-
1
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add the oil and lukewarm water. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead briefly until smooth. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky — it will clean the sides of the bowl without sticking to the hands.
-
2
Cover the dough and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. The dough is ready when it stretches without tearing and offers no resistance — a piece pulled gently between the hands extends smoothly rather than snapping back.
-
3
On a lightly oiled surface, roll the dough into a long slab approximately 8 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Cut into strips roughly 2 cm wide. Lay one strip directly on top of another and press a chopstick or skewer firmly down the length of the centre, bonding the two strips into a single unit. This is where the dish lives or dies: the bond must be definite — two loosely placed strips will separate in the oil rather than pushing apart to create the hollow, airy interior.
-
4
Heat abundant oil in a deep vessel to 190°C. Test with a small piece of dough: it should rise immediately and vigorously to the surface. Gently stretch each pressed pair to approximately 30 cm, lower into the oil, and turn continuously with chopsticks. The you tiao puffs dramatically within the first minute — the two strips push apart, and the dough turns an even deep gold. It is done when the surface is uniformly golden and the crust sounds hollow when tapped.
-
5
Lift from the oil and drain briefly on a rack. The you tiao is ready to serve: the exterior is crisp and shatters lightly under the fingers; the interior is open and airy when broken. Serve within 10 minutes of frying.