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I grew up in a Polish family and every year, my grandmother made hordes of Paczki. One day, my husband told me of how his friends would get up super early on Fat Tuesday to go the bakery and get Paczki’s. He proudly presented his prized Paczki one day.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
I was stunned. I kindly informed him that a jelly doughnut, however tasty, is NOT paczki. Then I let him fester. For YEARS! You see, I have a yeast-phobia. Me + Yeast? Well, let’s just say it’s hit or miss. But this recipe from my great-great-grandmother is easy enough for anyone. It just takes time and a little patience.
SIDE NOTE: I acknowledge that there ARE people who insist that Paczki does have jelly filling. They are wrong. Just kidding — although in MY family it most certainly does not and you better not ask for it! As such, I become entangled in the great Paczki debate every year on Facebook. You could try adding a jelly filling to these if you want. If you do, let me know how it turns out! Now, on to the details.
1. You will need the biggest bowl you can find (well over 4 quarts), a heavy cast-iron pot for frying and:
· 2 c. warm milk
· 1 c. water- warm
· 2T sugar, divided
· 1T salt
· 1 pkg. FRESH yeast (found in refrigerator section in foil wrapped cubes — in a pinch, use 3 packets or 7 tsp of dry active yeast)
· 11 c. flour, divided
· 1 c. sugar
· 1 c. butter
· 8 eggs, well beaten
2. Put 1 c. warm water in a glass measuring cup and add 1 T sugar + yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to proof.
If you are yeast-challenged like I am, this is your best friend. Proofing the yeast allows you make sure the water wasn’t too hot or too cold, killing the yeast. It will start to form a layer of bubbles on top if the water was in the happy temperature zone (105-110 degrees is optimal).
3. Next, get out your monster bowl. Mine is 13 quarts and I use it as a dishpan when reenactment camping. Around the house, I call it the Paczki bowl.
4. In your monster bowl, combine warm milk, 1T sugar, salt, 5 c. flour and yeast water with a wooden spoon. Do not use the mixer. Paczki requires a loving touch. Besides, this recipe is huge — it won’t fit in a mixer.
5. Let it rest for an hour.
6. That’s what it looks like after an hour in the 4 quart bowl! After you’ve caught up on your blog reader (isn’t that what YOU do when you have a free hour?), get out a smaller bowl (2.5 qts should do).
7. In your “small” bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the butter and sugar, beating well. (You can use a mixer for the eggs, butter, and sugar if you want. But nothing else!) Add to first bowl.
8. Stir in the last 6 c. flour.
9. At this point, you need to decide if you want it to look like a cake donut or if you want a jelly looking donut.
If you want to roll them out, you will need to make a bit stiffer dough and will want to add more flour. And you’re on your own; I’ve never done it.
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If you hand-form them, you can have a looser dough. I hand-form mine because my busha said that when you roll them, you stand the chance of overworking the dough. I don’t need that kind of pressure. Besides, why fight tradition? But, I digress.
10. Rise until doubled in size.
11. While you are letting it double, get out a large cast iron pot or powerful deep fryer (none of those pathetic FryDaddy machines will work, sorry), and start melting your shortening. I use about 2 LARGE cans of shortening and a large, deep Lodge Dutch Oven to fry the Paczki’s. I use my digital thermometer to ensure that the grease is around 350 degrees. When the grease is not hot enough, the food just soaks it up. Yuck! Also useful is a metal hamburger spatula turner for plucking them out and turning them over. (Mental note: mine broke at Christmas — I need to get a new one.)
Also, start covering every available counter or table space with waxed paper, waxy side up. Seriously, I used about 20 linear feet of paper. I tried using parchment paper last year and don’t recommend it. Use waxed — freezer paper is okay, too.
12. Put a generous amount of flour on your counter. Once the dough has doubled, dump it onto the floured surface.
13. To hand-form the Paczki, pull off a ball of dough slightly bigger than a golf ball and smaller than a tennis ball. Roll slightly between your hands, then pat down to as close to 1/4″ thick as you can get.
14. Place it on waxed paper and repeat. Set aside and let rise. By the time you are done shaping doughnuts, the first ones will be ready to cook.
15. Once your grease (shortening) is hot enough, place in enough paczki that they are not touching but have room to grow a bit. Fry until the bottoms are a nice golden brown and then use a metal spatula to flip and cook on the other side. The thinner you have made the dough, the better color you get. If you make them thicker they will almost always LOOK burnt because they get so dark.
16. I place them on paper towels to catch any excess grease (though if it’s hot enough, there won’t be much). While warm, you can roll them in cinnamon & sugar or powdered sugar. Or you can use my family’s white frosting recipe.
This recipe makes from 4 – 8 dozen depending on thickness. Four dozen if they are 1/2″ thick (pre-rise), closer to 8 dozen if they are 1/4″ thick.
It takes about 4 hours from start to finish, so free up some time and have someone watch the kids — especially while frying. I tend to make sure I nurse the baby right before I start forming doughnuts so I don’t have to be interrupted.
These Paczki are not super sweet, so the frosting is perfect because everyone can customize the level of sweet. They are puffy inside and have a slight crunch outside when cooked perfectly. And as long as you don’t frost/sugar them, any that aren’t eaten by Lent can be frozen for Easter (or Sundays, if you don’t count those) and are no worse for the wear.
