Youtiao: Puffed Chinese Fried Dough Sticks

What you need

• 310 g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 3/4 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 230 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 l (4 cups) frying oil, neutral, such as peanut or vegetable

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a large bowl so the leaveners are evenly spread.

2. 2

   Pour in the milk and the vegetable oil and stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

3. 3

   Knead by hand until smooth and soft, 3-5 min. Cover and rest for 30 min.

4. 4

   Halve the dough. On a lightly floured board, roll each half into a long rectangle about 8 mm thick and 10 cm wide.

5. 5

   Coat both faces with a thin film of vegetable oil. Cover and leave for a further 30 min.

6. 6

   Cut the dough across into strips about 3 cm wide.

7. 7

   Stack the strips in pairs. Press a chopstick firmly down the middle of each pair so the two layers bond.

8. 8

   Heat the frying oil in a wok or deep pot to 180 °C (350 °F).

9. 9

   Pick up a pair by both ends, stretch it gently to about twice its length and lower it into the oil.

10. 10

    Fry 2-3 sticks at a time, turning them constantly with chopsticks, until puffed to several times their size and evenly golden, 1-2 min.

11. 11

    Drain on a rack and serve warm, with soy milk or congee for dipping.

Imported from cookist.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.