How to Make Pączki (Polish Donuts)
Pączki are traditional Polish donuts served on Fat Tuesday! They are made from a soft, enriched dough that’s deep-fried and filled with custard or jam.
OVERVIEW
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Technique Used: The Sponge Mixing Method for Bread Making
- Components Used: Classic Diplomat Cream, Small Batch Refrigerator Jam
Living in Chicago, it’s impossible not to notice delicious-looking filled donuts pop up around mid-February in bakeries as well as chain grocery stores. Of course I had to try them! They taste just as delicious as they look.
After doing a bit of research, turns out these incredible donuts are called pączki (pronounced poonch-key).
What are pączki?
Pączki are traditional Polish donuts made from an enriched soft, brioche-like dough. They’re deep fried and filled with custard or jam. They’re served on Pączki Day, known in the U.S. and Canada as Fat Tuesday, but served on Fat Thursday in other countries.
They are most commonly familiar in the U.S. in larger Midwest cities like Chicago due to higher concentrations of the Polish community.
In case you aren’t in one of these cities where pączki are available, you can now make your own with this tutorial!
What makes pączki unique?
- Unlike other yeast donut recipes, pączki are deep-fried in oil heated to a lower temperature and for a slightly longer amount of time. This lower temperature helps the dough to puff and gives them their trademark bright white horizontal line.
- Another unique trait of pączki is the inclusion of a small amount of vodka in the dough. Because the dough is fried at a lower temperature, the vodka prevents the dough from absorbing too much oil. Without the vodka, the donuts may become too greasy.
How to make pączki
Mix the sponge
Make the sponge by mixing the activated yeast and milk mixture with the smaller amount of flour listed. This extra step of first making a sponge gives the dough a head start in proofing.
What is a “sponge”?
A sponge (or pre-ferment) is when some of the ingredients of a yeast dough are mixed together and ferment before the whole dough is made. This process creates more depth of flavor and produces texture that is lighter and fluffier.
After mixing, let the sponge sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. You will notice a significant change in the appearance and should be puffy.
Mix the final dough
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl to make the final dough. Mix by hand with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula or use the dough hook attachment in a stand mixer.
Knead the dough either by hand for 7-8 minutes or by machine 4-5 minutes. If kneading by hand, it’s best to let the dough rest for about 10-15 minutes before kneading. This will make it much easier to knead. After kneading the dough should be smooth and elastic.
Let the dough sit at room temperature to proof for about 1 ½ hours.
Cut the donuts
On a clean countertop or silicone mat, lightly dust with flour and pour out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick. Use a 2 ½ inch (6.3 cm) round cutter for small pączkis or a 3 inch (7.6 cm) cutter for a larger size. Cut as many donuts as you can and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Collect the scraps and re-roll the dough. Cut the remainder of the dough into rounds. The donuts made from scraps won’t fry up as well as the others. They may lose their shape and not have the identifiable white line however, they are still delicious and are a good way to test the heat of the frying oil.
Cover the cut donuts with loose plastic wrap and let sit for about 1 hour.
Fry
When the donuts are about halfway through resting, heat the oil. It takes my stovetop about 20-25 minutes to come up to the correct temperature.
Heat about 2 inches (5 cm) of frying oil in a shallow pot to about 325ºF/ 162ºC. I’m using my dutch oven.
Monitor the temperature as you are frying and do not let it get below 320ºF or above 340ºF (160 – 171ºC). A fry thermometer or candy thermometer is essential and high recommended. Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
Gently slide the pączkis into the oil (you can use a slotted spoon for this) and fry for 3 ½ – 4 minutes, before flipping once and cook for another 3 ½ – 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil and place onto a cooling rack. During and in between batches, monitor the temperature and adjust accordingly.
Roll and Fill
After frying and while still warm, roll the donuts in granulated sugar. The warmth will help the sugar to stick. Cool the donuts completely on the wire rack.
