Korean Twisted Doughnuts (Kkwabaegi)

Kkwabaegi (꽈배기 or Korean twisted donuts) are a popular street snack in South Korea. They are known for their soft, airy texture and great taste!

These donuts are made from a simple yeast dough, deep fried and topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar (sometimes cinnamon). The cooking method is quite simple, but you will need a lot of time to prepare the dough.

If you want to try real Korean street food at home or are looking for a new interesting baking recipe, this is for you! By the way, I've already made another Korean street food dish - Egg Drop Sandwich. I highly recommend checking it out!

P.s. You can see the same step-by-step recipe with more photos and video on my website yumchief.com or YouTube channel. I'd be happy if you check it out and leave a like and comment! It will help me a lot, thank you! ❤️

Supplies

Ingredients

Flour — 360 g
Milk — 240 ml
Egg — 1 pcs
Dry yeast — 7 g
Butter — 25 g
Sugar — 35 g
Salt — ½ tsp
Frying oil — 650 ml

Mix 3 tbsp of sugar (35 grams), 1 packet of dry yeast (2&1/4 teaspoons or 7 grams) and 2 fl oz of warm milk (50 ml). Mix until there are no lumps and the sugar is completely dissolved. Then leave the yeast to proof for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and the egg at room temperature. Pour in the swollen yeast and the remaining 6-7 fl oz (190 ml) of room temperature milk and mix well.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Take a spatula and knead the dough until smooth (this will take a few minutes). The dough should be sticky.

Cover the bowl of dough with cling film and a towel and leave in a warm place for 1.5 hours.

After 1.5 hours, the dough should have doubled in size. Dust your hands and the dough with a little flour and knead again (this time with your hands). Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for another 30-40 minutes. After this time, the dough should double in size.

After 40 minutes, sprinkle flour on the work surface, place the dough on it and knead it vigorously for 5-7 minutes. The dough should become homogeneous and sticky.

Roll the dough into a ball and divide it into 16 pieces (I had about 42 grams / 1.7 oz each). Roll each piece into a ball and place under a damp towel.

This is the most important step.

Take a ball of dough and start rolling it with your hands from the center to the edges. Pull the dough slightly apart with your hands, but not too much so that you don't tear it. You should have a roll of dough about 30-32 cm (12 inches) long.

Then start twisting the roll. Put your hands on the different ends of the dough and begin to roll them in opposite directions, one towards you and the other away from you.

Lift the dough by the ends and quickly bring them together. The dough should twist in the air to form a braid (I recommend watching the video at the end of the recipe to see how to do this).

Place the doughnut on a surface, pinch the ends tightly together and twist them. The doughnut should hold its shape well and not unravel. Remove it under a towel and do the same with all balls of dough.

Important: as you roll the dough balls, periodically turn the twisted doughnuts so they do not become dented.

Place the twisted doughnuts under a towel for about 30 minutes to allow them to swell a bit more.

Meanwhile, heat the oil for the fryer: take a frying pan, add the oil, place over medium heat and allow the oil to heat to 175°C (350°F). Check the temperature with a thermometer, a piece of bread or a wooden stick. I chose a piece of white bread - I dipped it into the oil and immediately many bubbles appeared around it. That means the oil is hot enough. The same will happen with a wooden stick. After checking, reduce the heat to below medium.

After 30 minutes, start frying the doughnuts in the oil. Fry each donut for 4 minutes until nicely browned and golden, turning each minute.

Place the finished doughnuts on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Sprinkle the donuts with sugar or powdered sugar while they are hot (you can sprinkle any topping on them if you like).

Soft, fluffy Korean twisted donuts are done! Enjoy!