Xi'an crumbled bread in lamb soup

Soak the lamb meat and bones in clean water in the fridge overnight to moderate the pungency.

Put the meat and bones in a clean pot of water and bring to a simmer on high, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes.

Make a spice pack of fennel seed, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, dried red chilies, ginger and scallions.

Drop the heat to low and skim the foamy scum off with a fine sieve, then add the spices.

Cover and simmer one hour.

Take the meat out before it falls apart and chill it in the fridge a few hours; simmer the bones another hour.

Dissolve the alkaline powder in the water and combine with the 450 g of flour; pre-mix with a spatula.

Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand, or 10 minutes on low with the dough hook, until smooth and elastic, then cover and rest one hour.

Dissolve the instant yeast in the 25 g of water, mix into the 45 g of flour, form a small ball, cover and proof one hour.

Combine the two doughs on low for 10 minutes, stopping to redistribute, so the bread is only slightly leavened.

Divide into 8 even pieces, knead each into a smooth ball, cover and rest 10 minutes.

Roll each out to 5 to 6 inches across, resting another 10 minutes if it fights back.

Toast in a cast iron skillet over medium, spinning the bread, 2 to 3 minutes a side until charred marks appear; slight undercooking is fine.

Cover the breads with a lightly damp towel to cool.

Soak the wood ear mushrooms, dried lily and mung bean noodles one hour until rehydrated, then drain.

Slice the chilled lamb thinly; strain the finished broth and pick the meat off the shank.

Tear the bread into soybean-sized pieces by hand -- torn edges catch more broth than cut ones.

Build one portion: sliced lamb, a handful of mung bean noodles, wood ear and dried lily.

Boil two cups of broth in the wok, add the whole bowl of ingredients, cook a few minutes and salt to taste.

Pour into a serving bowl, lay the meat on top, serve the sweet preserved garlic alongside and finish with scallion, cilantro and chili paste.