Fat Thursday is the final Thursday before lent which is one the last opportunities for feasting before the fasting period starts which then runs until Easter. Many Christians in Europe will partake in the tradition and cook up a nice feast on this day. One of the common treats in Poland are deep fried doughnuts filled with jam.
We’ve made doughnuts on this channel before, but not quite like this. This time I decided to simplify the process and make it extra quick so that you can whip these bad boys up at moment’s notice.
This recipe makes 12 doughnuts. To adjust the quantity simply divide or multiply all the ingredients.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the dough –
300g (10.6oz) white bread flour
6g (0.21oz) vanilla paste
5g (0.17oz) salt
30g (1oz) sugar
50g (1.75oz) melted butter
5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast
1 medium egg (50g; 1.75oz)
140g (4.9oz) milk
15g (0.5oz) rum (optional)
Oil for frying
To fill and top –
Strawberry jam or any other jam that you like
Icing sugar
To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.
The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.
If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.
If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.
Method
- In a large bowl combine the milk, yeast, salt, sugar, vanilla, egg, rum, and melted butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar completely. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
- Cover and ferment for 20 minutes.
- Fold #1.
- Ferment for 20 minutes.
- Fold #2.
- Ferment for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls.
- Cover and proof for 1 hour.
- Fry the doughnuts in oil at 160C (320F) – 170C (340F) for around 5 minutes flipping each minute.
- Leave to drain and cool.
- Poke a hole in each doughnut and fill with jam. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
