Why This Recipe Works
Using cake flour keeps the Sata Andagi pillowy and tender on the inside. Frying them at a relatively low temperature allows the exterior to crisp up like a shortbread cookie, setting them apart from regular donuts. Kokutou (black sugar) imparts an irresistible sweet yet earthy flavor to the doughnuts.
Ingredients for Sata Andagi
Flour - To get a tender, pillowy texture inside the Sata Andagi, use low-protein flour such as cake flour or Japanese hakurikiko (薄力粉) is essential. This is due to the low-gluten content of this type of flour. You could also try using a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix, but I have not tried this. Kokutou - Kokutou (literally “black sugar”) is an unrefined Okinawan sugar made by juicing sugar canes and boiling the juice to concentrate it. The resulting mixture is then aerated before it solidifies into a cake. It can be purchased in blocks, but it’s easier to use if you buy it ground into a powder. Other types of minimally processed brown sugar like demerara, muscavado, sucanat, piloncillo, or jaggery will work. White sugar will work for sweetness, but I don’t recommend it because it won’t add any flavor to the doughnuts. Eggs - Eggs provide the moisture and richness for the dough, binding the ingredients while also helping to leaven the dough. 100 grams is roughly two large eggs, however, I strongly recommend weighing the eggs after cracking them because even a small difference in the amount of egg can make the dough too sticky or too dry. If you’re trying to avoid eggs or you want to make these vegan, you can substitute an equal amount of plant-based milk. Baking Powder - Together with the eggs, the baking powder gives these Okinawan doughnuts their delightful puffiness. Salt - To balance out the sweetness of the kokutou, I like adding a pinch of salt to the dough, but this is optional. Vegetable Oil - A tablespoon of oil helps keep these donuts moist while giving them a tender crumb. I like using rice bran oil for this because it has a sweet, nutty flavor. You’ll also need some oil to deep fry the donuts. I recommend using one with a high smoke point, such as canola oil or grapeseed oil.
How to Make Sata Andagi
The smaller particulate size of cake flour makes it clump easily, so it’s important to sift it first. I like to sift it with the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Then, you can whisk these together to distribute everything evenly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, kokutou, and a tablespoon of oil. It’s okay if some small chunks of sugar remain because they’ll add little pockets of flavor to your donuts. Now, you want to dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together with a silicone spatula until they’re just combined. Although we’re using low-gluten flour, it’s important not to overmix the dough, or your Sata Andagi will become tough and dry. It should be about the texture of soft cookie dough. Then, you want to let the dough rest for about twenty minutes to allow the flour to fully hydrate and any gluten that’s formed to relax. When you’re ready to fry the donuts, add an inch and a half of oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat it to 340°F (170°C). You can also use a deep fryer with clean oil. It’s a relatively low temperature that gives the donuts enough time to crisp on the outside without burning. You’ll also want to prepare a wire rack lined with three layers of paper towels. I like to shape the dough ahead of time so I can get the balls into the oil as quickly as possible, so line a tray with parchment paper. The dough is pretty soft, so you’ll need to generously grease your hands with oil to keep it from sticking. Cut off dough pieces about the size of a ping pong ball and roll them into a sphere before setting them on the parchment-lined tray. Depending on how large you make them, you should be able to make 12-14 Sata Andagi with this amount of dough. To fry the donuts, reroll the dough rounds as you gently lower them into the oil. These are going to double in size, so don’t overcrowd the pot. Once they float to the surface, use chopsticks to roll them over every thirty seconds to ensure they cook through evenly. You want your Sata Andagi to become golden brown and crisp on the outside, with a large fissure running through the center. This will take about five to six minutes. Transfer them to the cooling rack to drain and cool completely. Unlike most fried foods, these will become crisper as they cool, so it’s best to wait until they’ve cooled to room temperature before you eat them. I like these best after about a day because it gives the flavors a chance to meld.
How to Store Okinawan Donuts
Once the Sata Andagi have cooled completely, you can line a basket with paper towels and stack them up. Then, just cover them with a clean dish towel or napkin you don’t mind getting oil stains on. This prevents the crispy exterior from getting soft, but you’ll want to eat them in a day or two, or they’ll get dried out. If you want to keep them for longer, you can store them in a sealed container or zipper bag, but you’ll lose the crispness of the exterior pretty quickly.
Variations
This is a very basic Sata Andagi, but like their Western relatives, these Okinawan donuts have a lot of room for variation by adding fun flavors to them. Incorporating toasted black sesame seeds into the batter gives them a marvelous nutty flavor. Rolling the balls of dough in unsweetened shredded coconut before frying them will result in an even more crispy texture on the outside. You can also substitute some of the flour for purple sweet potato flour, which will give these a nice color on the inside and a marvelous flavor that pairs beautifully with the Okinawan sugar. I also like coating the exterior of the fried dough with a mixture of kinako (toasted soybean flour) and kokutou.
What to Serve with Sata Andagi
These Okinawan donuts make for a delicious snack and a steamy mug of my ginger tea or matcha latte, but they’re also tasty with coffee. If you want some other Japanese sweet treats to round out your snack check out my butter mochi or chocolate mochi. For something savory, try my Spam onigiri(another Okinawan speciality), mitarashi dango, crispy ramen chips.
📖 Recipe
