Leavened Dough Chive Pancakes

Dissolve 5g yeast and 10g sugar in 270g warm water. Flour absorbs water differently, so you may leave out 10g water initially. Add flour and break in one egg, stirring with chopsticks into a shaggy dough. Knead into a ball. If it's sticky, rub a little cooking oil on your hands or sprinkle some flour. Let it ferment in a bowl until doubled in size.

While waiting for the dough to ferment, clean the chives, drain thoroughly, and chop finely. Soak the vermicelli in boiling water until soft, then chop finely. I used 5 eggs, scrambled and chopped them after cooking.

After the dough has fermented, deflate it, roll it into a log, divide into portions, and shape into balls. These are ready to roll out later into wrappers.

Once the dough is prepped, mix the filling. Since chives release water easily, prepare and wrap the filling immediately to maintain their fresh green color. Add 20g oyster sauce, a pinch of five-spice powder and salt, and some corn oil and sesame oil. The combination of the two oils enhances the flavor.

Roll out the dough balls into wrappers with a thicker center and thinner edges, then wrap the filling.

Shape the wrappers with filling into a bun shape.

Flatten the buns gently into round cakes. If you prefer thinner wrappers, roll them out gently using a rolling pin. Be careful, as chives release water easily and the wrappers might tear. I tend to roll the wrappers very thin.

Heat a nonstick pan, add some cooking oil, and place the chive pancakes in. Once one side sets, flip them. Always cover the pan with a lid. Use a spatula to press around the edges of the pancake. When the crust springs back under pressure, it’s thoroughly cooked. Fry until both sides are golden.

Look at how thin the wrapper is—appetizing, isn’t it? Especially for kids, leavened dough pancakes are highly digestible and remain soft, regardless of the filling.

Each bite is bursting with filling. The crust is crispy, making it irresistibly delicious. 😋