Youtiao

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 260 mlwarm water
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 1 tspsalt
• 1egg, optional
• 2 tbspoil

To fry

• oil, for deep frying, at least 8 cm deep

To serve

• hot soy milk, doujiang
• congee
• wrapped in a rice roll, as cifantuan

Equipment

• a large deep pan
• chopsticks
• a rolling pin

Directions

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt, then add the water, egg and oil. Bring it together into a soft, sticky dough without kneading it properly. Do not knead it hard.
2. Repeat that three or four times over an hour. Folding with rests, rather than continuous kneading, develops just enough structure while keeping the dough extensible, which is what lets it stretch and puff.
3. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours, and overnight is standard. That long cold rest relaxes the dough completely so it can be stretched without springing back, and it is not optional. Let it come to room temperature for an hour before using. Roll or press the dough into a long strip about 8 cm wide and 1 cm thick, on a well-oiled surface.
4. Use oil rather than flour on the surface, since flour dries the dough and stops the pairs sticking together. Cut the strip into pieces about 2 cm wide. Press hard enough to join them but not to cut through. Now the stretching, done as they go into the oil.
5. Pick up a pair by both ends and stretch it gently to about twice its length. Stretching it as it goes in is what makes youtiao long and thin, and dropping in an unstretched piece gives a short fat one.
6. Use deep oil so they can float and turn freely. Keep them moving from the moment they go in. Fry for about 2 minutes until deep golden and hollow. They should be light for their size and sound hollow when tapped. Drain them on a rack rather than paper.
7. Serve them immediately, while hot. They soften within twenty minutes, which is exactly why they are fried continuously through the morning at breakfast stalls and never made ahead. Tear them into lengths and dunk them in hot sweet or savoury soy milk, or into congee. Leftovers can be refreshed briefly in a hot oven, though they are never as good.

Technique

• Alum was traditional and its use in food was restricted in China from 2014.
• The paired shape comes from the Qin Hui folklore.
• They soften quickly and are fried to order at breakfast stalls.

Substitutions

• Ammonium bicarbonate alongside the baking powder, which gives extra lift.
• Shop-bought frozen youtiao, which are sold in Asian supermarkets.

Variations

• Wrapped in a rice roll as cifantuan.
• Served with bak kut teh, as in Malaysia.
• Torn into congee.

History

Folklore ties the paired dough sticks to Song traitor Qin Hui and his wife, symbolically fried together by an angry Hangzhou public.

Frequently asked questions

What is Youtiao?

Youtiao is a breakfast from China: airy deep-fried dough sticks dunked in soy milk or congee. Folklore ties the paired dough sticks to Song traitor Qin Hui and his wife, symbolically fried together by an angry Hangzhou public.

How long does Youtiao take to make?

Youtiao takes 20 min plus 8 hr resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 pairs. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Youtiao?

Yes, within limits. Ammonium bicarbonate alongside the baking powder, which gives extra lift. Shop-bought frozen youtiao, which are sold in Asian supermarkets.

What is the most important thing to get right in Youtiao?

Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt, then add the water, egg and oil. Bring it together into a soft, sticky dough without kneading it properly. Do not knead it hard.