South African Koeksisters (Twisted Fried Dough in Syrup)

About This Recipe

South African Koeksisters is a real, traditional South African dish, known as Twisted Fried Dough in Syrup. Braided, deep-fried dough soaked in a cold, spiced sugar syrup until sticky and dense, a beloved Afrikaner tea-time sweet.\n\nKoeksisters have Cape Dutch origins, distinguished from a similarly named but different Cape Malay version, traditionally dunked in ice-cold syrup immediately after frying to create their signature sticky, crystallized exterior.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in South African home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 16

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 50 gbutter(cold, cubed)
• 1egg
• 200 mlwhole milk
• 1 Lneutral oil(for frying)
• 600 gsugar(for syrup)
• 300 mlwater(for syrup)
• 1 tspground ginger(for syrup)
• 1cinnamon stick(for syrup)
• 1 tbsplemon juice(for syrup)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup first

   Combine sugar, water, ginger and cinnamon stick in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, then chill the syrup completely in the refrigerator, ideally overnight.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, baking powder and salt, then cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and milk together, then mix into the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll the dough out to about 1 cm thick and cut into small rectangles.

4. 4

   Braid

   Cut two or three slits lengthwise in each rectangle without cutting all the way through, then braid the strips together, pinching the ends to seal.

5. 5

   Fry

   Fry the braided dough pieces in oil heated to 175°C (350°F) for 3 to 4 minutes until deeply golden.

6. 6

   Dunk in syrup

   Immediately submerge the hot fried dough into the ice-cold syrup for about 1 minute, then remove and let excess syrup drip off before serving.

7. 7

   Chill and serve

   Serve at room temperature or chilled, once the syrup has set into a slightly crystallized coating.

Variations

• •

  Some households add a bit of vanilla to the syrup for extra aroma.

• •

  A version with a lighter syrup coating is preferred by some for a less intensely sweet result.

• •

  Serve alongside coffee or tea as a traditional afternoon treat.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions