Pizza Dough Scallion Pancakes Recipe

Even though we frequently ate at Chinese restaurants, my family only ordered scallion pancakes at Shanghainese or Taiwanese ones. You know, the restaurants that serve bowls of fresh soy milk and those addictive steamed, then pan-fried, pork and ginger buns. It was a rare treat when my mom made those flaky, salty pancakes at home, usually for a party or when family came over, and I remember being fascinated with the process. It's not a difficult recipe, just a quick hot water dough and some elbow grease to roll it out, and Serious Eats has a great version. Then I came across a recipe using pizza dough from the Flour, Too cookbook by Joanne Chang, who owns one of my favorite bakery chains in Boston.

After playing around with her recipe, I came up with my own easy version. The hardest part of it is the patience to wait for the dough to rest for 2 hours before the second and final roll. This comes from the fact that you're using pizza dough, where the gluten has already been developed a lot. When I didn't let it rest, the pancakes were hard to roll out and fried up tough and chewy, so just make sure you plan accordingly for that resting period. These pancakes are a great way to use store-bought pizza dough, and now you don't have to trek out to a restaurant when the craving hits. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

Pizza Dough Scallion Pancakes
Loosely Adapted from Flour, Too: Indispensible Recipes for the Cafe's Most Loved Sweets & Savories

Makes:                  6 to 8 servings (3 pancakes)
Total Time:           45 minutes, plus 2 hours resting time 
Hands-On Time:   45 minutes

Special Equipment:   You will need a pastry brush 
                                                for this recipe.

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INGREDIENTS
For the pancakes:
1 medium bunch scallions
1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature (let sit out about 2 hours)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

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INSTRUCTIONS
For the pancakes:

1. Trim, then thinly slice the the scallions, cutting all of it. Place 1 tablespoon in a small bowl and set aside for the dipping sauce. Place the remaining scallions in a second small bowl for the pancakes and set aside.
2. Place the pizza dough on a work surface generously dusted with flour. Dusting with more flour as needed, roll the dough into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle.
3. Brush the dough with the sesame oil, then sprinkle with the scallions and salt. 
4. Starting at a long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Cut the roll into 3 (5-inch) pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece back and forth a few times to form a smooth rope about 6-inches long. Twist each piece into a tight spiral, tucking the ends tightly underneath. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap and let rest for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

For the dipping sauce:

1. Add all the ingredients to the 1 tablespoon of scallions and stir until the sugar is dissolved; set aside.

To finish:

1. Place one coil of dough on a floured work surface and dust the top with more flour. Using your hands, pat the coil into a 5-inch round. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10-inch round (it's okay if some of the scallions come out, just press back into the dough). Repeat with the remaining coils.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
3. Roll one of the dough rounds onto the rolling pin and carefully transfer and unroll into the oil. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancake and fry until the second side is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
4. Remove the fried pancake to the baking sheet and season lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining 2 dough rounds. Cut the pancakes into wedges and serve while still warm with the dipping sauce.