Youtiao

Check the baking powder by adding half a teaspoon to a quarter cup of room temperature water; if it bubbles immediately it is still active.

Check the baking soda by adding half a teaspoon to three tablespoons of vinegar; if the mixture bubbles it is good.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

Stir the oil into the water rather than into the flour, so it distributes without kneading, then pour it into the flour.

Mix with a silicone spatula, then fold by hand 3 to 5 times until there are no dry flour bits. Do not knead further or the dough stick comes out tough.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest 20 minutes.

Apply a teaspoon of olive oil over the hands and the working surface, press the dough into a rough rectangle, fold the left side to about a third and flip the right side over like folding a blanket.

Press and enlarge the rectangle and repeat the fold twice more, three folds in all, oiling the board if it sticks. This smooths the dough without over-kneading.

Wrap and rest at room temperature at least 2 hours so the gluten relaxes and the dough stretches easily.

Variation: make the dough the day before and refrigerate overnight, then give it 30 minutes back at room temperature before frying.

Lightly dust the surface and hands with flour, and stretch the dough gently into a long rectangle about 20 inches by 3 inches; if it resists, rest it five minutes on the board and try again.

Cover and rest on the board while the oil heats.

Heat the peanut oil to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, about 3 to 5 minutes on high. Too low and there is not enough heat to activate the leaveners; too high and the surface sets before it can expand.

Divide the dough into 12 little slabs about one and a half inches wide, dusting more flour on the board and flouring each cut face so the petals do not stick together.

Wet a chopstick and draw a water line down the centre of every other piece, stack two similarly sized pieces, and press the middle with the chopstick so the centre sticks tight while the four petals stay free.

Switch the heat to medium-low, gently stretch a piece to 2 to 2.5 times its length so it fits the wok, let the middle touch the oil first and lower the rest in.

Rotate and move the first piece with chopsticks as fast as possible before the surface turns brown, or it will not inflate.

Once it is light golden the outside is set; stop rotating and let it sit until golden brown, flipping every 10 seconds to reinforce the crust.

Stretch and add the second piece while the first sits, and fry the rest the same way.

Variation: if the cookware is small, cut the dough in half and make shorter sticks.

Freeze cooked youtiao in a ziplock bag and reheat in a toaster oven or regular oven until just warmed through.