in my early 20’s, i wasted way too much time worrying if my interests were cool.

i had just moved to brooklyn, and found myself surrounded by a cluster of late 20-somethings with impeccable style and taste in music, two things i thought i sorely lacked.

i wanted to be quirky. i wanted to be hip. i knew at least, that i didn’t want to be basic.

i began to keep quiet about the things i loved that didn’t align. sweetgreen salads. taylor swift. pumpkin spice.

luckily, i came to my senses over time and adopted a new perspective: who the f*ck cares? i learned to stop prioritizing the potential judgment of others over my own joy.

shamelessly, i still love salad. taylor swift still speaks the words of my soul. and goddammit, when the first signs of autumn hit, i become the biggest sucker for pumpkin spice.

these mooncakes are dedicated to that past self, and to all the joys and comforts that fall brings us. enjoy these with people that make you feel cozy. maybe even with a pumpkin spice latte in hand 😉

notes

• i prefer making 50g mooncakes. you can find pretty inexpensive molds on amazon.
• i’ve tried adding the pumpkin spice to the puree mixture over heat, and found that it’s best to add towards the end. this prevents any spices from burning.
• try to use the dough the same day or within a day. filling can be made the night before and refrigerated.
• i did try to store the dough in the fridge overnight for one batch, and i’d say avoid resting it in the fridge if you can. it’s still workable, but will make the dough be extra crumbly, crackly, and harder to handle. if you must, bringing the dough balls up to room temp first before molding helps.
• the dough recipe is from kristina cho’s honeyed pistachio mooncakes, and the filling is loosely inspired by this easy mooncake recipe from yan cooks food. if the mooncake wrapping and stamping instructions are unclear, please refer to either of the aforementioned instructions!

this is the very first guest post on this blog! charlotte, the author, and i share a long, beautiful friendship over our love and appreciation for food (among many, many other things). we first met in 6th grade in surburban minnesota! her culinary creativity constantly inspires my own. i’ve made this recipe of hers a few times now, devouring most of the batch immediately after making them. without further ado, i’ll let charlotte take it from here. i hope you love these shao bing as much as we do!

– erica

taiwanese shao bing, as told and adapted by charlotte

while versions of this sesame flatbread abound throughout the chinese speaking world, most of my memories of shao bing 燒餅 are from summers spent in taiwan. there, shao bing are often served with a kind of fried cruller— you tiao 油條—sandwiched in between its flaky layers, then dunked in a steaming bowl of freshly pressed soy milk.

when i was younger, we would go to the neighborhood breakfast shop with my Ah Gong and Ah Ma, still shaking off the jet lag of a long international flight, sweating in the heat and humidity of the morning. we’d cram around one of the plastic tables ringed by round metal stools and order from the Lao Ban, watching him sling ladles of rice milk and flip rows of egg crepes at the front of the shop. everywhere the smell of frying dough, steaming xiao long bao, motorcycles, sun-on-asphalt. these little breakfast shops, once ubiquitous in taipei, have mostly given way to western-style cafes and bakeries.

but a few remain, and my family and i make a point to go every year. unable to travel to see family in taiwan this year, we’ve resorted to sighing longingly over old photos of past breakfasts, and occasionally attempting to recreate our favorites.

shao bing is one of my mother’s favorite breakfasts, and my sister and i endeavored to recreate them for mother’s day. i very loosely adapted this recipe from edwina at cooking in chinglish, incorporating sourdough discard rather than using instant yeast.

to serve

eat immediately after baking, for breakfast. we like them split open on the side with a scallion-flecked omelette nestled into the layers, or filled with heaps of fresh alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes and a dash of salt. honestly, they’re also pretty great plain.

serve with some freshly made peanut rice milk for a taste of a classic taiwanese breakfast.

bonus recipe: peanut rice milk

1/4 cup uncooked short grain white rice
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
3 cups water
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

soak white rice 6-8 hours or overnight, then blend with peanuts and water until smooth. heat in a pan, stirring, until the milk begins to bubble and thicken. add sugar, and cook to desired consistency. tastes just as good iced as warm!

makes 2 servings

although my korean food journey began with bowls of stone pot bibimbap in restaurants, i owe the bulk of my learning and appreciation to my korean friends. i have many happy memories of cooking for each other, swapping recipes from our childhoods and stories of our mothers.

