Pączki

These are a bread doughnut, not a cake doughnut. They are not anywhere near as sweet as the ones that you buy at doughnut stands.

Ingredients

1 tsp instant yeast
6 tsp caster sugar
230 ml lukewarm milk
450-500 g plain flour (start with 450, add in more flour if they dough is too sticky)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg and 4 yolks
50 g butter


Oil for frying.


Jam of your choice for filling.
Cinnamon sugar, castor sugar, or icing sugar for dusting/glazing.

 

Method

Place the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar into the warm milk, stir, and leave for 10-15 minutes until the yeast has gone frothy.

Place the flour, salt, vanilla extract and the rest of sugar in a bowl. Add in the egg, yolks and butter and combine. Start kneading the dough slowly adding the yeast mixture and the rest of milk.

Knead the dough until it is shiny and more easily handled. It will be a soft dough. Cover and leave to rise for an hour.

Roll out the dough to make 15-20 flattish balls. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil to 175°C. Use enough oil for the doughnuts to float freely.  Fry doughnuts around 1-2 minutes on every side (or until golden brown). Don't overcrowd the pan, as the oil temperature will drop down. Flip them using wooden skewers (I use chopsticks - probably not so traditional!).

Take them out of the oil and put it on a plate covered with paper towel to absorb extra oil.A jam syringe is best but if, like me, you don't own such a thing then use an icing bag, insert a tip into the side of the doughnut and gently squeeze the jame of your choice in. BE GENTLE. Don't ask why I thought that required capitals... she said, looking at the jam spatters on the counter... lol!

Pączki with strawberry jam... mmmm....

To finish either dust with cinnamon sugar, castor sugar, or glaze with a thin icing made with icing sugar and hot water. I just dusted with castor sugar for a little hit of extra sweetness.

UPDATE: These do indeed freeze very well. I wrapped rows of four doughnuts in foil, and then popped them in the freezer. They defrosted well and were fine eat cold, but also were very nice warmed in the oven. Not as good as straight out of the deep-fry but nothing to pass up either :)