Youtiao Twin Dough Sticks with Warm Soy Milk
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Crisp, hollow Chinese twin dough sticks served with a bowl of warm soy milk for dipping.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Mix. Whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt in the bowl. Beat the egg with the cold water and oil, pour it in and stir to a rough dough.
- 2
Knead. Knead for 3 min, cover and leave for 15 min, then knead for 2 min more until the dough is smooth and soft.
- 3
Rest. Shape it into a flat log of about 20 cm, rub it with a little oil, wrap it well and chill for 12-24 h. Take it out of the fridge 1 h before frying.
- 4
Cut and pair. Roll the dough on a lightly oiled surface into a strip 10 cm wide and 6 mm thick. Cut it into 16 strips 2.5 cm wide, lay them on top of each other in pairs and press a chopstick down firmly along the centre of each pair.
- 5
Heat the oil. Fill the wok with oil to about 5 cm, no more than half full, and heat it to 200 °C.
- 6
Fry. Hold a pair by both ends, gently stretch it to about 25 cm and lower it into the oil. Keep turning it for 1.5-2 min at 190-200 °C, until it puffs to twice its size and turns deep golden and crisp. Drain on the rack and fry the rest one or two at a time.
- 7
Serve. Warm the soy milk with the sugar until steaming. Serve it in bowls with the hot sticks for dipping.
Storage
Best eaten within an hour. Re-crisp leftovers in a 200 °C oven for 4-5 min. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 1.4 g saturated fat per 100 g, 4.3% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 4 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 223 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
7.5 g per serving
15 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 30 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large bowl
- cling film or a lidded container
- rolling pin
- sharp knife
- chopstick
- wok or wide heavy pan, at least 28 cm
- deep-frying or probe thermometer
- long chopsticks or tongs
- wire rack over a tray lined with kitchen paper
- small saucepan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 667 kcal |
| Protein | 16.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 70.1 g |
| of which sugars | 8.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.5 g |
| Fat | 35.6 g |
| of which saturates | 3.2 g |
| Fibre | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 2.31 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