those who are fans of my sourdough discard okonomiyaki know i’m a lover of savory pancakes. i’ve adapted this kimchi pancake recipe from maangchi, a true cooking legend. instead of flour and water, sourdough starter discard acts as the primary binder.

the tangy, funky, sourdough discard pairs beautifully with the tangy, funky kimchi. with only 8 ingredients and a 3 minute cook time, these pancakes are super easy, quick, and fun to make.

bonus: they’re vegan! just be sure to grab a vegan kimchi like sinto gourmet or chi kitchen. most store bought brands have seafood of some sort. you can also make it yourself if you’re feeling bold.

notes

the texture of this batter should resemble pancake batter. if it feels runny, add in all purpose flour until it reaches a firmer consistency.

this batter makes enough for two 8″ pancakes. feel free to modify the size of your pancakes! smaller ones will be easier to flip.

lastly, please adjust the recipe to suit your starter’s hydration. i have a stiff starter at 80% hydration. for help, my sourdough hydration math post and calculator explains how to calculate adjustments.

as a quick example, if your starter is 100%, the batter may come out too runny! to adjust, decrease sourdough discard amount to 130 g, and add an additional 20 g of all purpose flour.

years ago on one of my buzzfeed tasty binges, i saw a method of pan frying potstickers i had never seen before. using a cornstarch slurry, the mystery hand effortless created a lacy, crispy, delicious looking “skirt”.

as i recipe tested my dumplings last weekend, a light bulb went off in my head. what if i replaced the cornstarch slurry with watered down sourdough discard?

a few rounds of trial and error later, lo and behold — the crispiest, most delicious addition to a potsticker was born.

for the skeptics out there, do not sleep on this!! it’s absurdly good.

dumpling series

this is the last part of my three part series on sourdough discard dumplings!

• in the first part, i explain my formula and method for making dumpling wrappers using sourdough discard.
• in the second part, i focus on shandong style dumpling wrapping technique (with a vegan filling recipe!), and how i like to pay fry them.
• this part describes my formula and method for adding a pretty, extra crispy skirt on your pan fried dumplings with a sourdough discard slurry.

read them all together to re-create my sourdough dumplings, or mix and match with different techniques or store-bought items.

notes

please adjust the hydration of the slurry based on your sourdough starter.

you can use this crispy skirt recipe and technique with any sort of homemade dumpling. it should even work with store-bought potstickers!

dumpling series

this is the second part of my three part series on sourdough discard dumplings!

• in the first part, i explain my formula and method for making dumpling wrappers using sourdough discard.
• in this part, i focus on shandong style dumpling wrapping technique (with a vegan filling recipe!), and how i like to pay fry them.
• the third part describes my formula and method for adding a pretty, extra crispy skirt on your pan fried dumplings with a sourdough discard slurry.

read them all together to re-create my sourdough dumplings, or mix and match with different techniques or store-bought items.

notes

this guide assumes you are beginning with a set of dumpling wrappers.

after wrapping your dumplings, you can freeze them for 3 months. i put dumplings on a well floured sheet pan and pop them into the freezer until firm before transferring them into a re-usable ziploc like container for longer term freezer storage.

easy vegan filling

shandong style wrapping method

to begin, hold a single wrapper flat in your open-facing left hand.

next, put a spoonful of filling inside the center of the wrapper. this photo shows a generous amount, but i would start off with less filling until you get a hang of it. you may need to pack your filling slightly.

after filling, pinch opposite sides together at the middle with your other hand so it looks kind of like a cannoli.

to close, we start at the left end of the dumpling.

start by tucking the filling in on the left side by poking it lightly inward. then, fold the dough at the tip inward slightly and firmly pinch shut.

continue firmly pinching upwards until you meet the center pinch. the dough can overlap at times but you don’t need to be precise with it.

when shut securely, repeat with the other side! give it an extra squeeze for closure.

when complete, set aside on a well floured surface, and repeat with the rest of your dumplings. freeze or cook them immediately.

pan frying potstickers

to cook, i usually pan fry or boil them. serious eats wrote up a great guide that approximates what my family does for both fresh and frozen homemade dumplings.

on medium to medium-high heat, heat up a thin layer of oil in a non-stick skillet. place as many dumplings as you can fit in sizzling skillet. fry until lightly golden, about 1 minute.

then, pour a thin layer of water, covering the bottom of the skillet. cover the lid immediately and cook for 5 minutes. remove cover and cook until bottoms are golden brown and water is completely evaporated.

dumpling series

this is the first part of my three part series on sourdough discard dumplings!

• in this part, i explain my formula and method for making dumpling wrappers using sourdough discard.
• in the second part, i focus on shandong style dumpling wrapping technique (with a vegan filling recipe!), and how i like to pay fry them.
• the third part describes my formula and method for adding a pretty, extra crispy skirt on your pan fried dumplings with a sourdough discard slurry.

read them all together to re-create my sourdough dumplings, or mix and match with different techniques or store-bought items.

my story

i learned how to make dumplings from generations of women in my family passing down this one tradition.

from a young age my mother made it clear to me that the way we made dumplings was not like other chinese families. first, she said, we made our own wrappers. this skill, she urged, was not one to be overlooked.

thus, my childhood kitchen table became my training ground. me struggling to roll out dumpling wrappers while my palms hurt, mom generously wrapping plump morsels, dad manning the boiling station, brother too young to contribute beyond eating (eventually stepping up into assistant wrapper).

there are many different ways to make “chinese” dumplings. each region has its preferences for wrapping, pleating, filling, and cooking methods.

shandong 山东 style dumplings are known for thicker, chewier dumpling wrappers. they are fat with filling, and don’t care to impress with braided pleating. oftentimes my mother squeezes them shut in a dual cupping pinching motion i have yet to master.

though incorporating sourdough discard into the dumpling dough is far from traditional, it does create a flavor that’s very compatible with the black vinegar sauce and fillings i usually use (cabbage or carrots).

more importantly, i wanted to develop this recipe to bring together two of my most important worlds. i wanted to share this piece of my story with all of you, and share it in an incredibly delicious way.

notes

although the formula is new, this is the process my family has always followed for homemade dumpling wrappers. the rolling method is tricky and will take practice to get used to. i can’t promise that it’s foolproof, but i can promise to try my best in communicating what the women in my family have taught me.

as always, please adjust the water and flour amounts based on the hydration of your starter.

if you have leftover dough, you can use it to make a scallion pancake.

baker’s percentage & basic timetable

the percentages for water and flour only account for the final dough build, and do not include the levain formula build.

the wonderfully talented caroline schiff reminded me recently that that frying up sourdough discard on its own makes for a pretty damn tasty pancake. this, of course, had me dreaming of all the savory pancakes i’ve loved in my life and how to recreate them.

okonomiyaki, a japanese savory pancake made predominantly out of cabbage, is one of my favorites. it’s customizable, crisp, chewy, dangerously easy, disproportionately delicious, and very, very, pretty. i think of it as a relatively healthy conduit to eat a bunch of sauces i always want excuses to eat.

cabbage also happens to be one of the heartiest vegetables and lasts forever (at least in quarantine time), so of course i have an unreasonable amount now stocked up in my apt during this pandemic. wishing i could hop on a plane get myself to japan this spring, but this pancake will have to do.

notes

the toppings i’ve listed are mere suggestions. feel to top with whatever you have on hand, and whatever you find delicious. ketchup or kimchi works just as well as sriracha or chili crisp.

maybe cabbage and carrots aren’t your thing. that’s ok. feel free to throw in other vegetables or scallions in you have on hand that have similar texture to substitute (daikon, broccoli stems, etc.) for a non-traditional, but likely still delicious savory pancake.

other additions: for the non-vegetarians, kenji says you also fry it in some pork belly or bacon, and top with dried bonito flakes. for an eggier pancake, add an additional egg and 50 g additional veggies.

i’ve made these the size of a regular pancake or the traditionally larger size, either works. remember that the larger the pancake, the harder it will be to flip!

growing up, my mother made dumplings from scratch at least once a month. she always purposely made extra dumpling dough, and with the remains, we’d make scallion pancakes, often without the scallions.

a thing to know about my mom: whenever my mom makes anything, she always guesstimates. “eyeballing”, she would say, is the chinese way.

