Cheesy Big Bing
Last blog post before I pack up and leave for our honeymoon! We’re going off to the lands of Yorkshire puddings, croissants, baguettes, and waffles! I currently live in the land of milk bread and bing (huh, that could have been a nice cookbook title haha), which is not too different. It’s a carby world.
Before I leave on extended trips, I like to have our freezer stocked with easily reheat-able foods for our arrival back home. Thankfully, there’s some slices of Cheesy Big Bing to welcome us home in a few weeks. Bing is the Chinese word various flatbreads like green onion pancakes (cong yu bing). I don’t know the last time I made a classic green onion pancake, because it’s just so fun to experiment with different fillings. I dream of the Chinese Sausage and Cilantro Pancakes from my cookbook, and that recipe really opened my mind up to the idea of alternative pancake or bing fillings.
The combination of a crazy craving for pancakes and a lack of time in my schedule resulted in this Big Bing. It’s like 6 regular pancakes made at the same time, except a little thicker and chewier. Some people prefer their pancakes on the extra thin and crispy side, but I love the contrast of textures when you have an expertly fried exterior with a toothsome chew from the laminated layers of dough. So if you’re aligned with my bing preferences, then you’ll love this. I also think this would be such a fun shareable snack or appetizer for dinner or for when friends come over to watch SPORTS.
The key to the success of a big bing is a really stretchy dough so you can roll it out super thin. I decided to use my favorite bread flour as the base and you can’t ask for anything better than Bob’s Red Mill Bread Flour. It has a high gluten content, which means the dough will be nice and strong, allowing it to roll out thin without breaking or tearing. I exclusively use their bread flour because I love Bob’s Red Mill as a brand but it truly makes a difference in my baked goods. A little butter (or oil) helps keep the dough supple and after it has had enough time to rest and create those gluten formations, it’s rolled out and laminated with a delicious combination of sesame oil, chili oil, garlic chives, and cheese! What else could you ask for?
The Big Bing needs some confidence to transfer from your counter to the pan, but once it get’s in there it is smooth sailings! A splash of water will help the center of the dough fully cook, but worry it will still be super crispy. Try to allow the bing to cool a little before you dig into it, but I’ve been known to burn the tips of my fingers because I just couldn’t wait to take a bite and watch those little cheese pulls.
Cheesy Big Bing
serves 4
300g (2 1/4 cups) Bob’s Red Mill Bread Flour
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 tbsp unsalted softened butter (can sub with olive oil)
170g (3/4 cup) warm water, about 110F degrees
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chili oil (including the crunchy bits)
1 1/2 cups chopped Chinese garlic chives (can sub with green onions)
3 cups shredded mozzarella (or another melty cheese)
2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill White Sesame Seeds, untoasted
2 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
steps:
Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, combine bread flour, salt and softened butter. Pour the warm water into the bowl while stirring with a flexible spatula. Continue to mix until you form a shaggy dough. Start kneading by hand and continue until you have a mostly smooth dough ball, 8 to 10 minutes. From the dough into a ball and place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or another bowl or plate so the dough doesn’t dry out. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into about a 12x18-inch rectangle, or as thin as you can get the dough without it tearing. Brush sesame oil over the whole surface of the dough. Spread chili oil on top and then sprinkle on the chives and cheese.
Starting along the length of the dough, roll it up to form a thick and long rope of dough. Starting at one end, roll up the rope into a coil until it reaches the middle. Do the same on the other end but roll it in the opposite direction. The dough should look like an “S” shape. Take the bottom coil and fold it over on top of the other coil to create extra layers. Flatten the dough with you palms. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough into about a 10"-inch diameter. Brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle on half the sesame seeds.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan with a fitted lid (big enough to fit your bing) over medium to medium high heat (you’ll have to watch the temperature). Transfer the bing to the pan, sesame seed side down (you can do this by hand, just have some confidence!). Fry the bottom side of the bing until it is golden brown, but not too dark, about 5 minutes. If the bottom is browning too fast, reduce the temperature of the burner. Hover the lid over the edge of the pan and pour in 3 tbsp of water. Immediately place on the lid and allow the steam to cook the dough, 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow any excess moisture to cook off, 1 to 2 minutes.
Brush on a little water over the top of the bing and sprinkle on the remaining sesame seeds. With a big spatula, flip the bing, and fry the bottom until crispy and deeply golden brown, 5 minutes.
Transfer the big bing to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.