Pączki (Ponchik)
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5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
Pączki (Ponchik)
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The pączki (or ponchik) are traditional Polish donuts, also popular in Central and Eastern Europe, that are filled with rose petal jam or fruit jam.
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Ingredients
For the dough
- 8 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 packets Vanilla sugar (or 1 tablespoon of sugar with ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter (very soft)
- 1¼ cup warm milk (at 97 F / 36 ° C), or a little more
- 3 tablespoons vodka
For the leaven
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons warm milk (at 97 F / 36°C)
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
For the cooking
- vegetable oil
For the shaping and filling
- 1 egg white , beaten
- Varen'ye iz lepestkov roz (rose petal jam)
- Powidła (plum jam)
For the decor
- icing sugar
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutter (3 inches / 7 cm)
- pastry brush
- Dutch oven
- Kitchen thermometer
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.
- Let rise for 30 minutes, the mixture should at least double in volume.
- Add the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Dig a well in the center of the flour. Add the remaining caster sugar and the vanilla sugar.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add them in the center of the well, then add the leaven.
- Start kneading at medium speed while incorporating the butter.
- While continuing to knead, gradually add the vodka, then the warm milk until obtaining a homogeneous and slightly firm dough.
- Knead for 10 minutes at low to medium speed.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and mill it until obtaining a supple, smooth, and elastic dough.
- Place the dough in a large container, cover with a slightly damp cloth, and let it rise for 2 and a half hours in a warm place away from drafts.
Shaping
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch (½ cm).
- Using a cookie cutter, cut circles of 3 inches (7 cm) in diameter.
- On half of the dough circles, brush the edges with the beaten egg white then place a tablespoon of plum jam or rose petal jam in the center.
- Cover each circle thus obtained with another circle of dough, then consolidate by pressing the edges.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with lightly floured parchment paper, spacing them out.
- Cover them with a dry cloth and let them sit for 45 minutes in a warm place, away from drafts.
Frying
- In a Dutch oven, heat a large quantity of vegetable oil and, using a kitchen thermometer, bring it to a temperature between 320 F and 340 F (between 160°C and 170°C) which must be maintained throughout the frying process.
- Gently peel the pączki from parchment paper without distorting them, and immerse them in small batches in hot oil.
- Let them brown on one side before turning them over, then let brown on the other side. Once the two sides are uniformly colored, gently remove them using a skewer and place them on paper towel.
- Then sprinkle them with icing sugar.
Notes
- Respecting the oil temperature is very important. If it is too hot, the oil will brown the donuts too much, which will be almost burnt outside and raw inside. If the oil is not hot enough, the dough will absorb a lot of oil and they will be too greasy. Without a kitchen thermometer, it is possible to judge the temperature with the help of a slice of potato which should be immersed in the oil: as soon as it starts to fry normally, the correct temperature is good and it is very important to maintain it.
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3 reviews
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