Dough Sticks with Pandan Custard - Chef Recipe by John Chantarasak.

Ingredients

Makes 10

300g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant dried yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
4 Tbs whole milk
4 Tbs unsalted butter, softened and diced
Vegetable oil, for oiling and deep-frying

Pandan custard:

3 pandan leaves, finely chopped (or use 2 drops of pandan concentrate)
3-4 Tbs water (optional)
1 1/2 Tbs rice flour
200mL coconut cream (the richer, heavier solids that rise to the top of the thinner milk)
397g can condensed milk
1 tsp salt

For rolling:

4 Tbs caster (superfine) sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Method

Pandan custard:

Purée the chopped pandan leaves in a food processor with as little water as possible, about 3-4 tablespoons. Strain through a sieve, pressing through with a spoon to extract as much of the vivid green liquid as possible, then set aside.

Mix the rice flour with a little of the coconut cream in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Gently warm this paste with the remaining coconut cream in a medium saucepan over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly to ensure the mixture doesn’t become lumpy.

Once thickened, add the pandan juice (or concentrate), condensed milk and salt and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Leave to cool to room temperature.

To make the dough:

Mix together the eggs and milk in a bowl and set aside. Combine all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. While mixing at low-medium speed, gradually add the egg-and-milk mixture. It will come together into a dough.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is very elastic, then add the butter, a few cubes at a time, until completely incorporated. This is a rich dough, so it can be very sticky to handle. Keep working the dough in the mixer until it is possible to handle.

Tip the dough out on to a clean work surface. Using your hands, bring the dough together into a smooth ball, then place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm spot for 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and dust generously with flour. Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and divide into equal-size pieces of about 50g each. Roll these pieces into smooth sticks about 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide and place them on the lined tray, leaving enough space for the sticks to double in size without touching each other.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to prove in a warm spot for about 20 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Pour the oil for deep-frying into a large wok to a depth of 10 cm and heat until the oil reaches 180 C on a temperature probe. Alternatively, drop a small cube of bread into the oil; if it turns golden brown in about 15 seconds, the oil is ready.

Using a bamboo skewer, press it down the length of each dough stick to create indents that you can then use as a guide to make an ‘X’ shape. Working in batches, fry the X-shaped sticks for 4 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping them over halfway through to ensure both sides colour and cook evenly.

Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels while you deep-fry the remaining dough sticks.

Combine the sugar and salt for rolling in a wide dish, then roll the still-warm dough sticks in the mixture until well coated.
Serve with the pandan custard for dipping. Alternatively, instead of rolling, serve the dough sticks with the sugar mix and pandan custard in separate dishes on the side for dipping.

Credits: Dough Sticks with Pandan Custard – Chef Recipe by John Chantarasak.

Photo Credits: Dough Sticks with Pandan Custard – Chef Recipe by John Chantarasak.