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Jiaoquan
Jiāoquān (焦圈): Beijing crisp fried dough rings
Jiaoquan are the thin, shatteringly crisp fried rings that old Beijingers dunk into a bowl of sour douzhi, or tuck inside a sesame shaobing for breakfast. Street cooks use alum to make them puff; this home version uses baking powder and soda, with a long rest so the dough becomes stretchy. The mistake is cutting the rest short: tight dough will not stretch thin and the rings come out chewy. The dough needs about 3 hours in total, most of it hands-off. Chef's tip: keep the oil steady at about 170 °C and turn the rings constantly with chopsticks; they should stay pale gold, not brown, and sound hollow when tapped.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup waterlukewarm
- 1 tbsp neutral oilplus extra for brushing
- 1 litre neutral oilfor deep frying
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp salt, add ¾ cup water and knead into a soft, sticky dough. Rest covered for 20 minutes, then knead in 1 tbsp neutral oil for 3 minutes until smooth.
5 minStep 2: Brush the dough with oil, cover and rest at room temperature for 2½–3 hours, folding it over on itself twice during that time. It should feel soft and very stretchy.
Step 3: On an oiled board, press the dough into a 1 cm thick strip and cut into 3 cm pieces. Stack two pieces, press a chopstick down the middle, then cut a slit through the centre.
Step 4: Heat 1 litre neutral oil to 350°F. Stretch each stack into a long oval about 15 cm, slip it in, and immediately open the slit with chopsticks into a ring.
2 minStep 5: Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning constantly, until pale golden and crisp all over. Drain upright on a rack. Fry in batches and eat the same day.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jiaoquan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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