Lijiang Baba

Ingredients

• 350 g plain flour, for the dough
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 200 ml warm water
• 60 g lard or softened butter
• 40 g plain flour, for the lard paste
• 60 g dark brown sugar
• 40 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp rose petal jam
• 80 g Yunnan cured ham, finely diced
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 60 ml vegetable oil, for frying

Before you cook

• Mix 350 grams of flour with the baking powder, salt and warm water into a soft dough.
• Knead the dough for 8 minutes until it is smooth and slightly tacky.
• Cover the dough and rest it for 25 minutes.
• Beat the lard with the remaining 40 grams of flour into a smooth spreadable paste.
• Mix the brown sugar, chopped walnuts and rose petal jam in one small bowl for the sweet filling.
• Mix the diced ham and sliced spring onion in a second bowl for the savoury filling.

Steps

1. Divide the rested dough into four pieces.
2. Roll one piece into a thin rectangle about 30 by 20 centimetres.
3. Spread a quarter of the lard paste across the whole surface, right to the edges.
4. Scatter a quarter of your chosen filling over the paste.
5. Roll the rectangle up tightly from the long side into a rope.
6. Coil the rope into a flat spiral and tuck the end underneath.
7. Press the spiral down and roll it into a disc about 15 centimetres across and 1 centimetre thick.
8. Shape the remaining three breads the same way.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat.
10. Fry one bread for 5 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp.
11. Turn the bread and fry the second side for 5 minutes.
12. Stand the bread on its edge and roll it around the pan for 1 minute to crisp the rim.
13. Fry the remaining breads the same way, adding more oil for each.
14. Cut each bread into quarters and serve hot, so the layers are still separate.