Homemade Boba Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk 1/3 cup water with 1 cup of the tapioca starch in a small bowl. The slurry may look separated but will come together in the next step.
• Add the brown sugar and 2/3 cup water to a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium high and whisk in the tapioca slurry until the mixture begins to just tighten and the water fully incorporates, about 30 seconds.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup tapioca starch using a heatproof spatula until it forms a ball of shaggy dough, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Dust a work surface with tapioca flour. Gather the dough together from the saucepan, transfer it to the surface and let cool, 3 to 4 minutes. Knead the dough until it is smooth, springy to the touch and no longer sticky, adding tapioca starch as needed, about 7 minutes. If the dough feels too dry, wet your hands and knead in water from your hands.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Roll out 1 piece of dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. Use a 1/2-inch-wide bubble tea straw with the tip dusted in tapioca starch to cut pieces from the dough, making sure to dust the straw occasionally to prevent sticking. Gather the dough scraps into a ball and repeat the process. Discard any leftover dough after this step as it will be too dry to use again. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.
• Lightly dust a baking sheet with tapioca starch. Roll the boba pieces into pea-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. If the dough feels too dry or is cracking, dampen your fingers with a little water and knead it. Use immediately or freeze the boba in a single layer until hard, about 2 hours. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.

Steps:

• Make the boba pearls: Add the water and muscovado sugar to a medium pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes. Add a bit of the tapioca flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add half of the remaining tapioca flour and stir vigorously until a sticky dough forms. Turn off the heat and add the remaining tapioca flour. Stir until the dough comes together in a ball (not all of the flour will be incorporated at this stage). Let cool slightly.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Knead until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth, adding more flour or water as needed if the dough is too sticky or too dry.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions. Roll the dough into long, thin ropes about ¼-inch (6.35 mm) thick, cutting in half crosswise if they get too long. Cut the ropes into ¼-inch (6.35 mm) pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in a bowl with a bit of tapioca flour. Dust the balls with the flour to prevent them from sticking to each other.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Shake off any excess flour from the tapioca pearls, then add to the boiling water. Stir to separate the pearls, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, make the brown sugar syrup: Add the muscovado sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the syrup reduces slightly, 5-7 minutes. Pour the syrup into a large heatproof bowl.
• Once the pearls have cooked through, drain and rinse with cold water. Add the pearls to the bowl with the brown sugar syrup and let sit for 30-60 minutes.
• Make the black tea: In a medium pot over high heat, combine the water and tea bags. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and let the tea cool to room temperature.
• Make the milk mixture: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the half-and-half and sweetened condensed milk until combined.
• Assemble the boba milk tea: Add about ⅓ cup (80 ml) boba pearls and brown sugar syrup to the bottom of each glass. Top with 1½ cups (225 grams) ice, then add ½ cup (240 ml) black tea and 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture. Stir with a wide-opening straw, then serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Measure 2 cups of water for every 1/4 cup of boba being prepared into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the boba and stir gently until they begin floating to the top of the water.
• Turn the heat to medium and cook the boba for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let the pearls sit for another 12 to 15 minutes.
• While the boba are cooking, make a simple sugar syrup to sweeten and preserve them once cooked. Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil over high heat on the stove or in the microwave. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Once the boba have finished cooking, drain them from the water and transfer them to a small bowl or container. Pour the sugar syrup over top until the boba are submerged. Let sit until the boba are room temperature, at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use. Boba are best if used within a few hours of cooking, but will keep refrigerated for several days. The boba will gradually harden and become crunchy as they sit.