Bicho Bicho Recipe – Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? There is no shortage of different types of doughnuts in the world. While there are plenty of doughnut flavors, a simple sugar doughnut can be just as delightful. In Filipino cuisine, anything involving bread is something to enjoy as a snack or part of a meal. Out of the different sweet types of bread, you can try in Filipino cuisine, bicho bicho is the closest thing to a local doughnut. Bicho bicho is basically a type of sugar doughnut that has a distinctive twist shape. It is a fairly simple yeast doughnut that’s not too hard to make, and if you’re interested, you can use this recipe:
Bicho Bicho
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water 105-115 F
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- canola oil
- sugar for coating
Instructions
- First, in a big mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for around 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy. Then, add the rest of the sugar, eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until it’s well combined.
- Gradually add flour into the mix while stirring. Make sure you only add enough flour so that the dough is soft and not dry. You may not need all of the flour. Turn the dough over on a floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Next, shape the dough into a ball and let it rise for an hour, or until it’s double in size. Once risen, gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangular shape, roll it up, and elongate it to around 13-15 inches.
- Braid the dough into a twisted rope and arrange them on a baking pan. Let them rise for 30 minutes until they’re puffy. Heat about 3 inches of cooking oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat until it reaches 350 F.
- Deep-fry the donuts in batches for about 1-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them! Once they’re done, toss them in sugar to coat and serve them warm. Enjoy your delicious homemade braided donuts!
Additional Notes for a Bicho Bicho Recipe
Every baking recipe has its tips, tricks, and alternatives and bicho bicho is no different. If you like playing around with flavors, add some spice by using some cinnamon sugar. When exploring this dish, you’ll find that it is similar to another Filipino dish called pilipit. What makes these two snacks different is that bicho bicho is a type of Shakoy, which is softer in texture and has a fluffy inside.
Want to try baking other Filipino recipes? Check out our “Ube Ensaymada Recipe” and “Leche Flan Cake Recipe.”
