Kate's Global Kitchen: Pakczi, or Polish Doughnuts

Pakczi, or Polish Doughnuts

Dear Kate,

Do you happen to have a recipe for Polish jelly doughnuts (Ponczki)—and Polish bublichki. Two taste treats from my past.

Thanks.

LevinMarti@

I asked one of our (former) chat hosts, Judy McCann, who comes from a Polish family. She sent these recipes for Polish doughnuts.

Hope this fits the bill!

Kate Heyhoe
The Global Gourmet

Judy writes:

I am sending you two ways of making pakczi (Polish Doughnuts).

This was my Grandmother's recipe.

Pakczi (Polish Doughnuts)

1 cup milk
4 more Tbs. milk
2 pkg active dry yeast
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups flour (do not sift it)
12 eggs yolks
1/4 lb. butter (Room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. whiskey

Heat all of the milk to scald it. Measure 4 Tbs. into a cup and pour the rest into mixing bowl. Cool the milk in cup to just warm, add yeast and stir in one tablespoon of sugar.

Add one cup of the flour to milk in mixing bowl and beat hard to make smoooth. Add the yeast mixture and beat well. Cover and let rise in warm area until double and bubbly.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar thoroughly in a separate bowl. Add the egg mixture to the yeast mixture and beat to blend well. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and beat. Dough will be soft.

Spread 3 tablespoons of flour on the table. Turn the dough out on the flour. Pour 2 additional cups of flour on the table close to the dough. Spread the soft butter on the dough, fold it over and then using the additional flour, a little at a time knead and work the butter in well. Spread the dough out and sprinkle the vanilla and whiskey on it and work in well. Work in enough flour to make a kneadable dough.

Knead the dough for 5 more minutes in the usual way.

Place in a buttered bowl. Turn buttered side up, cover and let rise in warm area until double. Punch down and let rise until tripled.

Roll out a portion at a time to 1/3" thickness. Cut out 3" circles. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Let rise uncovered, until tripled.

Deep fry in hot oil at 375F. Turn once, drain on paper towels, cool, dust with confectioners or granulated sugar. Makes about 3 doz.

You can fill the doughuts with your favorite jelly. My grandmother always used prune butter, and I only like them that way. We have a polish bakery in our town and I can buy prune butter at the bakery.

If you are going to fill the doughnuts, fill them after you have cut them into a 3" circle and then let them rise.

This was my grandmother's recipe, but I have made up my own recipe. It is not as rich as grandma's, but it does not have all of the eggs in it.

Judy McCann's recipe for

Ponczki: Jelly Doughnuts

1 pky active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup butter or margarine (at room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
3-1/2 cups flour (about)

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, then egg yolks, one at a time. Add vanilla extract, dissolved yeast, and salt. Beat until well mixed. Stir in flour gradually, adding enough to make a stiff dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 min. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out with a doughnut cutter. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Fry in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain the doughnuts on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.

Visit the Global Gourmet's Poland page

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