Scallion twists have been my nostalgic go-to Chinese bakery bread of choice. The bread is soft and buttery. The scallions pack so much flavor in the bread, and when baked with Japanese mayonnaise, it makes for an irresistible combo.
Many Chinese bakeries will sell scallion twists, but oftentimes they are filled with pork floss or some sort of meat. As a vegetarian, I was never able to sample many of these bakery-bought breads. This is a recipe for vegetarian scallion twists, but of course you can add your own toppings for this bread and not just scallions. It’s quite versatile and works with many flavor combinations!
Tips:
- This recipe makes a very soft dough and while this bread can definitely be made by hand, but it will be much quicker with a stand mixer and dough hook attachment! It’s life-changing.
- Use the windowpane test to tell when the dough is ready for the first proof (resting time) for the gluten to develop. Grab a small chunk from your dough and carefully stretch it out thinly until the layer is translucent and you can almost see through it. It’s okay if the dough breaks a little on the sides, but as long as it doesn’t split right in the middle of where you are trying to look through, it should be ready!
- If you don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise, a quick substitute is a ratio of 1 cup of regular mayonnaise with 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp sugar. This will make it sweeter and tangier.
- I personally prefer lots and lots of scallions in my bread, so adjust this recipe toppings for your tastes! Adding more Kewpie mayo and sesame oil will result in a more savory taste.
Chinese Scallion Twists
Recreate this delicious Chinese bakery breakfast classic that can be eaten as a snack at all times of the day! Use as much (or as little) scallions for this to suit your preferences.
Servings: 8 rolls
Ingredients
Sponge Dough
- 300 g Bread flour 2 cup+ 2 tbsp
- 7 g Active Dry Yeast 1 tbsp
- 30 g granulated sugar 2tbsp
- 65 g whole milk 1/4 cup
- 110 g warm water 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp
Main Dough
- 130 g bread flour 1 cup
- 85 g granulated sugar 6 tbsp
- 80 g egg (beaten) approx. 2 large eggs
- 70 g softened butter 5 tbsp
Toppings
- 5 bunches scallions chopped finely
- Kewpie mayonnaise
- white pepper
- salt
- 3 tsp sugar
- sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix lukewarm water with sugar and active dry yeast until it dissolves. Leave for 5-6 minutes until mixture turns bubbly, and stir until yeast is incorporated
- Add bread flour and milk to activated yeast water to create the sponge dough
- Use stir setting on mixer with mix attachment for 5 minutes until the dough gathers up and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl
- Cover and rest in a warm area for 90 minutes or until 2-3 times bigger
- Make bread dough by adding everything except butter to the sponge dough
- Using a stand mixer with dough hook, knead on low speed for 5 minutes, and then increase the speed for 4 minutes until the dough is combined
- Add softened butter and knead for 5 more minutes until dough passes windowpane test – dough should be very stretchy and you can see through it without breaking the dough
- Form into a smooth ball and cover for 60 minutes or until doubled in size
- Punch down dough and knead to remove air bubbles
- Season scallions with pinches of sugar, salt, white pepper, and 2 tbsp of sesame oil. Adjust taste as needed
- Divide into 8 equal dough balls (about 100g each) and roll out into long rectangular strips with a 2:1 ratio. Spread 1 tbsp of mayonnaise over the dough and sprinkle evenly with 2 tbsp of scallion mixture
- Roll the rectangle along the long side to form a cigar shape, gently flatten, and cut down the middle while leaving one end uncut. Gently twist the two strips with the cut sides facing out, and pinch shut at the ends. Place on baking sheet
- Brush egg wash over the twists and sprinkle with sesame seeds
- Cover and rest for 45 minutes, and preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C
- Brush dough with egg wash and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown
Notes
Recipe by Usagi Baking. All images and content belong to me unless otherwise specified. Please do not use my images without permission. If you would like to share my recipe, please credit me and link back to my site.