Description
An airy and soft Vietnamese donut with a crispy sesame seed crust and a hollow interior. Enjoy as is or fill with sweet sticky rice for a tasty sweet treat. This recipe makes 5 large donuts.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose bleached flour
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated white cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 3 cups neutral oil
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until well combined. Add the milk to the dry ingredients. Use a large spoon or a pair of chopsticks to stir until the mixture begins to clump together. Once the mixture has mostly come together, you can start kneading by hand until it forms a smooth, cohesive dough ball. This process takes about 15 minutes by hand.
- Divide and Coat with Sesame Seeds: Divide the dough evenly into 5 portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Roll each dough ball in a bowl of sesame seeds, pressing gently to ensure the seeds stick and the surface is fully coated. Use a rolling pin to flatten each sesame-covered ball into a thin, round disc about 2–3 mm thick (similar to the thickness of two stacked quarters). The discs should be approximately 5 ½ inches wide. The dough should be very flat. The flatter it is, the better the chances of it puffing up properly when it hits the hot oil.
- Deep fry: Heat oil in a wide skillet or wok over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil by dipping a wooden chopstick into it; small bubbles should slowly form around the chopstick. Carefully add one or two dough discs to the hot oil, avoiding splashes. Within 3 to 5 seconds, the dough will puff up. Flip the discs frequently—every few seconds using a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a large utensil like a slotted spoon or spatula in the other hand. Each bánh tiêu takes about 1 minute and 30 seconds to fry completely. Remove from oil and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat until all discs are fried. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy warm.
Notes
If the dough isn’t coming together, add milk one teaspoon at a time, kneading after each addition, until it holds together.
A hand mixer can speed up the process and is more effective for this quantity. A stand mixer with a hook attachment may not work well for this recipe due to the small amount of dough.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese