Youtiao (Chinese Fried Dough Sticks) Recipe
A method for making Chinese-style breakfast youtiao, using a low-temperature cold fermentation process.
Ingredients
flour
3500 g
salt
20-24 g
baking powder
20-24 g
water
2500 g
oil (for kneading)
25 g
ammonium bicarbonate (optional)
5 g
cooking oil (for frying)
to taste
dry flour (for dusting board and dough to prevent sticking)
to taste
Instructions
1
Mixing and kneading the dough
Weigh out 3500 g of flour into a bowl according to the formula. Add the salt and baking powder, then sift the flour back and forth twice. Dig a well in the center. Dissolve the ammonium bicarbonate in water and pour it into the well. Fold the flour inward to mix and form a dough. Once combined, press the dough flakes downward with your fist, pressing down in order three passes. Then pour in about 25 g of oil and let the dough completely release from the bowl, folding from the top and bottom while pressing—press down three passes. Knead into one large dough ball. After kneading, let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. Then move the dough to a wooden board, give it a brief knead, and shape it into a pillow-shaped block. Place it inside a plastic bag and wrap the dough tightly with the bag (if it is not wrapped tightly, the dough will ferment too much and be difficult to handle the next day).
2
Proofing (cold fermentation)
Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator to cold-ferment for at least 8 hours.
3
Frying
The next morning, first pour an appropriate amount of cooking oil into a deep fryer and preheat it to 200-210°C. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and unwrap the plastic bag. Sprinkle a layer of dry flour on top of the dough, and also sprinkle the board with dry flour, so that all four sides of the dough are coated. Press the dough flat by hand, stretch it out, and use a rolling pin to roll it into a sheet about 15-18 cm wide. Cut the sheet vertically into strips about 2-4 cm wide with a knife. Use a brush to remove excess flour from the surface. Fill a bottle with water, dip a wire or chopstick into the water, and brush water down the middle of every other strip. Then fold the un-watered strip over the watered strip. Press firmly along the centerline with the wire, brush off excess flour from the surface, and grab both ends of the youtiao blank with both hands. Stretch it slightly and lower it into the preheated oil. Once the youtiao floats up, use long chopsticks to flip it back and forth for even heating until it turns golden yellow, then lift it out of the oil.
4
Finished product
The youtiao can be sold by the piece or by weight.