unfortunately, i don’t have my mother’s eyeballs. maybe it’s that i’ve absorbed a more western (?) philosophy, finding mostly comfort and curiousity in the precision of baking. thus, most of my adult life has been a journey to furiously scribble down measurements whenever i can and whenever my mom will let me pull out my tools to take weights or temperatures or to ask more questions than necessary.

the first recipe i managed to write down correctly was one for scallion pancakes. i was 17 and in college and really craving something other than our student center’s tofu teriyaki when i emailed home for some ratios. after some trial and error and tweaking, i finally got a version that had the same texture as my mothers.

this recipe is a sourdough discard adaptation of that original recipe.

notes

i have a stiff starter that’s 80% hydration. please adjust amount of water in final dough to account for your starter’s hydration.

these are pretty traditional scallion pancakes. for a fluffy version characteristic of northern china, check out my leavened, fluffy sourdough discard scallion pancake recipe.

if you read the introductory paragraph, you’ll realize that you can use this dough formula to make dumpling wrappers as well! i’d recommend letting the dough rest for an extra hour or two before cutting and rolling out.

this recipe makes one single-serving pancake. feel free to double and triple as you please.

the shaping technique described in this recipe optimizes for distinct layers. you can also use the roll & snail technique found in my other scallion pancake recipe for a more traditional swirl aesthetic.

bonus non-gluten side salad recipe

i sometimes like to serve this with a traditional cucumber salad. the slight tang from the sourdough with the sourness of the black vinegar is a winning combo in my book. the sauce that sits at the bottom ends up being a great dipping sauce.

slice up one cucumber, mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, throw in a couple good glugs of black vinegar, a sprinkle of salt, and a spoonful of extra crunchy peanut butter (optional). shake or toss or mix until all ingredients combined. drizzle with sesame oil to top, and serve immediately.

baker’s percentage & basic timetable

the percentages for water and flour only account for the final dough build, and do not include the levain formula build.

🧧 happy lunar new year!!! 🧧

this past friday marked the beginning of the two week holiday period known as spring festival 春节, a huge celebration in mainland china to usher in the new year. festivities often include extravagant amounts of delicious food, a lot of quality family time, and even more echos of wishing each other health, happiness, and prosperity.

as a kid, my family used to gather with a few other chinese families in the greater twin cities area for a celebratory potluck dinner, where each family would bring their specialty dish, taking pride in their regional cuisine. raised in northern china where the food is more wheat based (rather than rice), my mom was known for her dumplings and flatbreads.

the apple don’t fall far from the tree i guess.

this recipe is a way to share a piece of my mother’s cooking and pride in our region. i adapted her yeasted scallion pancake 发面葱油饼 (fa mian cong you bing) recipe to use sourdough discard, and fell in love with the result. soft & fluffy on the inside with a perfectly umami laden & crispy exterior, this is a perfect way to get every last bit of leavening power from your sourdough starter discard.

notes

i went through a lot of trial and error with this recipe.

• some variations that were successful: i’ve used discard both at room temp and straight out of the fridge. the water temperature listed in the recipe below is for discard straight out of the fridge. for room temp you can use water 90-95°F.
• some that were less successful: this dough at a lower hydration doesn’t achieve the lightness we want, and the dough at a higher hydration becomes hard to roll out. i’d recommend sticking to 54-56%
• i didn’t test an overnight refrigerated proof at all, but that could be interesting to experiment with.

importantly, i use discard from a stiff levain. please tweak flour and water proportions to accommodate for your levain’s hydration. as an example calculation:

• my starter is 80% hydration with a 5:4:1 ratio of flour to water to starter. this means that 50g of starter is composed of about 28g flour and 22g water (or if you’re real nerdy like me, 50g = x + 0.8x, solve for x)
• if your starter is 100% hydration (1:1:1 ratio), that means that 50g of starter is composed of 25g of flour and 25g of water. so to match the recipe, add 3g more flour and 3g less water. ta-da!

i also wrote a blog post about this math with a few helpful calculator tools!

lastly, if you enjoyed this, i’d so appreciate you taking a second to rate and leave a comment all the way at the bottom. i love hearing feedback and it brings me so much joy to know you’re making this recipe!

baker’s percentage & basic timetable

the percentages for water and flour only account for the final dough build, and do not include the levain formula build.