Xiting-Style Sesame Layered Crackers

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Medium

Thin crisp rounds made with a water dough wrapped around an oil dough, folded to make many flaky layers and topped with sesame. This is our home adaptation of a craft that local bakers do by hand. Makes 18 crackers in about 1 hr 55 min.

Prep 25 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 1 hr 55 min

Yield 18 crackers

Diet Dairy free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

crackers

1 ¼ cups (150 g)all-purpose flour, for the water dough
5 tbsp (70 ml)water, warm
1 ½ tbsp (20 ml)neutral oil, for the water dough
2 ½ tbsp (30 g)sugar
¼ tsp (2 g)salt
¾ cup (100 g)all-purpose flour, for the oil dough
3 ½ tbsp (55 ml)neutral oil, for the oil dough
1 tbsp (20 g)honey, thinned with 1 teaspoon water
3 ½ tbsp (30 g)white sesame seeds

Fresh ingredient guides

Sesame seedsHow to pick, season & nutrition · 172 kcal per 30 g

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Mix the water dough ingredients and knead 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Stir the oil dough ingredients into a firm, smooth paste.
Roll the water dough into a 10 x 14 inch (25 x 35 cm) rectangle. Spread the oil paste over it, leaving a half inch border.
Fold in thirds like a letter, roll out again to the same size, and fold in thirds a second time. Rest 20 minutes.
Roll to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut into 18 rounds with a 2.5 inch (6 cm) cutter, gathering and re-rolling scraps once.
Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Place the rounds on a lined sheet, brush with the thinned honey and press on sesame.
Bake 22 to 25 minutes, turning the sheet halfway, until golden and crisp.
Cool completely on a rack; they crisp as they cool.

Tips

Keep the oil paste and dough about the same stiffness so they roll together evenly.
A thin, even roll gives the thin layers; thick dough bakes up tough.
Add a pinch of five-spice to the sesame for a fragrant variation.
Good with jasmine tea.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make xiting-style sesame layered crackers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes 18 crackers.

How should I store xiting-style sesame layered crackers?

Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Can I make xiting-style sesame layered crackers ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Xiting crackers are a handmade, layered, crisp biscuit from the town of Xiting in Nantong, Jiangsu, baked in a stove. Serve it with jasmine tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 18 servings this recipe makes.

133 Calories / serving

10.3g Fat

9.3g Carbs

1.1g Protein

2.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (18 servings): ~2394 cal · 185g fat · 167g carbs · 20g protein · 47g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.