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Bambalouni
Sugared fried dough rings
Sidi Bou Said's sugared fried dough rings
Bambalouni are the big, flat, chewy doughnuts sold hot and wrapped in paper at the top of the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said, outside Tunis, and on beaches all along the coast in summer. The dough is very soft and yeasty; it is stretched by hand into a ring and fried until puffed and blistered, then rolled in sugar. They are best eaten warm with a mint tea. Chef's tip: oil your hands, not the bench, to shape them; floured dough browns too fast and loses its blistered look.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ¼ oz instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 3 tbsp sunflower oilfor your hands
- 3 cups sunflower oil for frying
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 1 ½ cups warm water and beat with your hand or a wooden spoon for 5 minutes into a very soft, sticky dough.
5 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, until doubled and full of bubbles.
120 minStep 3: Heat 3 cups sunflower oil for frying in a deep pan to 350°F. Rub your hands with 3 tbsp sunflower oil, pull off a piece of dough the size of an egg, poke a hole in the middle and stretch it into a thin ring about 12 cm across.
5 minStep 4: Lay it in the oil and fry for 1–2 minutes a side, until puffed and golden. Drain and roll in 3 ½ oz caster sugar while hot. Common mistake: making the ring thick — it stays doughy inside; stretch it thin enough to almost see through the middle.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bambalouni take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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