Youtiao, Chinese Doughnuts, Fried Breadsticks Recipe

Youtiao is also known as Chinese doughnuts or fried breadsticks.

There’s an interesting legend behind Youtiao. History has it that Qin Hui and Lady Wang are the most hated husband and wife during the Song Dynasty. They conspired with foreign invaders against China’s greatest general, Yue Fei.

People hate wicked Mr. And Mrs. Qin so much, that they make voodoo dough into a pair, and deep-fry them.

Shen Yun Performing Arts has great articles about General, Yue Fei, and the wicked Mr. and Mrs. Qin. I find them to be very interesting, and I think you will like them too.

Youtiao Recipe

Serve 6 to 8 pieces
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rest Time: overnight, and 2 hours and 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

For the dough:
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder (aluminum-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup (177 ml) cold milk (it depends on the humidity level, so try between ½ to ¾ cup)
1 tablespoon oil

Others:
4 cups oil, for frying
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting

Instruction

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Lightly mix. Add in the egg, and 1 tablespoon of oil, and lightly mix again. Pour in the milk, and mix until everything is combined. Then knead until it becomes a dough, about 3 minutes. Cover up with a plastic wrap. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Knead again until smooth, 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough into a large Ziploc bag. Rest in the fridge for overnight.
4. The next day, take out the dough and leave it at room temperature for 2 hours.
5. On your working surface, dust a layer of all-purpose flour on it.
6. Place it on the working surface. First, fold it. Then pat and roll it into a rectangle: ½ inch thick, 4 inches wide, and 14 to 16 inches long.
7. Cut the dough into 1-inch strips.
8. Dip a chopstick in water. And tap it in the center of each strip. (To make sure the center will glue together nicely.)
9. Dust the side of the strips with flour. (So the sides won’t stick together.)
10. Place the strips together in pairs, with one on top of each other. Use a chopstick to press a line through the center of each pair of strips. Lightly stretch each pair to about 8 inches long.
11. In a large pot, add 4 cups of oil, over medium heat, and heat it to 375 degrees F. Transfer the dough to the oil, deep fry until golden brown and puffy, and constantly turn for about 3 minutes.
12. Do the same with the rest.