Homemade Brown Sugar Boba (Including Solution for Tapioca Flour Not Forming a Dough)
After seeing viral brown sugar boba milk tea, I really wanted to try it, so I bought a pack of tapioca flour to make it myself. I thought it would be simple. Who knew I'd fail three times in a row! Each time, the tapioca flour wouldn't form a dough. Frustrated ((٩(//̀Д/́/)۶))/ But as a foodie from the slums, how could I give up? On the fourth attempt, I finally succeeded—it was earth-shattering. I cried tears of joy when the dough came together (˘̩̩̩ε˘̩ƪ). This recipe makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
Steps
Add brown sugar and water to a pot and stir while bringing it to a boil! It must come to a full boil—don't assume it's boiled just because you see small bubbles. It needs to bubble vigorously! See the image (you can cover the pot to help, but ensure you don't boil for too long, or the water will evaporate too much, causing the dough to become too dry and fail to form).
Turn off the heat, add the measured tapioca flour to the pot, and quickly stir. See the image—you've made it halfway at this stage.
Dust some tapioca starch on a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a sheet. Cut it into strips, then into small pieces, and finally roll them into balls!
Cooking the boba: Use plenty of water. Once the water is boiling, add the boba, stirring slightly to prevent sticking. Cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, tasting occasionally. Once they have a chewy texture and no white center, turn off the heat and let them sit for 1–2 minutes. Scoop them out and place in ice water (if the boba are especially large, you'll need to increase the cooking time).
If the brown sugar water isn't fully boiled before adding the tapioca flour, the dough won't come together. I failed three times due to this—thinking small bubbles meant it was ready. It must come to a vigorous boil! I tried three different recipes from this site, all of which failed. This proves how crucial fully boiling the sugar water is. See the failed dough image—it's just a pile that can't be kneaded, crumbling with a pinch!