He took the dough out of the bowl and placed it on a board dusted with dry flour.
By now, the dough had relaxed for about half an hour. Its gluten developnt had reached the lowest level, so there was no need to knead it anymore. Simply forming it into a long strip and portioning it out would suffice.
If one kept kneading at this point, the gluten would develop again, making it difficult to roll out into sheets.
Even if forced into sheets, the resulting flatbreads would turn out dry and hard, unsuitable for making soft yet chewy stir-fried flatbread shreds.
The well-rested dough was very soft and could be ford into a long strip in just a few monts.
Then, one could start portioning the dough by hand. Each piece weighed about one liang, approximately 50 grams.
This weight was just right for rolling out a flatbread of even thickness.
The flatbreads for stir-fried shreds are quite thin. If one were making the thicker flatbreads common in the Central Plains, like simred or braised flatbreads, the thickness would need to be doubled.
Otherwise, the thin flatbread shreds would certainly turn into a mushy ss in the pot.
Stir-fried flatbread, braised flatbread, and simred flatbread share similar nas but are three distinct delicacies. Stir-fried flatbread is the thinnest. It’s cooked like stir-fried noodles and has a dry, fragrant texture.
Braised flatbread resembles braised noodles and is served with soup. Simred flatbread is similar to simred noodles, requiring broth to be stewed in the pot until cooked through.
After all the dough pieces were separated, they were dusted with a layer of dry flour to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
He picked up a dough piece. Using the web between his thumb and index finger, he pressed and rotated it, kneading it into a thick, round disc.
Then, using a rolling pin, he rolled out the dough disc into a thin, round flatbread over thirty centiters in diater.
Once rolled out, it was ti to start griddling them.
He turned on the stove, adjusted it to a low fla, and placed the cleaned wok upside down over the burner.
Whether it’s a household stove or a professional one in a restaurant, the temperature is highest in the center and relatively lower around the edges.
If the wok were placed normally, the hottest part—the bottom—would be closest to the fla. The cooler sides of the wok would be further from the heat, resulting in a flatbread that was burnt in the middle and undercooked around the edges.
A flat-bottod pan would be slightly better, but inverting the wok was still the most suitable thod.
This way, the bottom of the wok heated evenly, maintaining a consistent temperature—perfect for griddling flatbreads.
Griddling flatbreads for shreds demands such precise temperature control because these flatbreads are relatively thin. They need to be flipped within a few seconds to prevent burning.
To prevent burning and ensure both the edges and the center of the flatbread received even heat, the best thod was to invert the wok over the burner.
After inverting the wok on the burner, Lin Xu rolled out two more flatbreads.
It took only about ten seconds to griddle each side of these flatbreads; they cooked very quickly. Therefore, it was essential to roll out several more while the wok heated up to avoid being flustered when starting the griddling process.
Soon, wisps of steam began to rise from the bottom of the inverted wok.
Lin Xu gently placed a rolled-out flatbread onto the hot surface of the inverted wok. It sizzled imdiately upon contact. This sound ca from the moisture on the flatbread’s surface evaporating against the hot tal.
In the span of just two breaths, a pleasant aroma wafted from the wok, and the flatbread puffed up slightly.
This indicated that the side touching the wok had cooked.
After another two or three seconds, he quickly flipped the flatbread, pressing the other side against the hot surface of the wok.
The griddled side, now facing up, was covered with a golden-brown color. The unique, toasty aroma of the flour was so enticing it made one want to tear off a piece and taste it imdiately.
That was precisely why he had waited those few extra seconds.
The flatbread’s surface beca much more fragrant when toasted to a light golden brown, resulting in more delicious stir-fried flatbread.
After another four or five seconds, the toasty aroma wafted from the flatbread on the wok again. It was done. Lin Xu picked it up with his bare hand and placed it in a nearby bamboo basket.
"Holy shit, Boss, you truly have a Heartless Iron Hand!"
Ma Zhiqiang had just finished washing the afternoon’s ingredients. As he walked by Lin Xu, he was stunned to see him taking the flatbreads from the wok with his bare hands.
The flatbread’s temperature must have been at least 100 degrees Celsius, yet he was handling it directly.
Wasn’t that a bit terrifying?
Lin Xu smiled and said, "I’m used to it. Besides, tossing it into the nearby basket takes less than half a second, so it won’t cause burns."
With that, he placed another new flatbread onto the hot wok.
Ma Zhiqiang asked, "Boss, are you making these flatbreads to be rolled with vegetables, or are you making flatbread shreds?"
"Flatbread shreds," Lin Xu replied. "We’re having stir-fried flatbread for dinner."
"Oh, I definitely have to try that! It’s been a long ti since I’ve tasted the flavors of my hotown."
As soon as Ma Zhiqiang heard they were making stir-fried flatbread, his cravings were imdiately triggered.
For soone who grew up in North China, the temptation of stir-fried flatbread shreds was irresistible.
He rolled up his sleeves and asked, "Need any help?"
Lin Xu thought for a mont and said, "Could you help roll out the flatbreads? I’m a bit too busy to manage on my own."
Although the stove was on low heat, the inverted wok concentrated the heat, making its temperature higher than expected.
This directly increased the griddling speed. Lin Xu was so busy he didn’t even have ti to roll out more flatbreads.
Ma Zhiqiang agreed. He picked up a dough piece, first kneaded it into a round disc, and then rolled it out with a rolling pin.
Although not a pastry chef, Chef Ma was a professional cook. Furthermore, since the restaurant specialized in handmade noodles, he was no stranger to rolling out flatbreads.
He rolled out one flatbread with the rolling pin and imdiately started on the next.
Lin Xu, anwhile, stood before the stove, dedicated to griddling the flatbreads.
This thod of griddling on the inverted bottom of a wok isn’t very common in China. However, in the clean and hygienic Curry Country, most of their "flying flatbreads" are made this way.
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