Cape Malay Koesisters with a Sourdough Twist

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Warm and Spiced: Perfect for chilly weather or when you’re in the mood for something comforting.
• Sourdough twist: Adds a subtle tang that beautifully complements the sweetness and spices.
• Make-ahead friendly: You can enjoy these Cape Malay Koesisters fresh, or fry them in advance, freeze, and simply defrost when needed. Just steep them in the syrup right before serving for that perfect, sweet finish.
• Customisable: You can make them with sourdough or use instant yeast if you’re short on time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Grab all your ingredients! View the recipe card below for a full list of all the ingredients and measurements.

• Cake flour: Gives these koesisters their soft, pillowy texture.
  • Substitute: Bread flour can be used in a pinch, but cake flour is best for lightness.
• Aniseed, cinnamon, cardamom, ground ginger, mixed spice: The essential spice mix that brings warmth and fragrance to the dough.
  • Variation: Add a pinch of nutmeg for extra warmth, or skip the ginger for a more subtle flavour.
• Citrus peel zest (optional): Adds a refreshing hint of citrus associated with Cape Malay Koesisters. Naartjie is best but clementine zest also works wonderfully here.
  • Substitute: You can use lemon or orange zest if naartjies aren’t in season or not available where you live.
• Castor sugar: Provides just the right amount of sweetness to the dough.
• Sourdough starter: Gives these koesisters the rising power and a unique depth of flavour.
  • Substitute: If you don’t have the patience and want to use commercial yeast instead – check out this blog for a yeasted version.
• Butter: Adds richness to the Cape Malay koesister dough, making it soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
  • Substitute: Margarine works if you don’t have butter on hand.
• Milk and water: These form the liquid base, giving the dough its soft texture.
  • Substitute: For a dairy-free version, swap the milk for almond or oat milk.
• Egg: Helps bind the dough and contributes to its soft texture.
• For the syrup: Sugar, water, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods, and optional naartjie peel create the perfect sticky glaze for soaking the fried dough.
• For rolling: Unsweetened desiccated coconut for that final iconic koesister touch.
• Oil for deep frying: A neutral frying oil like Canola or sunflower oil is best for achieving that perfect golden brown colour.

Cape Malay Koesisters with Sourdough

Soft, spiced doughnuts fried to golden perfection and soaked in a rich, aromatic syrup. Infused with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, and made extra fluffy with a sourdough starter, these Koesisters are crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth delicious on the inside. A sweet, fragrant treat worth the wait!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Proofing Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Cape Malay, South African

Servings 20 koesisters

Ingredients

  

For the dough:

• 300 g cake flour ~2½ cups
• 4 tsp aniseed
• 2½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp naartjie/clementine zest optional
• ½ tsp salt
• 55 g castor sugar
• 25 g melted butter 1½ tbsp
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 120 ml milk ½ cup
• 100 ml water slightly less than ½ cup
• 70 g sourdough starter ¼ cup
• 1 large egg

For the syrup:

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 3 lightly crushed cardamom pods
• Naartjie/clementine peel optional
• ¼ cup extra water if syrup thickens

For rolling:

• 50 g unsweetened desiccated coconut about 1 cup

For frying:

• 2 tbsp oil for hands
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

 

• Whisk together the melted butter, vanilla essence, milk, water, sourdough starter, and egg until combined well.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  
• Mix the wet with the dry ingredients.
  
• The dough will be very wet—don’t add more flour. Lightly oil the top and let it rise in a warm place for 5-6 hours.
  
• Once doubled in size, flour a surface generously, tip out the dough.
  
• Flour the top of the dough generously and cut wide strips (around 6cm ~2¼ inches) using a bench scraper or large knife.
  
• From the strips, cut smaller pieces perpendicularly around 3cm (~1¼ inches) wide and shape into oval shapes (around golf ball size).
  
• Place each oval 1-2cm apart on a greased or floured baking tray.
• After shaping the dough, let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
• While the dough rests, heat oil to 180°C (350°F), then lower the temperature sligthly and fry the dough balls, about 3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown.
  
• Place the fried dough balls on a cooling rack or tray lined with paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
• Make the syrup by simmering all syrup ingredients on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Do not let it boil rapidly. The syrup should remain watery and not get thick.
  
• Steep the fried dough balls in the simmering syrup for 3-4 minutes per side.
  
• Roll each ball in desiccated coconut.
  
• Serve warm or store in an airtight container for max 1-2 days.

Video

Notes

• I like my koesisters properly steeped so I leave them a little longer until they feel heavy.
• This dough is sticky so make sure to oil your hands when handling the dough.
• When cutting the dough – don’t be tempted to go bigger, these puff up a lot in the oil. So go about half of the size you want them to be when finished frying. 
• You can freeze the koesisters before soaking them in syrup. Store in a Ziploc bag and, when ready to eat, defrost for about an hour, then dip them in the hot syrup and roll in coconut to enjoy fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions