Polish Doughnuts Food

POLISH DONUTS (PąCZKI) RECIPE

Steps:

• Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups of the bread flour, 1 cup warm milk, 3 1/2 ounces fresh yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Place in a warm spot covered with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.
• Step 2: When the hour is almost up, fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. To the bowl of the stand mixer add 6 eggs yolks, 1 whole egg and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk on medium-low until white and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
• Step 3: Change whisk to a mixing paddle, add the yeast mixture and start mixing. Gradually start adding the remaining 6 cups bread flour alternating with the remaining 3/4 cup warm milk. Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 3 1/2 tablespoons vodka, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and continue to mix. When it becomes too thick to mix with the paddle, start kneading by hand. Knead until dough is smooth and it doesn't stick to your hand anymore (about 10 minutes).
• Step 4: Finally, slowly add 7 tablespoons melted butter and keep kneading until incorporated.
• Step 5: Place dough in a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.
• Step 6: After 1 hour, divide dough in half and roll out to about 1/2-inch thickness. With a glass, metal can or biscuit cutter cut out circles and place on a cookie sheet. Do this with all of your dough. Cover dough circles with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.
• Step 7: About 15 minutes before the hour is up, put the 2 pounds lard in a rather narrow pot (we'll be frying only 2-3 at a time, and we need some depth of the oil) and heat on medium heat until the grease reaches 350℉/180℃ (or until a piece of dough placed in grease starts bubbling immediately).
• Step 8: Be very careful when placing donuts into hot grease. I use a wire colander or spider strainer to place 2 or 3 donuts at a time. Fry donuts until they are golden brown (about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side) and flip. Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet and repeat with remaining dough (allow the grease to return to 350F in between batches).
• Step 9: If you'd like to fill them with jelly, let them cool first. Fill a pastry bag (with a long nozzle) with your favorite jam or jelly. Insert nozzle into donut and push on bag to fill them with about 1 teaspoon of jelly. Repeat with remaining donuts.
• Step 10: If you'd like to glaze your paczki, place 2 cups powdered sugar in a bowl and add the juice of 1 lemon plus water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour over donuts and garnish with lemon peel, if you like. (Alternately, you can just dust the donuts with powdered sugar instead of glazing.)
• For other Fat Tuesday recipes, click here.

POLISH DOUGHNUTS - PACZKI

Steps:

• Scald milk and allow to cool to lukewarm, add yeast and stir.
• Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, add eggs, salt, vanilla and mace.
• Add flour and yeast-milk gradually, beating well.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and let rise again.
• Roll out dough, on a floured surface, 3/4 inch thick.
• Cut out 1 1/2 inch circles.
• Top half of the circles with 1 tsp jam, cover with the remaining circles and seal edges.
• Heat oil mixed with 1 tbls water to 375°F.
• Fry, turning once, to a medium golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.

AUTHENTIC POLISH PACZKI

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and piles softly, about 7 minutes.
• Soften yeast in warm water.
• Cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy.
• Slowly beat in the softened yeast.
• Stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix.
• Add rum/brandy and half of the cream.
• Beat in another fourth of the flour.
• Stir in remaining cream.
• Beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture.
• Beat for 2 minutes.
• Gradually beat in the remaining flour until the dough blisters.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Set in a warm place to rise.
• When it has doubled in bulk, punch it down.
• Cover and let rise again until doubled.
• Punch it down again.
• Roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
• Cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or glass.
• Put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the circles.
• Brush the edges with water.
• Top with the remaining rounds.
• Seal the edges very well.
• Cover the paczki on a floured surface.
• Let rise about 20 minutes.
• Deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.

BAKED PACZKI (POLISH DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the yeast to the warm milk; stir to dissolve and set aside.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg, egg yolks, brandy or rum, and salt until well incorporated.
• Add 4 1/2 cups of the flour alternately with the milk-yeast mixture and beat for 5 or more minutes until smooth. The dough will be very slack. If much too soft or runny, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and let rise again.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Remove the scraps, re-roll, and re-cut.
• Transfer the rounds to parchment-lined baking sheets, cover, and let rounds rise until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or longer. Heat the oven to 375 F.
• Place pączki in the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
• Remove from the oven; if coating in granulated sugar, brush the tops and sides with melted butter and roll in granulated sugar while still hot. If using confectioners' sugar, let the doughnuts cool before coating.
• To fill the pączki , let them cool completely, cut a slit in the side, and slip a teaspoon of fruit paste or jam inside. Then dust with confectioners' sugar or roll in granulated sugar.
• Serve and enjoy.

POLISH PRE-LENTEN JELLY DOUGHNUTS: PACZKI

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients, except vegetable oil together in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook for 11 to 12 minutes or until dough reaches 78 degrees F. Set dough aside to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Divide and round dough into golf ball-sized pieces, put onto sheet pan and proof until the balls grow to around the size of soft balls, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat a fryer to 360 degrees F.
• Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Cool. Using a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, fill with your favorite preserves and top with powdered sugar.

