Chinese Crullers

Description
Contributed by World Recipes Y-Group

This Y-group is international. Good food from all parts of the world. A place where we can share the wonderful food from all over the world.

Ingredients

 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * ¾ teaspoon alum
 * 1 teaspoon baking soda
 * ¾ teaspoon ammonium bicarbonate
 * ⅞ cup water
 * 2 cups all purpose flour
 * 8 cups oil for deep-frying

Directions

 * 1) Place salt, alum, baking soda, and ammonium bicarbonate in a mixing bowl.
 * 2) Add water and stir until thoroughly dissolved.
 * 3) Add flour.
 * 4) Stir with chopsticks to make the dough soft and smooth.
 * 5) Knead the dough until it is elastic.
 * 6) Cover and let stand at least 4 hours.
 * 7) Remove dough and stretch it into a long strip, ⅓-inch thick and 2 inches wide.
 * 8) Sprinkle with a little flour.
 * 9) Using a knife or cleaver, cut dough into 20 strips ½-inch wide.
 * 10) Pick up a strip from the end with a spatula, turn it around and place it directly on top of the next strip (10 pieces).
 * 11) Lay a chopstick on top of these double strips.
 * 12) Press down.
 * 13) Repeat process with remaining pieces.
 * 14) Heat oil for deep-frying.
 * 15) Pick up one double strip.
 * 16) Hold the two ends and stretch it until it is 9 inches long.
 * 17) Drop into hot oil.
 * 18) Turn dough on both sides continuously with chopstick until it is golden brown and expands.
 * 19) Remove and drain.
 * 20) Repeat with other strips.
 * 21) May be prepared in advance and refrigerated or frozen.
 * 22) Before serving, thaw, if necessary, and reheat in oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.