After cooling, fill the donuts with your chosen filling or fillings. Alternatively, skip rolling the donuts in granulated sugar and dust with powdered sugar. Dust them after cooling and filling them.
Storage
Pączkis (along with other types of fried dough) are best enjoyed the same day they are fried. You can still eat them the day after but they will start to taste stale.
Store any leftover donuts in the refrigerator especially if they contain a perishable filling.
Filling Ideas
For my pączki, I’ve filled them with store-bought jam and diplomat cream. Diplomat cream is a simple combination of vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream.
I don’t suggest using only fresh whipped cream as your donut filling as it’s not very stable however, you can stabilize it using gelatin.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you loved this recipe, you might like to try other delicious donut recipes.
And if you’re interested in traditional Polish recipes, try these!
Homemade Pączki (Polish Donuts)
Pączki are traditional Polish donuts served on Fat Tuesday! They are made from yeast dough that's deep-fried and filled with custard or jam.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 160 grams (⅔ cup) whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) instant or quick-rise yeast
- 13 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 120 grams (1 cup) bread flour
For the Final Dough
- 85 grams (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 240 grams (2 cups) bread flour, plus more for kneading
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vodka, *optional
For Frying, Filling, & Topping
- about 904 grams (4 cups) frying oil, canola, vegetable, or peanut
- Filling of choice like jam, pastry cream, or diplomat cream
- about ¼ cup Powdered sugar or granulated sugar, for dusting or rolling
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: Warm the milk (160 grams/ ⅔ cup) to about 110-115°F/ 43-46°C and add the yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons/ 1 package) and granulated sugar (13 grams/ 1 tablespoon) and stir together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
- Make the Sponge: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl add the milk/yeast mixture and bread flour (120 grams/ 1 cup) and stir to combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. It will become very puffy.
- Mix final dough: To the same mixing bowl, add the rest of the sugar (85 grams/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon), softened butter (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons), whole egg (1 large), egg yolks (2 large), salt (1 ¼ teaspoons), bread flour (240 grams/ 2 cups), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and vodka (2 teaspoons), if using, to the mixing bowl. Mix with the dough hook on the stand mixer or with a silicone spatula if not using a mixer until all of the flour is absorbed and you have a sticky dough.
- Knead dough: If kneading by hand, let the dough rest (covered) for about 10-15 minutes before kneading. This will make the dough more manageable. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 7-8 minutes until its smooth and elastic. Alternatively, you can knead with a dough hook in a stand mixer for about 4-5 minutes. This dough is quite sticky. You can add a bit more flour if needed but try not to add too much as this is what makes the pączkis fluffy and tender.
- Proof dough: Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured clean work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to ½ inch (1.2 cm) thickness. Use a 2 ½ inch (6.3 cm) round cutter for small pączkis or a 3 inch (7.6 cm) cutter for large pączkis. Be careful not to twist the cutter or it will seal the edges and they will not rise as high. Place the round of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour.
- Fry: Heat about 2 inches (5 cm) of frying oil in a shallow pot to about 325ºF (162ºC). Monitor the temperature as you are frying and do not let it get below 320ºF or above 340ºF (160 - 171ºC). A fry thermometer or candy thermometer is very helpful here. Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Gently slide the pączkis into the oil (you can use a slotted spoon for this) and fry for 3 ½ - 4 minutes, before flipping once and cook for another 3 ½ - 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil and place onto a cooling rack.
- Topping: If rolling in granulated sugar, let it cool only slightly and then roll in the sugar until fully coated. The warm dough will help the sugar to stick. If dusting with powdered sugar, wait until they are fully cooled.
- Fill: After fully cooled, use a pairing knife or piping tip to cut a hole into the side of a pączki. Pipe jam, pastry cream, or diplomat cream into the dough until it feels full. Best eaten fresh!
Notes
*Optional: vodka helps the donuts not absorb too much oil while frying but is technically optional.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
