Bicho-Bicho

4.20 from 60 votes

Bicho-Bicho is a Filipino twisted donut made of yeast dough that is deep-fried to golden perfection. Soft, fluffy, and coated in sugar, it makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. It's also delicious paired with coffee or your favorite refreshments.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Rising1 30

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: Servings

Calories: 355kcal

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

½ cup warm water (105-115 F)
2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup warm milk
½ cup melted butter
½ teaspoon salt
4 ½ cups flour
oil
sugar for coating

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes or until mixture is foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until well-combined.
Add the flour gradually while stirring, adding only enough until the dough has gathered in the center of the bowl. It should still be soft and not dry. You may not need the entire amount of flour.
Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and has lost some of its stickiness. Use some of the remaining flour to prevent the dough from sticking too much on the board or on hands.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until double in size.
Once risen, gently deflate the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions. Divide each portion into 4 smaller equal portions for a total of 16 pieces.
Using a rolling pin, flatten each portion to form a rectangular dough about 6 inches in length and 4-inches in width.
Roll the flattened dough lengthwise to form a log. Using hands, roll the log back and forth against the kneading surface to elongate to 13 to 15 inches long.
Braid the log into a twisted rope by folding in the middle the log midways and overlapping each side over each other. Repeat with the remaining portions.
Arrange the braided dough in a single layer on a large baking pan at about an inch apart. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes or until puffy.
In a heavy bottom pan over medium heat, heat about 3 inches of cooking oil to 350 F.
Add the dough 2 to 3 at a time, starting with the puffiest ones, and deep-fry the dough for about 1 to 3 minutes or until golden. Adjust the heat from time to time to prevent the donuts from burning.
With a slotted spoon, remove fried donuts from the oil and drain on paper towels. In a shallow plate, toss the donuts in sugar to fully coat. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

The warm water for proofing the dough should be 105-115 F. Boiling temperature can kill the yeast.
To make the dough, add only enough flour until you form a shaggy dough that gathers into a soft, moist mass in the center of the bowl. If the dough is too dry, you have added too much. It is better to add less flour, as you will still add more flour as you knead the dough.
As you knead, dust with flour sparingly. Again, over-flouring will make the dough dry. Kneading is done once the dough is smooth and can stretch thinly. Make sure to do the window pane test.
When frying, maintain the temperature at the optimal 350 F. If it is too hot, the dough will burn before sufficiently cooking. Too low, the donuts will absorb a lot more grease. Make sure to adjust the heat from time to time.

Nutrition