Chapter 124: Chapter 123: The Magical Half-Scalded Dough Technique

"A business partnership?"

Robert’s eyes filled with deep confusion as he answered the call from his superior.

He wondered why they were asking him about something like this. He only hosted the show. Besides, after thirteen seasons, he’d never heard of it having any derivative commercial value. Where would a business partnership even come from?

As he listened to his boss ramble on, Robert’s expression grew increasingly strange.

The moment he hung up, he noticed the curious gazes of everyone in the room fixed on him.

"Boss, what business partnership?"

"I have a feeling it’s about Lin. He’s the only one with that much hype, after all."

"It is," he said, nodding. He still couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard.

"A restaurant on an island near Vancouver called. They said their business is booming because they’ve been replicating the food Lin makes in the wild. They want us to ask Lin if they can continue selling it, and they’re even hoping to partner with him."

"The call made the people at the TV station smell an opportunity. They held a quick meeting and decided there really is commercial potential. So, they want us to discuss it with Lin during the next routine physical."

"A restaurant??"

No one had expected this kind of development.

"I thought it would be for some merchandise, like animal pendants or refrigerator magnets."

"Yeah, when you think of merchandise, that’s pretty much all that comes to mind."

"I can’t believe a restaurant would actually be willing to replicate dishes made in the wild. Sure, the food Lin makes is delicious under these conditions, but it can’t possibly compare to what a fully-stocked restaurant kitchen can produce."

"It’s probably just that too many curious viewers saw the show, heard there was a place where they could try the same dishes, and all flocked there to check it out."

"But how would a partnership like that even work? Would Lin have to explain the steps for making the dishes in more detail for the camera?"

"But then other restaurants could just copy it too, right? A lot of people could even make it at home. You can’t guarantee any commercial value that way."

The staff members chattered away, discussing it heatedly, but Robert had no intention of thinking too hard about it.

’What do I care about some business partnership? It’s not like they’ll give me a cut. None of my damn business.’

’Still, after the show ends, I could go check out that restaurant. See how similar it actually tastes to Lin’s cooking.’

’Oh, right, and I have to visit Lin’s food truck, too. I want to taste what the complete version of a Great Xia dish is really like.’

... 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Time passed, and evening approached.

The sun, hidden behind the clouds, was slowly setting, but there was still no sign of Connor.

Lin Chen couldn’t be bothered to wait for him any longer and began preparing the main event for the day.

He started by melting some snow in two separate pans. He brought one to a boil and then placed it outside in the snow to cool down quickly. The other, he poured directly into a bowl of salted flour.

Before pouring the boiling water, he drew a line through the flour to divide it. He only scalded one half, stirring rapidly with chopsticks as he poured to ensure the flour in that section was cooked evenly.

Next, he poured the cold water into the other half of the flour and mixed it well. Finally, he combined the two types of dough crumbles and kneaded them together into a smooth ball.

"What kind of method is this? It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of making dough with boiling water."

Andre had completely thrown in the towel by now, no longer hiding the fact that he was clueless about cooking. He just kept asking questions.

"Many countries have a method like this, though it’s probably more common in bakeries or pizzerias."

Lin Chen placed the smooth dough into a stockpot, covered it with a lid, and set it near the fire to keep it warm. He also spread a layer of water over its surface to keep it from drying out.

"Dough made with cold water has more gluten, giving it a chewier, firmer texture. On the other hand, using water above seventy degrees Celsius scalds the proteins in the flour, making the dough softer and more extensible."

"Both methods have their own benefits and are suited for different products. If you combine them, the resulting dough takes on the characteristics of both. It’s not too soft, not too firm, has good extensibility, and still retains a pleasant chewiness."

"That sounds amazing. I had no idea there were so many intricacies to making bread. So what are you making now?"

"An oil paste," Lin Chen said, melting some bear fat and mixing it with flour to form a paste. "You’ve had an egg tart, right? That uses a flaky pastry, which is made by rolling dough and butter into thin sheets, then repeatedly folding and rolling them out."

"This oil paste serves a similar purpose. It’s mainly used to make products that are supposed to be flaky. The final flakiness of the product will differ depending on the technique used."

He set the oil paste aside to keep it warm, then took the lamb leg that he had cooked at noon and sliced it thinly. He also diced some green and red bell peppers and minced some garlic.

The green and red peppers the production team got for him weren’t particularly spicy. They were a long, wrinkled variety perfect for stir-frying dishes like shredded pork with green peppers or other quick-fried meat dishes.

He scraped two spoonfuls of congealed fat from the surface of the lamb broth and melted it. Once the fat was hot, he stir-fried the minced garlic and peppers until fragrant, then added the sliced lamb leg for a quick toss.

The lamb was already cooked, so it didn’t need to be stir-fried for long—just enough for it to absorb the flavors of the seasonings.

After about ten seconds of stir-frying, he drizzled a circle of light soy sauce along the edge of the pan. The high heat of the pan wall instantly evaporated the raw bean smell of the soy sauce and further concentrated the sauce.

Finally, he sprinkled in some cumin and chili powder, gave it a few more tosses, and the filling was done.

He took out the dough that had been resting for a while and divided it into four portions, each weighing around eighty grams.

’There’s no kitchen scale out here, so I can only divide it by feel. It’s all for us to eat anyway, so it doesn’t need to be that precise.’

He rolled each portion of dough into a ball and then flattened it into a wrapper, thick in the center and thin around the edges. He spread a layer of the oil paste in the middle, then gathered the edges and sealed it like a steamed bun. He pinched the seal tight, flattened it, and rolled it out again into an oval shape.

He coated the pan with a thin layer of oil and laid the four flatbreads inside to cook.

To ensure they cooked evenly, he covered the pan with the stockpot lid, its transparent surface allowing him to clearly observe the changes in the dough.

"When you’re pan-frying dough like this, the temperature can’t be too high. If it is, the outside will burn easily while the inside is still raw. It’s best to cook it slowly over medium heat."

Andre wouldn’t understand any of this, much less be able to do it. Lin Chen was really saying it for the audience.

"Hamburger buns... fried in a pan?"

Andre scratched the back of his head in confusion. His brain felt a little itchy.

’As far as I know, bread is supposed to be baked in an oven, right?’

Lin Chen ignored him, quietly observing the state of the flatbreads in the pan.

When the bottom edges began to turn slightly golden, he lifted the lid, quickly flipped them over, and covered the pan again.

The newly revealed side was dotted with a dense constellation of golden-brown spots, and the rising steam was filled with the rich aroma of wheat.

Just smelling it made Andre swallow involuntarily.

’I don’t know what kind of hamburger this is going to be, but from the looks of it, it’s definitely going to taste amazing!’

As he began to fantasize about what shape the hamburger would take, the dough in the pan slowly began to puff up.