Polish Donuts – Easy Pączki Recipe

This easy Pączki recipe will guide you to make soft, fluffy Polish donuts at home, filled with jam and dusted with sugar, perfect for Shrove Tuesday or any sweet indulgence.

• 300 g plain flour10-11% protein, sieved, plus extra for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 50 g melted butter
• 35 g caster sugar
• 1 g salt
• 15 ml 40% alcoholor stronger (optional, helps with crispiness)
• 125 ml lukewarm milk
• 10 g fresh yeastor 5g of dry yeast
• 1 L vegetable oilfor frying
• 200 g raspberry jamfor filling
• Icing sugarfor dusting
• 5 g vanilla bean pasteor a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Activate the Yeast:
2. Combine the yeast with lukewarm milk and let it activate for about 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the Dough:
4. Mix all remaining ingredients with the yeast-milk mixture, adding the melted butter at the end.
5. Knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth (it will be sticky at first; do not add extra flour).
6. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make this step easier.
7. First Proofing:
8. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased metal bowl covered with a cloth.
9. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1.5 hours). If the room temperature is low, warming up the bowl with hot water can speed up the process.
10. Shape the Doughnuts:
11. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it briefly to knock out the air.
12. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions and shape them into balls.
13. Cover with a cloth and let them proof for a second time for 25 minutes.
14. Frying the Doughnuts:
15. Heat the vegetable oil to 175°C, using a thermometer to maintain consistent temperature.
16. Fry the doughnuts on each side until they are golden brown, flipping only once.
17. Filling & Finishing:
18. While still warm, use a piping bag with a nozzle to fill each doughnut with raspberry jam.
19. Dust generously with icing sugar or roll in cinnamon sugar for variation.