Twisted doughnuts

Kkwabaegi 꽈배기

Hello everybody, let’s twist with kkwabaegi! Cooking is fun fun fun!

Today I’m going to introduce you to one of my favorite after-school treats when I was a kid, something you can still find in many Korean bakeries and being sold on Korean streets today. It’s called kkwabaegi (꽈배기), or twisted dougnuts.

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I’m very happy to see that the bread rolls (roll-ppang 롤빵) on my website were such a big hit for many of you. I learned this kkwabaegi recipe from the same friend who taught me roll-ppang! The dough is similar, but kkwabaegi are firmer.

You can buy kkwabaegi, but when you make them at home you can make sure the oil is fresh, and make them with care so they taste better and are cleaner and cheaper than what you can get on the street or a bakery. They are a nice treat once in a while when you or your children want some sweet stuff.

They are best right after making them, spongy on the inside when you tear them open with the steam pouring out. Tasty and fluffy!

The key to making beautiful kkwabaegi is to make sure that when you roll them, the center is just a bit thinner than the edges. That way, when you twist them, the end is nice and tight and not lumpy.

When I make these, I make a lot at once. That way I have hot fresh kkwabaegi to share right away, and then I keep the rest in the freezer to eat later. If I want one as a snack or dessert later, I take it out and let it thaw out at room temperature for a bit before eating it.

They go great with milk, and if you want to make yours sweeter than I make mine, add a little more sugar in the dough.

Try these out, and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour for doughnuts, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 packet of dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons: 7 grams)
  • 5 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • corn oil for frying
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

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Directions

Make the coating

  1. Add 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon powder to a brown paper bag. Shake to mix well. Set aside.

Make the dough

  1. Fully melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add milk, the rest of 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Mix well until everything is well dissolved. Crack an egg into the saucepan and mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a large bowl. Add 3 cups flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. When everything is well mixed, use your hand to knead the dough for a few minutes, and shape it into a big lump. Cover with plastic wrap.
  3. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, usually about 1 hour to 1½ hours.kkwabaegi dough
  4. Deflate the gas with your hand and knead the dough for a few minutes until it’s soft and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap again and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour until it doubles in size again.

Roll out the doughnuts

  1. Uncover the dough and knead it for a few minutes. Put 2 tablespoons of flour on the corner of your cutting board to use for dusting. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.divided
  2. Take a piece of dough and roll it out on your cutting board so it forms a rope 10 inches long and ½ inch in diameter. If it’s sticky, sprinkle some flour on the area you’re working in. When you roll out the dough, move one hand upward and the other downward so that the rope is twisted in between your hands as you roll it.making twisted donuts
  3. Take the dough off the board, hold it aloft, and bring the ends together. The tension in the dough will twist it as it hangs. You can add as much tension as you like, but I think the best looking kkwabaegi has 3- 4 twists in it.
  4. Place the twisted dough on a floured cutting board or tray. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of dough.
  5. Let the doughnuts expand for about 30 minutes. 15 minutes in, gently flip each doughnut over with your hands so the bottoms don’t get flat and all sides expand nice and round.

twisted donut dough rising

Fry the doughnuts

  1. Heat up 4 inches of oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat, until the temperature reaches 350° F. Lower the heat to medium heat, then gently set each doughnut into the hot oil by hand. Be careful not to get your hands too close to the oil. Add as many pieces to the oil as your skillet will allow, enough so the doughnuts can sit in the oil without pushing against each other.
  2. Cook for about 5 minutes, occasionally gently flipping them over with tongs, until they get crunchy outside and are evenly golden brown.
  3. Strain the cooked doughnuts. Put them in the brown paper bag with the sugar cinnamon mixture. Shake a few times until they are evenly coated. This is best done when the doughnuts are still warm. Repeat this with all the doughnuts until they are all cooked and coated.

kkwabaegi (twisted Korean dougnhuts: 꽈배기)

Serve

  1. Serve hot.
  2. You can freeze any leftovers for up to a month. To rejuvenate them, take them out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Posted on Thursday, November 19th, 2015 at 6:30 pm. Last updated on August 10, 2021.
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178 Comments:

  1. NaOllie Dickinson,tx,usa joined 12/18 & has 2 comments
    Posted January 5th, 2019 at 4:54 pm | or create a profile.

    I finally made them!! This was the first video I saw from you!!


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  2. Netty92 ARUBA joined 11/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 14th, 2018 at 9:12 pm | or create a profile.

    My Family Loved It.. Thank You Soo Much..

    #GreetingsFromAruba

  3. amandayun NYC joined 5/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 13th, 2018 at 11:02 am | or create a profile.

    Manngchi, thank you so much, these were soooo yummy! My toddler totally approves this recipe. Big hug!

  4. S.Bambina Toronto joined 11/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 5th, 2018 at 1:32 am | or create a profile.

    I made these today and they were sooooo good!! I won’t lie I skipped dinner and just ate these doughnuts!!!! I don’t like really sweet stuff so this was perfect for me. I want to try powdered sugar instead of cinnamon or maybe a light drizzle of condensed milk! Everyone in my family loved these and the best part is it’s sooo cheap and easy to make. I had everything at home just needed a $2 pack of yeast. Rolling them is a little tricky but that will come with practice and watching them expand in the hot oil was so satisfying!! Thank you for this tutorial peace and love!!! -Rita

  5. meipporul india joined 9/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 26th, 2018 at 3:28 am | or create a profile.

    hai maangchi kindly tell me ,shall i use wheat floor instead of all purpose floor(maida) for making twisted doughnuts

  6. Babelaynnah Australia joined 6/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 30th, 2018 at 6:06 am | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi can u pls let me know the measurement for 50 or more doughnut please

  7. Mehli007 Baku, Azerbaijan joined 1/18 & has 3 comments
    Posted June 16th, 2018 at 5:39 am | or create a profile.

    I just made your kkwabaegi and they turned out delicious. Thank you for another great recipe!
    I usually prefer glazed doughnuts, so I decided to glaze some of them, but I have to admit that the traditional way with cinnamon sugar is a lot better!

  8. KimchiAngel Washington USA joined 6/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 4th, 2018 at 8:15 am | or create a profile.

    I love Korea and its culture! So happy I found you Maangchi! You’re so sweet and a great teacher. I’ve made these 5 times already…am I a master yet? ;) Definetly buying your book saranghae!


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  9. Mom Michigan joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 23rd, 2018 at 7:59 am | or create a profile.

    Thank you for your video my daughter had a project due for school and she decided to make this she and a classmate had fun making these. And they are delicious.

  10. Myo Aung Netherlands joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 21st, 2018 at 11:11 am | or create a profile.

    Good


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  11. Majed UK joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 20th, 2018 at 8:00 pm | or create a profile.

    Hello !

    Thank you so much for your beautiful happy energy, you always make me smile… l love your stories, and your positive attitude…

    Today l made your twisted doughnuts and they were very very yummy

    I wish l could share them with all the people l love , but it was just me, my husband and 16 lovely doughnuts … Funny

    Here’s a picture of my 1st try


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  12. Earthlingf77 Malaysia joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 8th, 2018 at 6:01 am | or create a profile.

    Maangchi… need your help! I tried to make the twisted doughnuts but every time I tried to knead the dough, it starts becoming sticky and I have to keep adding flour. It doesn’t firm up at all. What am I doing wrong? Was so looking forward to tasting the final dish..

  13. JNLindsey Ventura California joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 3rd, 2018 at 12:46 pm | or create a profile.

    I just stumbled upon your YouTube channel and I am so happy I did! You are wonderful to watch and your recipes make what I thought were difficult dishes, look very easy and fun!!

    For the twisted donuts, you specify corn oil to fry in. Is there a specific reason for corn oil? I’m not opposed to it, I just don’t have any in the house. Can I skip the grocery store trip and use extra virgin olive oil? Or is the corn oil essential to taste and texture?

    I can’t wait to serve these to the kids today after school. A nice treat to reward them after a long week of state testing!

    Peace light and love!
    Jaime

  14. yuki_sicily Sicily, Italy joined 4/18 & has 2 comments
    Posted April 26th, 2018 at 4:17 pm | or create a profile.

    Maangchi, what do you think of my kkwabaegi? Thank you very much for your awesome recipe!


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  15. MiniChef Middle East joined 3/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 5th, 2018 at 7:00 am | or create a profile.

    My first attempt at making these amazing kkwabaegi! They were so crispy yet fluffy,everyone enjoyed them. What do you think,Maangchi Unni? (:


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