Makes about 12 pączki
NEARLY EVERY CULTURE HAS A NAME FOR THEIR VERSION OF A ROUND, YEAST-raised, filled donut, with names ranging from sufganiyot to bombolone, Berliners to krapfen. In the Midwest, they’re most frequently found as Polish pa˛czki (pronounced POONCH-key) and they create near-hysteria on Fat Tuesday—the day before the beginning of Lent—at bakeries making the best ones.
In my neighborhood, Oak Park Bakery goes positively insane leading up to Pa˛czki Day, as Fat Tuesday is called in the Chicago area. Lines run out the door and down the block, and that’s just the pickup queue for people who thought to call weeks ahead to secure their orders for their favorite flavors. Hell hath no fury like pa˛czki-craving Chicagoans who can’t get their fix from their favorite bakery. Man, I love this town.
But if you’re going to go to the trouble of making pa˛czki at home, and I urge you to try, go all in. Go big and poufy and fill them to bursting, and don’t forget the powdery blanket of confectioners’ sugar. The secret here is resting the dough overnight, and the addition of double-acting baking powder to give an extra fluff factor. It’s a kitchen project well worth the effort.
¼ cup/57 g warm water (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
¾ cup/168 g whole milk, at room temperature
¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons/57 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3¾ cups/480 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder*
Nonstick cooking spray or oil for bowl
2 quarts/1.6 kg vegetable or canola oil
1½ cups/480 g filling of your choosing (see “Filling your pączki,” next page)
Confectioners’ or granulated sugar for coating
Prepare the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the water and yeast. Set aside for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the milk, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and begin mixing on low speed. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl down occasionally. When the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, stop the mixer. The dough will still be quite sticky and have a glossy sheen. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray or oil it lightly. Place the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
The next day, lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface and cut into 12 equal portions. Roll each piece into a smooth, taut ball. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, use your fingertips to pull and fold the perimeter of the dough toward the center. Pinch the center together tightly, so it resembles a tiny drawstring purse. Flip the ball over onto the work surface and cup your hand over the ball. Roll the ball clockwise underneath your cupped hand to create a smooth orb. Place the donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 3 to 4 hours (cold dough takes much longer to rise).
Set up your frying station: Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Have ready a slotted spoon and/or a slotted spatula—a fish spatula works well. To fry the pączki, pour 2½ inches/6.3 cm of vegetable oil into a 4- to 5-quart/3.75 to 4.75 L pot. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 360°F/182°C. Fry the doughnuts in batches of no more than 4 at a time. Keep the donuts waiting to be fried covered loosely with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Fry until deep golden brown all over, 1½ to 2 minutes per side, turning only once. The oil may not sizzle very much while frying. Transfer the pączki to paper towels to drain briefly. While hot, dust them generously with confectioners’ sugar or toss in granulated sugar. Let cool completely before filling.
When cool, fill the donuts with the filling of your choosing (see below). Best served the same day. Store leftovers an airtight container (refrigerate for dairy-based fillings).
TIP > FILLING YOUR PĄCZKI. So many options! A good-quality prepared jam is the simplest—raspberry, cherry, apricot, or even a jarred lemon curd are great. I love a vanilla custard filling (see Spoonable Vanilla Custard, here). With these fillings, use a skewer to drill a “pilot hole” in one side of the donut, then use a pastry bag fitted with a ¼- to ½-inch/6 mm to 1.25 cm tip to slowly fill them until they feel plump.
You can also split and fill larger pączki like a donut sandwich, with whipped cream (see the Make-Ahead Whipped Cream, here) and sliced fresh strawberries for a classic, over-the-top Pączki Day presentation.
*Nearly all baking powder these days is double-acting, but check to make sure yours is. It’s the key to making sure the dough gets the full effect of the baking powder given the overnight rest.