A Hui-Muslim breakfast bread that became a shared staple across Xinjiang, common at the morning tea stalls of Urumqi and the Ili valley. The dough is rolled paper-thin, brushed with rendered mutton fat, coiled into a small tower and steamed — the name 'youtazi' means 'oil pagoda.' It is usually eaten with a bowl of fensoup (粉汤) or milk tea. The rolled-and-steamed layering puts it in the broader Central Asian family of laminated breads carried along the Silk Road.
Caravan-era Tarim and Turpan breakfast bread, oil-rich and dense enough to fuel a desert day. The leafy interior depends on a cold fat layer between thin sheets — hot oil flashes the fat to vapor and steam pries the leaves apart.
A white, glossy little tower the size of a palm, lifted hot so the leaves pull apart clean. The paper-thin dough has been brushed with rendered mutton fat between every layer, so the interior is soft, oily and distinct without being greasy. Eaten plain with milk tea, or torn into chunks and dropped into the morning bowl of fensoup. Youtazi is a same-morning food — left to cool, it stiffens and turns leathery within the hour.
The layers depend on fat separating sheets of dough: the dough is rolled paper-thin, brushed with rendered fat-tail sheep fat (plus a little salt and pepper), rolled up, coiled into a tower and steamed. The steam opens and moistens each fat-lined sheet, so the cooked interior separates into soft, distinct leaves. Rendered tail fat is prized because it stays thick and clingy through the coiling rather than running off; in warm weather a little softer caul fat or plain oil is blended in. The dough must be rested before coiling, or the layers fuse and will not pull apart.
Variations
The standard version brushes rendered fat-tail sheep fat between the layers; in the Ili valley, Uyghur cooks work grated carrot into the dough for the orange 'saiwizi' youtazi; the Central Asian qatlama is rolled thinner and coiled into a flat spiral, while Tajik fatir uses milk-rich dough and is oven-baked rather than steamed.
On the Palate
Where Youtazi sits in the Uyghur flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 45 min active + 1 hour waiting
- 115 min
In a large bowl, mix flour, water, and yeast until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when pressed lightly.
Watch outEnsure the dough is not sticky; add a little more flour if necessary.
- 20 min
Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
- 310 min
Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with oil and sprinkle evenly with chopped green onions. Roll up the dough tightly from one long side to form a log.
Watch outMake sure the dough is rolled out evenly to ensure even cooking.
- 45 min
Cut the log into even pieces and stack them to create a multi-layer effect. Flatten each piece slightly with your hand.
- 515 min
Steam the dough pieces over boiling water for 15 minutes until they are fluffy and cooked through. The aroma of fresh bread should fill the air.
Watch outEnsure the water is boiling before adding the dough to prevent sogginess.
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