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1.5 cups
all-purpose flour
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1 tsp
instant yeast
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1/4 tsp
salt
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2 tbsp
sugar
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1
egg
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1/2 cup
water, lukewarm
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2 tsp
butter, melted
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1/4 tsp
vanilla extract
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3 cups
vegetable oil for deep frying
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1/2 cup
sweet soy sauce or condensed milk
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1/4 cup
sesame seeds for topping, toasted
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1
In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp instant yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 cup water, lukewarm. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
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2
In a large bowl, mix 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 egg, 2 tsp butter, melted, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.
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3
Add the yeast mixture and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
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4
Knead by hand or with a mixer for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
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5
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.
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6
Punch down the dough and knead briefly. Divide into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
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7
Place balls on a parchment paper-lined tray, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
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8
Heat 3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying in a deep pot or wok to 350°F.
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9
Carefully place the dough balls into the hot vegetable oil for deep frying, a few at a time.
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10
Fry for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. The donuts should puff up and become hollow inside.
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11
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
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12
While still warm, pierce the side of each donut with a toothpick and drizzle with 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce or condensed milk. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds for topping.
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13
Serve immediately while warm.
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About Bánh Tiêu
Also called: banh tieu, Vietnamese hollow donut, sesame hollow donut
Bánh tiêu are Vietnamese hollow donuts: rounds of soft yeast dough fried until they puff up into crisp, sesame-studded shells with an airy, mostly empty center. They are sold by street vendors and bakeries, often next to bánh bò and bánh cam, and eaten as a snack or breakfast. The hollow center comes from steam. A well-risen, soft dough that is flattened and fried in hot oil puffs fast as its moisture turns to steam, and the outside sets before the inside can fill back in.
This version is served warm with sweet soy sauce or condensed milk drizzled into the center. They are also eaten plain, or split open with bánh bò (steamed rice cake) tucked inside. The dough is soft and slightly sticky, enriched with egg, a little butter and vanilla. It rises twice, once in the bowl and once after shaping, and each rise matters for the hollow center.
Serving and keeping
Serve warm, within an hour of frying, while the shells are crisp. Day-old donuts recrisp in a 350 F oven or air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Variations
Sesame coated
Press the dough balls into sesame seeds before frying, as most street vendors do, instead of sprinkling seeds at the end.
Plain and sugared
Skip the drizzle and roll the warm donuts in sugar.
Bánh tiêu bánh bò
Split a warm donut and fill it with a piece of bánh bò, a sweet steamed rice cake.
If it goes wrong
Donuts do not puff or stay solid inside
The dough was underproofed or rolled too thick. Let it fully double (step 5) and rise again after shaping (step 7), then flatten each ball to a thin disk before frying.
Dark outside, raw inside
The oil was above 350 F. Use a thermometer and fry a few at a time so the temperature recovers.
Greasy donuts
The oil was too cool. Let it return to 350 F between batches and drain on paper towels as in step 11.
Substitutions
- sweet soy sauce or condensed milk: honey. A different flavor, still sweet.
- butter, melted: vegetable oil. Slightly less rich, no other change.
- instant yeast: active dry yeast. Use the same amount and let it foam in the warm water first, as step 1 already does.
Questions
How hot should the oil be for Bánh Tiêu?
For Bánh Tiêu, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 8. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.
What equipment do I need for Bánh Tiêu?
Beyond a knife and a board, the method uses a wok (step 8) and parchment paper (step 7). If you do not have one, your widest skillet over the hottest burner stands in for the wok.
Is there a substitute for kecap manis in Bánh Tiêu?
The entry for Bánh Tiêu calls for 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce or condensed milk. In its place: Simmer equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar or molasses for a minute, until syrupy.
Can I make Bánh Tiêu gluten-free?
Yes. The gluten in Bánh Tiêu is 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce or condensed milk. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works); the soy-based sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Everything else proceeds as written.
Is Bánh Tiêu vegan?
No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 2 tsp butter, melted, 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce or condensed milk and 1 egg. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dessert collection.
Can I freeze Bánh Tiêu?
It is not a good candidate. Keep Bánh Tiêu covered in the refrigerator and eat it within three days. Chilled and set desserts lose their texture in the freezer.
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