Dou Dou (豆豆)
Street-style scallion pancakes (蔥油餅) that crackle when you bite — crisp and golden outside, with tender, satiny layers inside — made entirely from plants. 外酥內軟、層層分明的蔥油餅，是街頭小吃的經典滋味，用最樸素的食材就能在家重現。
📹 Watch the Recipe
Recipe by Hannah Che (The Plant-Based Wok)
🥘 Why This Recipe Works
Scallion pancakes, 蔥油餅 (cōng yóu bǐng, “scallion-oil flatbread”), are one of the most beloved snacks in Chinese-speaking kitchens — sold by street vendors, breakfast shops, and night markets from Beijing to Taipei. The magic lies in two classic techniques. First, the dough is made 燙麵 (tàng miàn) style: boiling water is poured over the flour, gently denaturing the wheat proteins and keeping gluten development in check. The result is a dough that rolls out easily and bakes up tender rather than tough. Second, instead of brushing plain oil between the layers, we spread a 油酥 (yóu sū) oil-and-flour paste — the same lamination trick that gives pastries their flake. The paste stays put, so no oil leaks out, and every layer bakes into a distinct, shattering sheet.
In her comprehensive guide, plant-based chef Hannah Che demonstrates six different ways to roll and coil the pancakes — from a simple spiral to a show-stopping thousand-thread version. Every method produces beautiful layers, so you can start with the easy roll and level up as you get comfortable. The recipe makes six pancakes, and the uncooked discs freeze beautifully, so one batch means fresh, hot scallion pancakes whenever the craving hits.
This version: 10 ingredients, one pan, and about 90 minutes — most of it hands-off resting.
🛒 Ingredients
| All-purpose flour (中筋麵粉) | 4 cups (575 g) | Or 2½ cups AP + 1½ cups cake flour to mimic Chinese flour |
| Salt (鹽) | ½ tsp | For the dough |
| Boiling water (滾水) | 1 cup (237 g) | For the hot-water dough |
| Room-temperature water (冷水) | ½ cup + 2 tbsp (148 g) | Add gradually |
| Scallions, green parts (青蔥) | 1 cup, thinly sliced | About 6 medium scallions |
| All-purpose flour (中筋麵粉) | ½ cup + 2 tbsp (90 g) | For the oil paste |
| Neutral oil (植物油) | ½ cup (120 ml) | For the oil paste and frying |
| Ground Sichuan peppercorn (花椒粉) | 1½ tsp | Optional; or five-spice powder |
| Kosher salt (鹽) | 1½ tsp | For the paste |
| Extra flour for dusting (手粉) | As needed | For rolling |
👨🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Make the hot-water dough
- Whisk the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then pour in the boiling water, stirring with chopsticks until shaggy flakes form.
- Add the room-temperature water a little at a time, mixing until the dough comes together into a soft, slightly sticky ball.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 2–3 minutes until smooth, brush with a thin coat of oil, cover, and rest at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
Step 2: Make the scallion oil paste
- Put the sliced scallions, flour, salt, and optional Sichuan pepper in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan until shimmering, then pour it over the scallion mixture — it will sizzle and release the aromatics.
- Stir into a thin, spreadable paste (油酥) and set aside.
Step 3: Shape the pancakes
- Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll one out on a floured surface into a very thin rectangle.
- Brush a layer of scallion paste over the surface, roll it up jelly-roll style, then coil the rope into a snail and tuck the end underneath.
- Flatten gently, let rest 10 minutes, then roll each coil into a round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
Step 4: Pan-fry until golden and flaky
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, brush with oil, then lower the heat to medium-low.
- Lay in a pancake, cover, and cook 3 minutes until the bottom is golden; flip, cover, and cook 2 more minutes.
- Uncover and cook, flipping once or twice, until deep golden brown and crisp, then shove the pancake with two spatulas to loosen the layers before serving.
💡 Tips & Substitutions
| My pancakes turn out tough and chewy | Use the hot-water dough and don’t over-knead — the boiling water keeps gluten in check. Rest the dough at least 30 minutes. |
| Oil leaks out while rolling and frying | Use the oil-flour paste (油酥) instead of plain oil. It stays inside the dough and creates distinct, flaky layers. |
| No Sichuan peppercorns on hand | Swap in five-spice powder or skip entirely — scallions and salt carry the flavor beautifully on their own. |
| Can I make a batch ahead? | Yes — stack uncooked pancakes between parchment in a freezer bag for up to a month. Fry straight from frozen; no thawing needed. |
📊 Nutrition
Per pancake (serves 6 as a snack or side)
~530 cal · Protein: 11g · Carbs: 84g · Fat: 18g · Fiber: 3g
Ingredients
Method
Notes
🌱 Why This Dish
蔥油餅 literally means “scallion-oil flatbread” — 蔥 (cōng) scallion, 油 (yóu) oil, 餅 (bǐng) flatbread. It belongs to the great family of Chinese wheat cakes (餅) that stretches back thousands of years, and it remains a morning ritual for millions: a hot scallion pancake folded into a paper bag, eaten with soy milk (豆漿) on the way to work or school. In Taiwan it is one of the iconic night-market snacks, often dressed up with egg or cheese for the tourist crowds — but the classic all-plant version needs nothing more than the pancake itself.
Scallion pancakes are naturally vegan — just flour, water, scallions, salt, and oil — which is why they have long been part of vegetarian eating in Chinese communities, served in temple-adjacent eateries and simple home kitchens alike. (Strictly observant monastics set scallions aside as one of the five pungent vegetables, 五葷; lay Buddhist households and street vendors, however, have always embraced them.) The humble pancake is a lesson in technique over ingredients: with the 燙麵 hot-water dough and the 油酥 oil paste, a few pantry staples transform into something crackling, layered, and unforgettable.
