Chinese Doughnut Sticks(Youtiao)
Chinese Doughnut Sticks are long, hollow, ancient fried snacks from China. They are a common breakfast item in our daily lives, found in almost every city. The golden outer crust is exceptionally crispy when bitten into, with a satisfying chewiness, and a uniquely delicious flavor.

INGREDIENTS
- 400g of all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the ingredients.
In a bowl, combine 400 grams of flour, 20 grams of oil, 1 egg, 10 grams of salt, 5 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of yeast powder. Gradually add warm water while kneading until the mixture forms a soft dough.
Tip:
Warm water aids yeast fermentation, but the temperature should not be too high to avoid killing the yeast. Add water slowly in small increments, mixing continuously, until the flour forms a smooth and soft dough.
Use the punching and folding technique repeatedly until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch.
Place the kneaded dough in a bowl and let it ferment for 30 minutes.
Tip:
During fermentation, the dough will gradually rise due to the action of yeast, causing it to expand. When the dough noticeably increases in volume, it indicates it has fermented well. Additionally, during fermentation, the dough surface will become smooth. Lightly press the dough with your finger; if it springs back noticeably, it means the dough has developed internal gases and has fermented sufficiently.
After fermenting the dough, take it out and knead it to release the gas. The longer you knead it at this stage, the better the texture will be.
After kneading the dough well, flatten it into a sheet and use a knife to cut it into strips.
After cutting the strips, place two strips together and press them lightly with chopsticks.
Heat 500 grams of oil in a pot until it reaches about 60-70% hot (around 180°C). Carefully add the prepared dough strips and fry them over medium to low heat.
During the frying process, use chopsticks to gently turn so that the fritters are evenly heated. When the fritters are golden brown, use a colander to remove and control the oil. Repeat the steps for the fritters to finish frying all the fritters.