Making Paczki at Home: A Jelly-Filled Doughnut Tradition

Paczki (pronounced "poonch-key") are a richer, more decadent take on the jelly doughnut. Their dough includes whole eggs as well as extra yolks, giving them a deep, almost savory flavor, and they are typically coated in a sweet glaze. In Poland, they are customarily eaten on Fat Thursday—the Thursday before Ash Wednesday—but in Polish neighborhoods across the United States, they are more commonly associated with Fat Tuesday festivities. The tradition itself began as a festive way to clear out eggs, butter, and lard before the Lenten fast. While lard is the traditional frying medium, this recipe calls for vegetable oil, which is easier to find for most home cooks. Either way, some people believe that starting Lent with these rich, sweet pastries brings good luck and happiness for the rest of the year.

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour
• Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 15 doughnuts

Ingredients

For the paczki

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting and as needed (see Cook’s note)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing
• 2 large eggs plus 3 yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

For the filling and glaze

• 1 1/2 cups jam or jelly, such as apricot or grape
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon whole milk, plus more if needed

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together; set aside.
2. Warm the milk in a small microwave-safe bowl until it reaches 110 to 115 degrees F, about 1 minute. Stir to distribute the heat evenly. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, just enough to moisten the yeast. Let stand until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. While the yeast blooms, place the butter and remaining granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed, scraping down the bowl once or twice, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and beat on medium-high until combined, about 1 minute. Add the yolks and vanilla and beat for another minute.
4. With the mixer on low, then increasing to medium-high, add the flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the yeast mixture. After the final flour addition is incorporated, knead the dough in the mixer until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. The dough will be soft and clinging to the sides of the bowl but should not be too sticky to the touch. If it is too sticky, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and knead for another minute to firm it up.
5. Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted surface and knead by hand a few times, tucking the dough under itself to form a smooth ball. Place in a large greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll or pat it to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles and arrange on a lightly floured baking sheet. Gather the scraps and cut one more circle, or make mini paczki to fry. Cover the circles with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
7. In the meantime, heat the oil in a deep Dutch oven to 350 degrees F; line a baking sheet with paper towels.
8. Shake any excess flour off the dough circles and fry them in batches of 3 to 4 until deeply golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. You can tell they are cooked through when the bubbling slows to almost nothing. As each doughnut comes out of the oil, transfer it to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F between batches. Let the doughnuts cool until they can be handled comfortably.
9. For the filling and glaze: Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill it with the jam. Set aside.
10. Use a thick skewer or chopstick to poke a hole in the center of each doughnut, wiggling to create a little space, but be careful not to pierce all the way through. Pipe in the jam using the pastry bag.
11. To make the glaze, place the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl wide enough to dip a doughnut into. Whisk in the milk until smooth. The glaze should be somewhat loose, similar to the consistency of maple syrup. Dip each doughnut in the glaze, letting the excess drip off slightly before turning it over to set. Some glaze will run down the sides, which is fine, but if you need to adjust the thickness, add a little more confectioners' sugar or milk as needed. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes. If you prefer to skip the glaze, simply dust the doughnuts with confectioners' sugar—many paczki are enjoyed that way as well. Paczki are best the day they are made, but they can be kept in an airtight container and eaten the next day.

Notes

When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, which can lead to dry baked goods.)