We always have potluck at the office for different occasions.  One of the food that everyone loves is “Chinese Sesame Bread” made by our Chinese coworker.  Every time we have a potluck, we want it.  Finally, I convinced her to teach us how to make it.  Thank you to Hong Yin for sharing the recipe and for the demonstration.

Fresh ingredients:
1. Green onion, 3 stalks, chopped into 1/4″ long

Other ingredients:
1. All purpose flour, 4 cups
2. Salt, 1tsp
3. Baking soda, 1/4tsp (optional)
4. Yeast, 1tbsp
5. Sesame
6. Oil

Directions:
1. Pour flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
2. In a separate cup, mix yeast with 2 cups of lukewarm water and let it sit about 5 minutes.
3. Pour yeast mix into the flour mix.
4. Turn on the bread machine to “knead”. The flour mix (which we may call “dough” now) will be ready when there is no excess flour sticking to the side of the bowl.
5. Unplug the bread machine. Close the machine lid, and let it sit for approximate 45-50 minutes to rise. (It may take shorter or longer time depending on the weather. Warm weather takes shorter time for the dough to rise.) When the dough is ready, its texture should look like a cotton ball when stretching by hand.
6. When the dough rises, “knead” again and let it sit for about 30 minutes or until fully rise again.
7. On a clean large chopping board, sprinkle some all purpose flour, cut the dough into 2 pieces. Set one of them aside.
8. Knead a dough by hand and use the roller to make a round sheet (about 1/4″ thick). While rolling, use more flour to smooth if needed.
9. Taste the dough if it needs more salt. If there is not enough salt, add some onto the dough at this point. Note that when the dough is cooked, it will be less salty than when it is tasted.
10. Pour some oil onto the dough sheet just to cover the top side of it (about 1tbsp).
11. Sprinkle green onion on top of the sheet.
12. Roll up the sheet as shown. Then make the dough into a circle and spread the dough ball into flat sheet with the roller.
13. Wet the top side of sheet with water, then sprinkle sesame seeds on it, and use hand to press the sesame to firmly stick with the dough. Turn the sheet to the other side and repeat the same procedure.
14. Repeat the step 8-13 for the second dough.
15. After both sheets are rested for about 10 minutes, they will be ready for cooking.
16. Use an electric boiler or microwave to boil about 1/2 cup of water (to high pressure-steam the dough).
17. In a 3 1/2 quart sauce pan on medium high heat, pour 5tbsp of oil onto the pan (a little more than enough to cover the pan).
18. When the oil is heated up, lay the dough sheet in the pan, add 2tbsp of hot water (prepared in step 16) onto the pan and cover the pan with lid immediately.
19. The dough (now “bread”) should have risen after being cooked in the pan about 3 minutes. Teflon pan may take longer time to cook. Open the lid to see if it rises. Then turn it upside down.
20. Cook the other side on medium heat for about 3 minutes with the closed lid. When both sides are done, take the bread out of the pan.
21. Repeat the process for the 2nd dough (from step 17-20).
22. Cut into 8 or 12 pieces as desired and they are now ready to be served.

Servings: 16-24

Tips:
1. If you do not have a bread machine, we may use stand mixture or make it by hand.
2. It is important to let the bread cook (steam) in the pan in order to rise and to have the fluffy texture. Open the lid only when checking if it is cooked.
3. The cooking time may vary depending on the pan you use.