PACZKI

Steps:

• For the paczki: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Microwave the milk in a small microwave-safe bowl until warm (between 110 to 115 degrees F.), about 1 minute, then stir to even out the temperature. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, stirring just enough to hydrate the yeast. Let bloom for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the butter and remaining granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together on medium high-speed, stopping and scraping the bowl once or twice as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and beat on medium high to combine, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat together another minute.
• Starting with the mixer on low and then raising to medium high, add the flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the yeast mixture. Once the last addition of flour has been combined, knead the dough in the mixer until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. The dough will be slack and sticking to the sides but not too sticky to the touch. If it is too sticky, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and knead a minute more to tighten it up.
• Put the dough on a flour-dusted surface and knead by hand a few times, tucking the dough under itself to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a large, greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll or pat down to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Make one more circle from the dough scraps or make mini paczki to fry. Cover the dough circles with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep Dutch oven to 350 degrees F; line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Shake off any flour from the dough circles and fry in batches of 3 to 4 until deep golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side. You will be able to tell they are cooked through because the amount of bubbles will reduce to almost nothing. Transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet as they come out of the oil. Return the oil to 350 degrees F between batches. Let rest until cool enough to handle.
• For the filling and glaze. Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill with the jam. Set aside.
• Use a thick skewer or chopstick to poke a hole in the middle of each doughnut and wiggle a little space, taking care to not poke all the way through. Fill with the jam using the pastry bag.
• To make the glaze, add the confectioners' sugar to a small bowl big enough to dip a doughnut into. Whisk in the milk until smooth. The glaze should be a little loose, close to the consistency of maple syrup. Dip each doughnut in the glaze, letting it roll off a bit before turning it over to set. Some of the glaze will run down the sides which is okay, but if you need to adjust the thickness, add a little more confectioners' sugar or milk depending on what you need. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes! If you want to skip the glaze, just dust with confectioners' sugar; many paczki are enjoyed this way too. Paczki are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container to enjoy the next day.

PACZKI (POLISH "JELLY" DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• SPONGE:.
• Dissolve crushed yeast in lukewarm milk, sift in flour, add sugar.
• Mix, cover, and let stand in warm place to rise.
• Beat egg yolks with powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
• Sift flour into bowl, add sponge (yeast mixture), egg mixture, and grain alcohol or rum.
• Knead well until dough is smooth and glossy.
• Gradually add melted lukewarm butter and continue kneading dough until it no longer clings to hands and bowl and air blisters appear.
• Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until doubled.
• Punch dough down and let it rise again. Transfer dough to floured board, sprinkle top with flour, and roll out about 1/2" inch thick.
• With glass or biscuit-cutter, cut into rounds.
• Arrange on floured board and proceed in either of the following ways:.
• SMALL PACZKI:.
• Place a spoonful of fruit filling (rose-hip preserves, cherry preserves, or other thick jam) off center on each round.
• Raise edges of dough and pinch together over filling, then roll between palms snowball fashion to form balls.
• Let rise in warm place until doubled.
• LARGE PACZKI:.
• Place a spoonful of fruit filling as above on only 1/2 dough rounds, cover each with another round, pinch edges together, and roll between palms to form a ball.
• Let rise until doubled in warm, draft-free place.
• Heat 1 1/2-2 lbs. lard in deep pan so paczki can float freely during frying.
• It is hot enough when a small piece of dough dropped into hot fat immediately floats up.
• Fry paczki without crowding several minutes until nicely browned on bottom, then turn over and fry on other side another 3 minutes or so.
• NOTE:.
• If using electric fryer, set temperature at 360-375 degrees.
• If frying in stove-top pan and fat begins to burn, add several slices of peeled raw potato which will both lower the temperature and absorb the burnt flavor.
• Paczki may also be fried in oil, but lard produces the tastiest results.
• If you are cutting down on animal fats, you can compromise by using a lard and oil combination.
• Transfer fried paczki to absorbent paper and set aside to cool.
• When cool, dust generously with powdered sugar, glaze or icing.
• RECIPES USING EGG WHITES:.
• Fat-Free, Sugar-Free & Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread! Recipe #45394.
• Angel Food Cake Recipe #12591.
• Fruit pies with meringue topping.

PULASKI'S FAVORITE PONTSHKI ( POLISH DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Mix crumbled yeast cake in lukewarm milk. Add the smaller amount of flour & set to rise in a warm place, covered with warm cloth, 20-25 minutes.
• Stir butter, lemon rind (optional) sugar, mace or nutmeg & salt together.
• Add the warm flour & egg yolks.
• Mix this with yeast sponge & add enough lukewarm milk to make a dough as thick as bread dough.
• Add butter, melted & cooled, & beat thoroughly for 10-15 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface of dough.
• Cover& allow to rise about 20 minutes, then mix it lightly again.
• Flour a board & take out small portions at a time.
• Roll out to 1/3-inch thickness & cut in 2 to 2- 1/2 inch rounds.
• For filling, use prune jam, marmalade or jelly.
• Place filling in center of each dough round, leaving enough space around filling to press down & top round.
• Wet edges before doing this.
• Close edges tightly but do not spread dough out too large, trim edges again with cutter.
• Lay on floured board to rise for about 1 hour or more.
• They must be about twice their thickness.
• Cover with warm cloth.
• FRY in deep hot fat (360-370°F )& when golden brown on both sides, drain & sprinkle with powdered sugar.

RAISED POLISH DOUGHNUTS PACZKI

Steps:

• dissolve yeast in warm water
• scald milk
• add sugar and butter
• cool to lukewarm add yeast mixture and 2 cups flour.
• let rise until light
• beat egg yols and egg together
• add eggs and vanilla to 1st mixture.
• add rest of flour and salt
• knead lightly and let rise
• roll dough 1/2 inch thick
• cut out doughnuts
• let rise untl light
• fry in deep fat
• glaze doughtnuts while still warm.
• glaze
• combine all ingredients add enough water to make mixture a medium cosistancy.