Shao Bing with Sesame and Scallion (Taiwanese Sesame Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Shao bing is a laminated flatbread coated in sesame seeds, baked until the outside turns deeply golden and crackly while the inside stays flaky in distinct layers, achieved through a lamination technique of folding oil and dough repeatedly, similar in principle to puff pastry but with a chewier bite. Sold from breakfast carts and bakeries across Taiwan, it's often split open while still warm and stuffed with a fried egg, scallion, and sometimes a crawler of youtiao (fried dough stick) for a genuinely substantial breakfast sandwich. The lamination is what makes or breaks the dish: dough is rolled thin, brushed with a scallion-oil paste, rolled up like a cinnamon bun, then flattened and rolled again so the layers separate cleanly when baked, giving the distinctive shattering, flaky texture. A generous coating of sesame seeds pressed onto the surface before baking toasts in the oven's heat, adding a nutty crunch to the crust. Home versions rarely nail the bakery-level lamination on the first try, but the payoff — genuinely flaky layers threaded with scallion, wrapped around a soft fried egg — makes it worth the practice, and it remains one of the most recognizable breakfast foods across Taiwan.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 0.75 cupwarm water
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 5 tbspvegetable oil(divided)
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour(for oil paste)
• 3scallions(finely chopped)
• 3 tbspsesame seeds
• 2 tbspwater(for brushing)
• 4eggs(fried, for filling)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, warm water and salt into a smooth dough, kneading 8-10 minutes. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the oil paste

   Heat 3 tbsp oil until warm, whisk in 3 tbsp flour to form a smooth paste. Cool slightly.

3. 3

   Laminate the dough

   Roll the dough into a large thin rectangle. Spread the oil paste evenly, scatter scallions over the top, then roll up tightly like a jelly roll.

   Rolling tightly and evenly is what creates the distinct, shattering layers once baked.

4. 4

   Shape and coat

   Cut the roll into 4 pieces, flatten each with the cut side facing up, then roll out into flat ovals. Brush tops with water and press firmly into sesame seeds.

5. 5

   Bake

   Place sesame-side up on a lined tray and bake at 220°C (425°F) for 18-22 minutes until deep golden and crackly.

6. 6

   Fill and serve

   Split the warm shao bing open and stuff with a fried egg, serving immediately while flaky and hot.

Variations

• •

  Add a crispy youtiao (Chinese fried dough stick) inside for the classic full breakfast sandwich combination.

• •

  Make a sweet version by omitting scallion and adding a sugar-sesame paste instead.

• •

  Add chili oil or pickled vegetables inside for a spicier, more savory filling.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and warm. Store unfilled shao bing in an airtight container up to 2 days and reheat in a toaster oven to re-crisp before filling.

Frequently Asked Questions