Flaky Scallion Buns

I should have posted this a long time ago since I've made this during my practicum but my laptop gave up as I was writing this while doing my practicum report. It is one of the greatest challenges I've ever faced, after typing nearly a ten page report a message just flashed saying my laptop is corrupted two days before the deadline! (What makes it worse is the policy "submit it on or before the deadline or GRADUATE NEXT YEAR!"). I had to retype my report relying only on my memory but it did not deter me, in the first place what's in my report came from my mind and just a little more push t will be my graduation so I wouldn't waste all my efforts from the past four years. Thank God I was able to finish it and even got a 1.0! These are the lessons college taught me for the last time: Learn to prioritize; plan for the worst; and if I can do something now, do it now so I'll have plenty of time doing what I love. My parents were very proud of me as I was able to graduate and also make it to the dean's list.

Fast forward to months later after graduation, my dad gave me a new laptop as a graduation and birthday gift so now I can post again! He also gave me a huge table whose sole purpose if for bread, MY BREAD! He says no one can touch it except me so it is always clean and ready for kneading and shaping breads. Maybe someday he said we will have an oven and a mixer and all other equipment necessary for baking. I am very lucky because I have parents who are very supportive of my craft. Of course if I will have a job I will try hard to provide those myself for my family and for my bakery as it is really my dream and their dream for me.

Back to the bread, I made this in my dormitory when I was longing to make bread without my clay pot. It made me sleepless for nights thinking of what bread can I make and how I will make it. During those times I was thinking of a street snack, the kind that when you're walking and your tummy rumbles you buy some then carry on with your business. I thought of A RUSTIC SANDWICH WITH A RUSTIC BREAD because earlier I've seen post on breads like the shao bing, scallion pancake and rou jia mo; though they are cooked in different ways they all have a rustic personality but what captured me is the flakiness of the first two I mentioned, I want to replicate that. I married their characteristics for my ultimate bread: flaky and yeasted like a shao bing; crispy, full of scallion flavor and cooked in a frying pan like a scallion pancake; and sturdy enough to hold up to wet fillings.

The dough is the most basic with just flour, water, yeast and salt with just the slightest touch of sugar and oil for softness. I only made a small amount so I won't waste a ton of ingredients if it fails. After the bulk fermentation I divided it into four then proceeded to do some "Oriental style lamination" where you have laminate one by one. I rolled each one flat, spread some oil and sprinkled some chopped scallions, toasted sesame seeds, a little salt and optional white pepper. I then rolled them like spring rolls, coiled them and flattened them. After a 20 minute rest, I cooked them on lightly oiled pan for 7 minutes on each side on low heat. I don't like their pale sides so i cranked the heat up and browned them quickly but I don't think it's necessary as we can see in English muffins. I was rolling on a small chopping board so I have not rolled them thin and big enough, if I have done so they could be flakier with more layers, that's just a theory though. Also, for the first two i cooked the heat was too high so they were burnt slightly.

They were crispy and flaky on the outside as you can see on the first picture shards were all over the plate. They were soft and substantial inside with some visible layers. They were a bit sweet but very savory full of scallion flavor with a hint  of toasted sesame. When I brought some leftovers home, my mom said she could eat them alone everyday without tiring of it but I think she's exaggerating a bit though. 

This is how they look inside:








I filled them with some braised chicken thighs fragrant with ginger and garlic with just a kick from chilies the flaky scallion buns are the prefect complement to it. The buns and chicken are good alone but the textures and punch of flavors they deliver when when together is sublime.







It's so good I forgot that the oils and juices are dripping down my fingers and just let myself fall into the world of good food.



The photos were taken at night when I returned to my dorm after my training inside my bedroom under a fluorescent light which is a first time for me since I'm used to taking photos in the afternoon at our home using only the light from the sun. I also cooked the braised chicken myself because I cooked my own meals there, therefore allowing me to experiment with my food because of the small quantities. Now that I'm back home, I'm so excited to try and share many of my "no-oven" bread baking ideas.

This was a long post mainly because of the stories behind this bread. Can you think of a better name for them? in fact, I don't know what to call them so I just stick to calling them flaky scallion buns. Thank you very much!