P
Chinese
Hua Juan (花卷) — Scallion and Sesame Flower Rolls
Hua juan (花卷, literally flower rolls) are yeasted steamed rolls made by rolling a thin sheet of dough with an oil, salt, and scallion (or sesame paste) filling, cutting into strips, stacking two strips together and twisting to create the characteristic rolled, layered flower shape. They are softer and more aromatic than mantou and are served alongside braised dishes, soups, and hot pots throughout northern China. The twisted shape creates pockets of filling between the dough layers, visible when the roll is pulled apart.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the dough
500 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
7 g
instant yeast
Your own market
20 g
sugar
Your own market
260–270 ml
warm water
Your own market
For the scallion-and-oil filling
30 ml
sesame oil or neutral oil
for brushing the rolled sheet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4
scallions (spring onions)
finely chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
scattered evenly
Your own market
For the sesame-paste filling (alternative)
60 g
sesame paste (zhima jiang)
diluted to spreading consistency with a little sesame oil or water
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
scattered evenly
Your own market
1 tsp
black sesame seeds
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Combine the flour, instant yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Add 260–270 ml warm water gradually, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out and knead until the surface is smooth and the dough springs back when pressed — roughly 8–10 minutes by hand. Return to the bowl, cover, and rest for 1 hour. The dough is ready when it has doubled in volume and a finger pressed into it leaves a hole that does not spring back.
2
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a thin rectangle of approximately 30 × 40 cm. For the scallion-and-oil version, brush the entire surface evenly with sesame oil or neutral oil, then scatter the finely chopped scallion and salt across it. For the sesame-paste version, spread the diluted sesame paste evenly, then scatter salt and black sesame seeds. The filling must reach edge to edge. The sheet is ready when the surface looks uniformly glossy and aromatic.
3
Fold the rectangle into thirds as one would fold a letter: bring the bottom third up, then fold the top third down over it. Cut the folded block into strips approximately 3 cm wide. Each cut should reveal clean, distinct layers of dough and filling.
4
Stack two strips together with their filling layers facing in the same direction. This is where the dish lives or dies: press a chopstick firmly down the full length of the centre of the stacked strips, compressing the layers together so they will hold their shape through twisting and steaming. Hold the two ends and twist them in opposite directions. Stretch the roll slightly, then fold the ends underneath to form a compact oval. A well-shaped roll holds its twist without unwinding and shows the layered cross-section clearly at each end.
5
Place the shaped rolls on squares of parchment paper in a steamer basket, spaced to allow expansion. Rest for 15–20 minutes. The rolls are proofed when they appear visibly puffed and feel slightly lighter and airier to the touch.
6
Bring the steaming water to a full, rolling boil before loading the basket. Steam over boiling water for 12–15 minutes with the lid firmly on. Do not lift the lid during steaming. At the end of steaming, turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 2 minutes before opening. The rolls are done when the surface is smooth, dry to the eye, and springs back immediately when pressed — no raw dough give at the centre.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Dough made with high-protein Chinese bread flour (富强粉, fuqiang fen), hand-kneaded; filling of freshly rendered lard in place of oil — the classical northern preparation — with freshly harvested scallion and flaked sea salt.
02
Estate — Plain flour of consistent protein content; cold-pressed sesame oil for the scallion version; stone-ground sesame paste diluted with sesame oil for the sesame-paste version; fine sea salt throughout.
03
Market — Standard supermarket plain flour; commercially bottled sesame oil; shop-bought sesame paste; table salt. Results are fully satisfactory when the shaping step is executed with care.
04
House — Any plain flour to hand; neutral vegetable oil in place of sesame oil; sesame paste omitted in favour of a doubled scallion-and-oil filling. The flower shape and steamed texture remain; aroma is reduced.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Risen dough holds a finger-press without springing back — proof is complete.
◇Sight. Rolled sheet is uniformly thin; filling covers edge to edge with no bare patches.
◇Sight. Stacked strips show distinct, clean layers of dough and filling at each cut edge.
◇Touch. Proofed rolls feel noticeably lighter and airier than when first shaped.
◇Touch. Steamed rolls spring back immediately under a fingertip; no soft or doughy give at the centre.
◇Where it lives or dies. The chopstick press along the centre of the stacked strips is the decisive act: too light and the layers separate in the steamer; too rough and the roll tears rather than twists.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
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