Lao bing
Cuisine: Chinese
Lao bing is a layered northern Chinese flatbread: half-hot-water dough wrapped with oil paste, then cooked on a crepe pan. From mixing to cooking takes about 1 hour. Difficulty 4/5 (Advanced). Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.
At a glance
Time: about 1 hour · 4 breads · Difficulty: medium · ≈ 320 kcal per bread
Layered Pan-Fried Flatbread is Chinese laobing: dough brushed with oil, rolled into layers, then pan-fried until blistered and flaky. Rest the dough, roll thin, coil or fold for layers, and use medium heat so the inside cooks before the outside burns. Tear and dip in sauces or wrap with egg.
4 / 5
★★★★☆
1185 kcal
Ingredients
- Oil
- Flour
- Electric griddle
Steps
- Put 400 g of flour into a bowl. Mix half with cold water and half with hot water, stir into shaggy flakes, then knead by hand into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 40 minutes.
- When there are 10 minutes left of resting time, make the oil-flour paste following the oil-flour paste method in the tips section (paste made with hot oil works better).
- Don't knead the rested dough; just press it down slightly and cut it into four pieces with one horizontal and one vertical cut.
- Roll each piece into a ball, then roll it out into a round about the size of the electric griddle. Take 1/4 of the oil-flour paste and spread it evenly over the surface.
- Cut along the radius of the round, roll it from the outer edge into a cone, then pinch the end of the cone closed so the paste doesn't leak out.
- Press down on the tip of the cone to flatten it, then roll it out again into a round about the size of the griddle (about 3 mm thick).
- Preheat the electric griddle and brush it with cold oil (hot pan, cold oil). Place the rolled-out round on the griddle, brush a little oil evenly over the top as well (to lock in moisture), and close the lid.
- Cook on high heat for one minute, open the lid, flip the flatbread and cook for another minute.
- Repeat the steps above to finish cooking all the flatbreads.
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Notes
This homestyle flatbread has distinct layers, a crisp outside and a soft inside, with the toasty aroma of the oil-flour paste. It's a common staple on northern Chinese tables. It mainly provides carbohydrates and energy and goes well with other dishes. It takes a bit of technique, especially rolling in the paste and rolling out the dough, but following the steps isn't hard, and beginners can master it. From mixing the dough to the finished flatbread takes about 1 hour.
Estimated difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated calories: 1185 kcal
Group: flatbread
Calculation:
Note: this staple doesn't come in smaller or larger versions; the amount chosen here is the most beginner-friendly:
- Flour = 400 g
- Hot water = 130 ml (80 °C)
- Cold water = 130 ml
Time and temperature
Rest dough: 20–30 min · pan: medium · 3–5 min per side
Nutrition
320 kcal · Protein 8 g · Fat 12 g · Carbs 44 g
1 flatbread (estimate)
Substitutes
- Neutral oil → scallion oil
- All-purpose flour → half bread flour
- Add five-spice in the oil brush
- Pan → oven only as backup (less blister)
Storage
Room temp same day in a towel. Reheat in a dry pan. Freeze cooked rounds 1 month.
FAQ
- Why no layers?
- Oil brush too scant or dough not rested. Chinese laobing needs a greasy smear and a coil/fold.
- Outside burnt, inside raw?
- Heat too high. Cook Layered Pan-Fried Flatbread more gently and cover briefly.
- Can I add scallions?
- Yes—scallion laobing is a popular variant; pat greens dry first.
- Dough too tight?
- Rest longer. Gluten relaxes and rolling gets easier.