Revenge is a dish that is best served deep-fried. I’m pretty sure that’s how the Klingon proverb goes, and right it is. This is the most delicious ongoing corporal punishment I’ve ever tasted. Sampling these for the first time, Mrs. Pastry wanted to know how I got them to taste so, well…Chinese…when they’re really just simple fried strips of dough. I can’t say I know the answer, but somehow they do.
READ ONThis another instance where yeast is supplemented with chemical leavening for a little extra…oomph. Interestingly it’s in Chinese formulas that I see this the most. Typically youtiao recipes call for baking soda, but I’m going to use baking powder because a.) I don’t have an acid reactant in this dough — oddly, many recipes don’t — and b.) I don’t want to lose my chemical pop before I get them all fried, and wet baking soda reacts faster than wet baking powder.
8.5 ounces ( 1 2/3 cups) bread flour
8.5 ounces (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) cup warm water
peanut, canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying