Twisted Donut (Kkwabaegi)

Korean style twisted donuts (kkwabaegi) in a bowl.

Soft, chewy, and lightly crisp, these Korean twisted donuts (kkwabaegi) are a beloved street snack. My tested dough blend gives that perfect bouncy texture with a hint of sweetness — just like the ones from Korean bakeries.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Korean

Keyword Asian fried pastry, bunsik (Korean street food), fried dough, homemade donuts, kkwabaegi, kkwabaegi recipe, Korean bakery bread, Korean donuts, Korean sweet snack, twisted donut

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

rising time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 243

Author Hyegyoung K. Ford

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup (325 ml) water lukewarm
5 tbsp (70 g) butter melted
5 tbsp (63 g) sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
3 1/2 cup (560g) bread flour
1 cup (160g) tapioca flour
3 tbsp (25 g) dry milk powder
1 tbsp (10 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
2 cup (480 ml) oil for deep-frying

For cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup (100g) sugar
2-3 tsp (5–7 g) cinnamon

Instructions

To make the dough

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix water, melted butter, sugar, and eggs. Add bread flour, tapioca flour, dry milk powder, instant yeast, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a sticky mass.
Attach a dough hook to the mixer and knead the dough on a low speed until it becomes soft and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Lightly oil your hand and the wooden board. Place the dough on the board and knead the dough a little more, about 30 seconds, to form it into a ball.
Place the ball of dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 hour.

To shape the dough

Deflate the dough and turn out on to a working surface. Divide the dough in half. Cut 10-11 pieces from each dough making total of 20-22 pieces.
Roll out each dough piece into a 12-inch rope. Using the palms of your hands on each end of the rope, start rolling the ends of the dough rope in opposite directions, creating a twisting effect. Pick up the dough by the ends and let it twist onto itself. Pinch the ends together.
Place the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and repeat with remaining dough. Cover the twisted dough with a damp towel and let them rest again in a warm area about 20-30 minutes.

To make cinnamon sugar

In a shallow bowl wide enough to hold the twisted donut (a pie dish is ideal), mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to use.

To fry the donuts

Fill skillet with 1-2 inches of oil and heat the oil to 325˚F. When oil is hot, lift the twisted dough and slide it into the oil carefully.
You will need to fry in batches, 2-3 doughnuts at a time. Fry the dough until the bottom of the dough looks golden brown, about 30-60 seconds. Flip the dough to the other side and continue to fry until done. If the dough seems to be browning too dark quickly, reduce the heat.
Lift the donuts using kitchen tongs and strainer, transfer them to a wired rack to drip off the extra oil on the surface. Repeat the frying, in batches, with the rest of the dough. While the donuts are still hot, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mix. Let your twisted donuts cool for a little before enjoying!

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