We all have seen that doughnuts are round in shape. Have you ever seen braided doughnuts? Here I present you braided South African Doughnuts – Koeksisters.
What is Koeksisters?
A Koeksisters is a traditional confectionery made of fried dough infused with sugar syrup. It is made by deep-frying the dough and dipping it in ice-cold sugar syrup. It has a golden crunchy outer and a soft, sweet inside texture. This doughnut has a unique braided shape which excites kids for sure.
My son said that the doughnut looked like his sister’s braid. How funny a kids’ imagination is.
How to make Koeksisters
The first step to making Koeksisters is to make sugar syrup. We add cinnamon sticks and ginger to the sugar syrup. Let it stay in the refrigerator overnight. Then make the dough with whole wheat, baking powder, egg, butter, and water to smooth the dough. Let it rest for 3 hours.
Then divide the dough into two halves. Roll one half to a thin circle shape. After that cut the circle in half and then into strips of 1/2 inch ( check step-wise pics). Braid it and deep fry it. Then dip in cold sugar syrup. Later keep it in the cooling rack to remove excess sugar syrup. Serve. If you feel the doughnuts look dry while serving, drizzle some sugar syrup. That’s what I did when my kids needed more sugar syrup. 
Left – my first try Right – after two trial
Food Bloggers Recipe Swap
I made these Koeksisters for the Food Bloggers Recipe Swap challenge from the FB group. I have already said about this group here. This month, I am paired with Nayna Kanbar of Simply Sensational Food. She has an array of great recipes and she is also an author of two awesome cookbooks. I chose to make her Keoksisters recipe.
Other desserts from my kitchen
Koeksisters recipe
INGREDIENTS
For Dough
Whole Wheat flour – 1 cup
Egg – 1
Butter – 2 Tbsp ( room temperature)
Baking Powder – 1 Tsp
Salt – a pinch
Water – as required
Oil – to deep fry
For Sugar syrup
Sugar – 1 Cup
Water – 1 Cup
Cinnamon – a small stick
Ginger – a few pieces
Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
METHOD
- Let’s start with making sugar syrup. Take all ingredients under ‘sugar syrup’ except lemon juice.
- Boil it till the sugar dissolves. Then reduce the flame and let it boil for a few more minutes. Next, add lemon juice so the sugar doesn’t crystallize.
- When you see the sugar syrup start thickening, remove it from the heat. Later when it cools down, keep it refrigerator overnight.
- Now, let’s start making dough for doughnuts. Take all ingredients except water and oil in a bowl.
- Mix it into crumbs. After that add water slowly to make a soft dough. Keep it covered for 3 hours.
- After that divide the dough into two halves. Roll one-half to a thin circle.
- Divide the circle in half and then cut it into thin strips of 1/2 inch.
- Take three strips, press one end, and then start braiding and press the end too. So it may not open while frying.
- It may be difficult the first time but when you keep doing it, you can expertise.
- Repeat with all the remaining dough.
- Now, heat the oil in a pan. Deep fry the braided dough till golden.
- Take the sugar syrup from the refrigerator and dip the hot doughnuts in cold syrup.
- Keep it in the cooler rack to drip excess sugar syrup.
- Repeat with all other braids.
- Serve.
NOTES
- In the original recipe, they used cream of tarter. But I did not.
Koeksisters – South African Doughnuts
Ingredients
For Dough
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Nos Egg
- 2 Tbsn Butter Room tempertaure
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- Salt A pinch
- Water As required
- Oil To deep Fry
For Sugar syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- Cinnamon Stick a small stick
- Ginger A few pieces
- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Let’s start with making sugar syrup. Take all ingredients under ‘sugar syrup’ except lemon juice.
- Boil it till the sugar dissolves.Then reduce the flame and let it boil for few more minutes. Next add lemon juice so the sugar doesn’t crystallize.
- When you see the sugar syrup starts thickening, remove from heat. Later when it cools down, keep it refrigerator for overnight.
- Now,let’s start making dough for doughnut. Take all ingredients except water and oil in a bowl.
- Mix it to crumbs. After that add water slowly to make it a soft dough. Keep it covered for 3 hours.
- After that divide the dough into two halves. Roll one half to thin circle.
- Divide the circle in half and then cut it into thin strips of 1/2 inch.
- Take three strips, press one end and then start braiding and press the end too. So it may not open while frying.
- It may be difficult first time but when you keep doing, you can expertise.
- Repeat with all the remaining dough.
- Now, heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the braided dough till golden.
- Take the sugar syrup from refrigerator and dip the hot doughnuts in cold syrup.
- Keep it in cooler rack to drip excess sugar syrup.
- Repeat with all other braids.Serve.
Notes
- In the original recipe, they used cream of tarter. But I did not.
Nutrition
PIN KOEKSISTERS
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Sharing this recipe to Fiesta Friday
Please check out the other delicious Recipe Swap Recipes
Koeksisters – South African Doughnuts
Til Ke Laddu – Sweet Sesame Seed Balls
Roasted Beetroot Hummus
Fiery Habanero Pepper Hot Sauce
Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information !!!! It is so appreciated! I am really happy to say it’s an interesting post to read.
Thank you
Super simple. My go-to koeksister recipe.
Thank you.
Wow. It looks making doughnuts at home is fun and easy
Thank you 😊
These look delicious and so easy to make! I’ve been craving donuts lately so this is so perfect!
Thank you ..Hope you give this a try
A new recipe to me. These look so pretty. And beautifully explained too
Thank you
This is totally brilliant. I just love the design so much. I am sure everyone will love this. Thanks for sharing such a lovely dish!
Thank you