Hobak Kkwabaegi - Pumpkin Twisted Doughnut with Homemade Pumpkin Spice

Earthy, chewy pumpkin doughnuts delicious anytime of day.

Hobak Kkwabaegi - Pumpkin Twisted Doughnut

Makes 16

Kkwabaegi are traditional twisted Korean doughnuts. They are chewy and lightly sweetened and make the perfect snack or breakfast.

It is October now in Korea and I wanted to do something that was very American but combine it with something Korean. My first thought was pumpkin to showcase the season. My second thought was doughnuts and these hobak kkwabaegi were born. These doughnuts are vegan and I’m happy to report, that if I hadn’t mentioned it, you would not have known. I also made my own pumpkin spice mix and it is the best version I have ever had. It has a few special ingredients that make it particularly tasty.

Unlike American doughnuts, these taste best when cooled completely or just barely warm. This is because the glutinous rice flour has time to set after cooking for its chewy texture to be prominent. The doughnuts are best served the same day.

“Recipe Tips:

1. The pumpkin spice mix makes about 0.25 c of the spice blend, enough for all of your seasonal baking and drinks!!

2. I made these kkwabaegi using pureed kabosha squash. The measurements and steps work the same for fresh or canned butternut squash or pumpkin as well.

3. Leftover doughnuts keep well in an airtight container for a day. The sugar will however absorb/dissolve and no longer be very crunchy on the outside.”

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice

2.5 T ground cinnamon

1.5 t ground ginger

1.25 t ground nutmeg

1 t ground cardamom

0.75 t ground cloves

0.25 t (slightly heaped) ground 5-spice

0.25 t (slightly heaped) ground coriander

Doughnut Wet

227g (0.75 c + 2 T) pureed squash or pumpkin

200ml (1 c) unsweetened almond milk, cold

45g (3 T) dk brown sugar

36g (3 T) vegetable or coconut oil

4g (1 t) vanilla extract

Doughnut Dry

2 T water

4g (2 t) instant yeast

325g (2.5 c) AP flour

98g (0.75 c) glutinous rice flour

33g (0.25 c) whole wheat flour

4g (1 t) kosher salt

3g (1.5 t) pumpkin spice

2g (0.50 t) baking powder

Frying oil, canola or vegetable

Dusting

120g (0.50 c) sugar

1 t pumpkin spice

Recipe Know-how

Pumpkin Spice

1.      In a small bowl, combine the spice mix ingredients, mixing well.

• Pour into an airtight container to store. 

Doughnut

2.      Heat a medium non-stick pan on high heat.

• Add the pureed squash to the dry pan.

• Using a heat safe spatula, stirring/smearing constantly, cook the mixture for 90 seconds – 2 minutes.

The puree is ready when a thin film begins forming on the bottom of the pan.

This step is important to help reduce some of the liquid in the puree and concentrate the flavor.

• Cool the puree for 2 – 3 minutes then add the remining doughnut wet ingredients, mixing well.

• Cool completely.

3.      In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast with a small pinch of sugar.

• Allow to sit for 5 – 10 minutes or until bubbly.

If the yeast shows no activity, throw it away and begin the yeast step again with new yeast.

4.      In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining doughnut dry ingredients, mixing well.

• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture and the yeast.

• Using a spoon, stir the mixture together to create a dough.

• Once a shaggy dough has formed, in the bowl, use a bench scraper to turn the dough over on itself for about 2 minutes.

The dough is very sticky, using a bench scraper to fold the dough over on itself with help prevent adding too much additional flour to the mix while still building strength.

• Gather the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

• Using lightly dampened hands, from underneath, pull up a section of the dough and stretch it up about 3 inches. Fold the dough over as far across the remaining dough as possible. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Stretch and fold the dough over on itself 8 times in total.

• Cover again and allow to sit 30 minutes.

• Repeat the stretch and fold process a second time.

• Cover and allow to rise for 1.5 - 2 hours or until doubled in bulk (no stretch and folds needed) in the fridge.

At this point, the dough can also be refrigerated overnight.

5.      Lightly oil 2 cookie sheets or half of your work surface.

• Set aside the cookie sheets.

• If using the work surface, be sure it stays clear while rolling out the dough.

6.      On a well floured worksurface, pour out the cold dough.

• Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.

• Working one at time, roll a portion into a 31 – 33 cm (12 – 13 in) rope.

If it is becoming difficult to roll out the dough, remove some of the flour from the surface and use very lightly dampened hands to create friction and roll out dough.

• Twist one strand of the dough over the other 3 – 4 times to create a twisted log.

• Seal the end of the log as well as possible and place the finished doughnut onto the oiled cookie sheet or surface.

• Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough ensuring they are at least 1 – 2 inches apart from each other.

• Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.

• Allow to rise for 20 – 30 minutes or until the doughnuts are puffed and hold an indentation when pressed on.

7.      When the doughnuts have about 10 minutes left to rise, pour 4 – 5 cups of frying oil into a medium sized deep pot.

• Heat the oil over medium low – medium heat to 180 C / 350 F.

• Place a cooling rack into a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with paper towel. Set aside.

• In a large, wide, mixing bowl. Combine the sugar and pumpkin spice for dusting. Set aside.

8.      When the oil is heated, working 3 – 4 at a time, gently place the doughnuts into the frying oil.

You do not want to overcrowd the pan while frying. Remember that the doughnuts will expand some as they cook, take this into account when deciding how many to place in the pan.

• Cook the doughnuts for 3.5 – 4 minutes flipping every 30 seconds.

Cooked doughnuts will be golden brown in color and will no longer bubble heavily when in the oil.

• Drain cooked doughnuts on paper towel for 3 seconds each side then toss well in the sugar.

Do not cook more doughnuts while draining or tossing with sugar, this gives the oil a chance to reheat after the doughnuts have been removed.

• Place the coated doughnuts on the cooling rack to cool completely.

• Repeat, cooking and coating doughnuts in batches until all have been cooked.

9.      Serve.