Straw Hat Pancake

Straw Hat Pancake

　　The straw hat pancake is a specialty snack from Northeast China, known for its distinct layers, soft yet chewy texture, crispy and delicious taste, and its shape resembling a straw hat.

　　The straw hat pancake is a specialty snack from Northeast China, known for its distinct layers, soft yet chewy texture, crispy and delicious taste, and its shape resembling a straw hat.

　　Ingredients: 1.1 kg flour, 250 g soybean oil, 20 g fine salt, a pinch of prickly ash powder

　　Preparation Method

　　1. Place 1 kg of flour on the work surface, add 475 g of warm water, 10 g of salt, and knead into a dough slightly firmer than that for oil pancakes. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

　　2. Put 100 g of flour in a bowl, add 10 g of fine salt, prickly ash powder, and 150 g of soybean oil, and mix into a soft oil paste for later use.

　　3. Take the rested dough, roll it into a log, divide it into 250 g portions, press them slightly, then roll them out with an oiled rolling pin into thin sheets about 33 cm long and 13 cm wide. Spread the soft oil paste evenly on top. Then hold both ends of the sheet, fold it back and forth repeatedly until you reach the end, and stretch it out. Flip the sheet from left to right so the upper side faces up, then coil the dough portion from left to right into a shape resembling a straw hat. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

　　4. Flip the dough portion over, press it slightly, and roll it out with an oiled rolling pin into a round pancake about 46 cm in diameter.

　　5. Heat a flat pan until it is 70–80% hot, brush a layer of oil, place the pancake in the pan using the rolling pin. First “seal the surface,” then adjust the heat. You can rotate the pancake with both palms. When both sides turn golden yellow with a crisscross pattern, it’s done. Remove with a spatula, cut into five pieces, and serve.