Polish
Pączki
Deeply golden Polish yeast pastries with yolk-rich crumb, rosehip preserve, lemon glaze, and candied orange peel.
14 servings · 55 minutes prep · 25 minutes cook
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup, divided
- 1 tbsp
- ⅓ cup, divided
- 4 cups, plus up to 2 tbsp only if needed, spooned and leveled; reserve up to 2 tbsp only for dough that still flows like batter
- 2¾ tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp
- 2 tbsp, Polish vodka
- 6 tbsp, softened but not melted; reserve a trace from this amount to grease the fermentation bowl
Frying and Filling
- about 10 cups, plus more if needed for depth, neutral high-heat oil, such as refined sunflower or canola; use enough for a measured 2½-inch depth while remaining below the pot’s halfway point
- 1¼ cups, thick and chilled
Glaze
- 1¼ cups, sifted
- 2 tbsp
- 2 tsp, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp, finely diced
Directions
1. Start the dough
- Warm ½ cup (120 ml) of the whole milk to 100–105°F (38–41°C). In the bowl of a {{tool:stand-mixer}}, combine it with the instant yeast, 1 tbsp (13 g) of the granulated sugar, and ½ cup (63 g) of the measured all purpose flour. Whisk smooth with a {{tool:whisk}} and let stand for 15 minutes. The mixture should expand and develop a foamy, yeast-scented surface.
- Meanwhile, whisk the remaining granulated sugar with the egg yolks for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly thickened and lighter in color. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, the vanilla extract, and the vodka.
- Add the yolk mixture, remaining all purpose flour, and kosher salt to the yeast mixture. Fit the {{tool:stand-mixer}} with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 3 minutes, stopping once to scrape the bowl with a {{tool:rubber-spatula}}. The dough will be soft and sticky.
2. Develop and enrich the dough
- Knead on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Reserve a trace of the softened unsalted butter for the fermentation bowl, then add the remainder about 1 tbsp (15 g) at a time, allowing each addition to disappear before adding the next. Continue kneading for 7 to 10 minutes. The dough should be glossy, elastic, and tacky, pull cleanly from the bowl sides, and stretch into a thin translucent membrane before tearing.
- If the dough still flows like batter after the full kneading time, add the reserved all purpose flour 1 tbsp (8 g) at a time; do not make the dough firm or dry.
- Coat a {{tool:mixing-bowl}} with the trace of reserved unsalted butter. Transfer in the dough, cover, and ferment at 75–78°F (24–26°C) for 75 to 90 minutes, until roughly doubled and airy. An indentation pressed ½ inch (1.25 cm) into the dough should slowly begin to fill.
3. Shape and proof
- Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface and gently press out the largest gas pockets. Using a {{tool:kitchen-scale}}, weigh and divide it into 14 portions of about 72 g (2½ oz) each.
- Cup each portion beneath a lightly curved hand and roll it against the work surface until taut and round, pinching any seam closed. Arrange seam-side down on two {{tool:sheet-pan}}s lined with {{tool:parchment-paper}}, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Press each ball very lightly into a plump disk about 2½ inches (6 cm) wide.
- Cover loosely and proof at 75–78°F (24–26°C) for 45 to 60 minutes. The rounds should become visibly swollen and delicate; a gentle fingertip impression should return slowly while remaining faintly visible. Underproofed dough may split in the fryer, while overproofed rounds may wrinkle or collapse.
4. Heat the fryer
- Pour about 10 cups (2.4 L) of the neutral oil into a heavy 6- to 7-quart (5.7- to 6.6-liter) {{tool:deep-fry-pot}}, then add more oil if necessary to reach a measured depth of 2½ inches (6 cm). The measured depth controls; keep the oil below the pot’s halfway point. Attach a {{tool:deep-fry-thermometer}} and heat over medium to 350°F (177°C).
- Cut the {{tool:parchment-paper}} around each proofed round into an individual square. Lift a round by its paper and lower it dough-side down to the oil surface. Keeping your hands clear of the oil, use completely dry, heat-safe {{tool:tongs}} to peel away and remove the parchment immediately without deflating the dough.
5. Fry in controlled batches
- Fry no more than 3 pączki at once, immediately adjusting the heat to hold the oil between 345 and 355°F (174–179°C). Fry the first side for 2 to 2½ minutes until deeply golden, turn once with a dry {{tool:slotted-spoon}}, and fry the second side for another 2 to 2½ minutes.
- Properly proofed pączki should float high and develop a distinct pale band around the middle. Check the first one from the side with an {{tool:instant-read-thermometer}}: the center must reach at least 190°F (88°C) with no wet or gummy dough. If it browns sooner, lower the oil to 345°F (174°C).
- Transfer the fried pączki to a {{tool:wire-rack}} set over a {{tool:sheet-pan}}. Let the oil recover fully to 350°F (177°C) before each new batch and fry the remainder in the same manner. Keep water, damp utensils, and loose flour away from the oil, and cool the oil completely before straining or discarding it.
6. Fill and finish
- Cool the pączki for 25 to 30 minutes. They may remain faintly warm, but they must not be hot enough to melt or loosen the filling.
- Fit a {{tool:piping-bag}} with a ¼-inch (6 mm) filling tip and load it with the chilled rosehip preserve. Pierce each pączek through its pale side band, create a pocket with the tip, and pipe in about 1½ tbsp (25 g) preserve, stopping when the pastry feels noticeably heavier and a small bead appears at the opening.
- Using a {{tool:whisk}}, combine the powdered sugar, boiling water, and lemon juice until smooth and fluid but not watery. Dip only the crown of each pączek into the glaze, let the excess drip away, return it to the {{tool:wire-rack}}, and immediately sprinkle with the candied orange peel.
- Let the glaze set for 10 minutes. Serve the pączki on the day they are fried, ideally within 4 hours. Refrigerate leftovers because the fruit preserve has been opened, then return them to room temperature before serving; refrigeration will firm the crumb.
