch it into long strips. Brush with clear oil, divide into small pieces weighing about one or two liang (50–100g), brush each with oil, and roll them individually into strips about three inches long. When forming the pastry, flatten and roll out these strips thin, add the dough layer mixture and spiced salt, then pull and roll the dough by hand — pulling it about two inches wide and twelve feet long, layering continuously as you go, until it forms a spiral shape. During baking, arrange the small rolled pastries in the pan, keeping the heat even. After three minutes, lift the top of the pan, drizzle oil on the pastries, rearrange them, and continue baking until the color is uniform and both sides are golden brown.

　　It features clear layers, crisp yet not crumbly, rich but not greasy, with a golden color and a deliciously flaky taste.