Will you be making Paczki with me this year?
How to Make Authentic Polish Paczki
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm milk
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 package FRESH yeast found in refrigerator section in foil wrapped cubes -- in a pinch, use 3 packets or 7 tsp of dry active yeast
- 11 cups flour divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 8 eggs well beaten
Instructions
- Put 1 c. warm water in a glass measuring cup and add 1 T sugar + yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to proof.
- Next, get out your monster bowl. Mine is 13 quarts and I use it as a dishpan when reenactment camping. Around the house, I call it the Paczki bowl.
- In your monster bowl, combine warm milk, 1T sugar, salt, 5 c. flour and yeast water with a wooden spoon. Do not use the mixer. Paczki requires a loving touch. Besides, this recipe is huge -- it won't fit in a mixer.
- Let it rest for an hour.
- Get out a smaller bowl (2.5 qts should do).
- In your "small" bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the butter and sugar, beating well. (You can use a mixer for the eggs, butter, and sugar if you want. But nothing else!) Add to first bowl.
- Stir in the last 6 c. flour.
- At this point, you need to decide if you want it to look like a cake donut or if you want a jelly looking donut.
- If you want to roll them out, you will need to make a bit stiffer dough and will want to add more flour. And you're on your own; I've never done it.
- If you hand-form them, you can have a looser dough. I hand-form mine because my busha said that when you roll them, you stand the chance of overworking the dough. I don't need that kind of pressure. Besides, why fight tradition?
- Rise until doubled in size.
- While you are letting it double, get out a large cast iron pot or powerful deep fryer (none of those pathetic FryDaddy machines will work, sorry), and start melting your shortening. I use about 2 LARGE cans of shortening and a large, deep Lodge Dutch Oven to fry the Paczki's. I use my digital thermometer to ensure that the grease is around 350 degrees. When the grease is not hot enough, the food just soaks it up. Yuck! Also useful is a metal hamburger spatula turner for plucking them out and turning them over.
- Start covering every available counter or table space with waxed paper, waxy side up. Seriously, I used about 20 linear feet of paper. I tried using parchment paper last year and don't recommend it. Use waxed -- freezer paper is okay, too.
- Put a generous amount of flour on your counter. Once the dough has doubled, dump it onto the floured surface.
- To hand-form the Paczki, pull off a ball of dough slightly bigger than a golf ball and smaller than a tennis ball. Roll slightly between your hands, then pat down to as close to 1/4" thick as you can get.
- Place it on waxed paper and repeat. Set aside and let rise. By the time you are done shaping doughnuts, the first ones will be ready to cook.
- Once your grease (shortening) is hot enough, place in enough paczki that they are not touching but have room to grow a bit. Fry until the bottoms are a nice golden brown and then use a metal spatula to flip and cook on the other side. The thinner you have made the dough, the better color you get. If you make them thicker they will almost always LOOK burnt because they get so dark.
- I place them on paper towels to catch any excess grease (though if it's hot enough, there won't be much).
- While warm, you can roll them in cinnamon & sugar or powdered sugar.
Notes
Jen can be found writing at Happy Little Homemaker.
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Where is the paczki filling??
Hi Jen-
Thanks for the recipe…might have to give this a try and for reminding me I am NOT crazy about knowing what REAL Paczki’s are suppose to be… my father was P0lish and learned to make them from his mother and sisters… and to him… Paczki’s was pronounced Punchki and it literally to us meant pinching the dough off of the Easter Raisin Bread recipe and punching it down and then frying it and sprinkling with powdered sugar… NOT stuffing it with pudding like a jelly ball!!!!
Exactly!!! My Grandmother was polish and make them the authentic way with raisins in the dough and powered sugar the outside. They were sooo good. Not like the bismark donut filled with various jellys, cream cheese and pudding.
Beth,
Ha! Love it! I pronounce it the same way — glad to have found a kindred spirit with a love of REAL (unstuffed) paczki!
I have often wondered if my great grandfather just made the German version of Paczki, because his were NOT filled with anything either. But after seeing this site, I am glad to know that there are those who insist REAL paczki are NOT filled.
I was just telling my husband that the boston cream donuts he bought for me labled Paczki are in no way the Paczki i enjoyed growing up a little Polish girl on the Southside of Chicago. Thanks for this.
THANK YOU!!!! I don’t have access to my grandma’s recipe to make them this year. I was so dissapointed when I saw people eating jelly filled doughnuts and calling them paczki
You have made me so happy!! Going to try this recipe for this Fat Tuesday 🙂
I am also Polish and my Grandmother and mother made these stuffed with Prunes and the rest plain for non- prune lovers. Love the prune filling. Store packis are nothing but bismarks. Guess you can fool some of the people some of the time. Not true of Polacks.
How easy is it to do a HALF batch recipe?
I want to make 1/2 the recipe. Will that work?
I grew up with this kind of Paczki. Mom would make her Polish coffee cake recipe, and fry balls of dough. She would usually roll them in white sugar not powdered or not make a glaze. There was no filling in hers, grew up in SE Michigan. I live in Oklahoma now, the Mennonite people here make them this way and call them New Years Cookies.
My dad was Polish and used to make these every year with his babcia’s recipe and they were definitely NOT filled. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2009 and when we moved, lost the recipe (which he had hand written on a paper plate!) and I’ve been looking for a similar recipe for a long time. