Traditional Polish Pączki With Rose or Plum Filling
Traditional Polish yeast donuts made with butter, egg yolks, and milk, filled with rose petal jam or plum preserves, fried until golden, and finished with powdered sugar glaze.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour approximately 4 cups
- 50 g fresh yeast or 14 g instant yeast
- 100 g unsalted butter approximately 7 tablespoons
- 100 g granulated sugar approximately 1/2 cup
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 250 ml whole milk approximately 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon vodka or rum
- Filling
- 3/4 –1 cup thick rose petal jam or plum preserves as needed
- Frying
- 1 –1½ quarts neutral frying oil or enough for deep frying
- Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 –2 tablespoons hot water as needed
- Candied orange peel optional
Instructions
- Combine warm milk, yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 5 tablespoons flour. Cover and let rise for 10–15 minutes.
- Melt butter and allow it to cool slightly.
- Whisk egg yolks, whole egg, and remaining sugar in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water for approximately 10 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Combine remaining flour, yeast starter, and egg mixture.
- Knead while gradually adding melted butter. Add vodka or rum and knead until elastic.
- Cover and rise for 40–60 minutes, until doubled.
- Roll dough to approximately 1 cm thick and cut 7 cm circles.
- Fill half the circles with thick jam and cover with the remaining circles. Seal edges.
- Cover and rise for approximately 30 minutes.
- Heat oil to 350°F. Fry donuts in batches for approximately 2 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
- Drain on a wire rack.
- Mix powdered sugar with hot water to make a glaze.
- Glaze the warm donuts and decorate with candied orange peel if desired.
Notes
Weigh flour for best accuracy. Avoid adding excess flour to the sticky dough. Keep frying oil near 350°F. Seal filled dough carefully to prevent leaking. Use thick fruit preserves. Freshly made pączki have the best texture. Nutrition: Calculate using your exact ingredients and estimated oil absorption before publishing.
