Paczki Polish Doughnuts Recipes

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.

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:

• In a small saucepan, heat milk until steaming with small bubbles forming around the edges (about 180F). Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm (about 105F).
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the flour. Mix together and let stand for 20-30 minutes, until really bubbly.
• In the meantime, beat the yolks in a small bowl until they are light and fluffy.
• To the proofed yeast mixture, add the melted butter and sugar and mix. Add salt and vanilla. Add beaten egg yolks. Slowly add more of the flour to bowl in small increments, adding just until you have a soft dough that is moist ,but not sticky. Remove dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 1 minute (adding a bit more flour if it is sticking to your hands or the work surface). Form dough into a ball.
• Grease a clean bowl and add dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled. (This dough is a bit of a slow riser, so expect this rise to be up to 90 minutes).
• Deflate dough and pat out onto floured cutting board. With a rolling pin, gently roll into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Gently cut out circles with 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes). *You can re-roll the scraps and cut more pieces, though they are never quite as neat as the first cuts. I like to use the ugliest of these ones as "test" ones, to test the temperature of the oil. I fry one, let cool, then cut it open to make sure it is cooking all the way through. I can then adjust time/temperature, as needed from there.
• Meanwhile, heat oil to 360°F. Fry paczki until golden on one side, flip and fry the other side. Don't try to cook too many at a time so you don't reduce the temperature of the oil by adding too many at once. Don't rush the frying, to be sure they are cooked through well. Fry until they are a deep golden colour. Remove paczki to a cooling rack for about 30 seconds, then immediately roll in granulated sugar. Let stand until completely cooled.
• Once cooled, using a sharp knife, poke a hole on the side. Use a pastry bag with a large plain tip to pipe the jam or custard filling inside.
• These are best when freshly made, but you can freeze any extras.

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.

PACZKI (POLISH MARDI GRAS DONUTS)

Steps:

• Heat milk to 100-105F. Stir in the yeast, mixing until the yeast is dissolved. Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes to let the yeast proof and become foamy. Meanwhile, gather your other ingredients.
• With a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Once the mixture is creamy and completely mixed, add the egg, egg yolks, brandy or rum, and salt. Mix to combine. The mixture may look curdled, but that's ok.
• Still using the paddle attachment (the dough hook doesn't work well), add about a third of the flour. Add half the milk, then another third of the flour. Add then remaining milk, then the remaining flour.
• Use the paddle attachment on medium-low to medium speed to knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should hold a round-ish shape, but it will still be rather slack. It will definitely be tacky, if not sticky. If it's too sticky, add a little extra flour and knead the dough more.
• Put the dough in a large, greased metal bowl, spray the top of the dough, and cover it with greased plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place to rise. (I usually preheat my oven for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat to create a warm space.) Let rise until doubled. This could take anywhere from 60-120 minutes.
• Gently deflate the dough, then let it rise again until doubled, about another 60 minutes.
• If filling the paczki with pastry cream, prepare it now. (See instructions below.)
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll (or pat, if it's rather soft) it until it is 1/2 inch thick. Dip a 3-inch thick cookie cutter (or the drinking part of a glass, as I use) in flour and use to cut rounds out of the dough. Space out the donut rounds, or place them on a Silpat-lined surface to rise. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
• You can reroll the dough scraps to cut out more paczki, or you can shape them loosely into donut shapes or balls. Place them with the other dough to rise. Let all dough rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in size again.
• After 15 minutes of rising time, begin heating your oil to 350F. This can be in a skillet or in a deep fryer. A deep skillet (recommended) is wider so will fit more donuts; a deep fryer will spatter less but likely take more oil. (See notes below.)
• Once your oil is at 350F, gently place 2-3 paczki into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on the first side. (Adjust the heat if the temperature of the oil drops; if it's too low, your paczki will become soggy.) Gently turn the donuts over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. The donuts will be a deep brown, but the very sides of the donuts will not be browned at all; this is ok.
• Remove the cooked paczki from the oil with a cooking spider, slotted spoon, or tongs. Place on a cooling rack over a pan lined with newspaper or paper towels (or both). Once somewhat cooled, transfer them onto paper towels to let the paper soak up a little extra oil.
• Repeat process with remaining dough. Cool paczki completely before filling.
• Insert a butter knife into each donut from the side or end. Push the knife in most of the way, then wiggle it from side to side to make space for the filling.
• Use a piping bag with a nozzle to squeeze filling into each hole. Or, create your own by placing much of your filling into a sandwich bag. Trim a very small hole into the corner. (The ricotta filling in particular is loose and will ooze out if the hole is too big.) Insert the open corner of the bag into the hole in the paczki. Squeeze in the filling. The paczki may or may not puff out as you fill it.
• Repeat process with remaining paczki and filling. Dust with powdered sugar or granulated sugar. If using a dairy-based filling, store in the refrigerator.
• Pazcki are best on the day they are fried, particularly if your oil is not hot enough. However, any remaining pazcki can be stored in an airtight container (or frozen, though I haven't done that myself). Any paczki with a dairy filling should be stored in the refrigerator.
• Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy saucepan. Whisk in milk. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens, cooking while bubbly for 1 minute.
• Gradually stir half of the mixture into egg yolks to temper them. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to milk mixture in saucepan. Bring to bubbly simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate at least 1 hour until cool.
• Combine ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix together. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

PACZKI: POLISH DONUTS

Steps:

• In a bowl put a tablespoon of flour, 3 tablespoons of warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix it all well, cover with a rag and set aside for 20 minutes. It should become all fluffy and foamy.
• Mix the rest of the flour with egg yolks and melted butter. Then add the rest of your milk (not warm this time) and rum. The rum will make your paczki absorb less oil when frying later.
• Knead the dough with hands for about 5 minutes. Cover with a rag and set to grow in a warm place for about 45 mins to an hour - you can use an oven shelf for that.
• Once the dough is grown, set some flour on the dough board. Roll out the fluffy dough gently to a thickness of about 1" and cut out round paczki (you can use a bigger cup or glass to do it).
• Form your cut out paczki round, but slightly flatter on top and bottom.
• Fry them in oil heated to 345 F for about 2/3 minutes on each side, then place on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
• Once cooled down, stuff them with a filling of your choice. You can sprinkle powdered sugar on top or prepare frosting with melted sugar and candied orange peels.

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 DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, salt, & yeast in large bowl.
• Stir in warm milk, followed by oil, egg yolks & vanilla.
• With electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
• Stir in enough flour until the dough holds together.
• On a floured surface, knead 50 turns, cover with plastic and let rest 10 min.
• If using custard filling, make it now so it can cool. (see recipe below)
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a floured surface, roll dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut circles using a 2 1/2 -inch round cutter, dipped in flour. Re-roll scraps.
• Place mounds on baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot about 45 minutes. (1 hour at room temp.) During this time, preheat oven to 375° F.
• When paczki are puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size, bake for 10 minutes.
• Melt butter and place 1/3 cup sugar in a plastic produce bag. Lay down some wax paper to save cleanup.
• Remove paczki immediately from pan to wax paper. Brush each one while warm (top & sides) with melted butter and roll in bag to coat with sugar.
• For jam, fill warm or cooled paczki using a pastry bag with a long tip, pushing into the side, or cut a slit in the side and insert filling with a spoon. For custard, cool paczki before filling. All paczki are best served right away.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar + 4 teaspoons cornstarch. Slowly stir in 1 cup low fat or whole milk + 1 egg yolk. Bring to a boil. Cook & stir about a minute. (it thickens more as it cools) Spread onto a dinner plate and let it stand, undisturbed, to cool thoroughly before using - refrigerate if necessary.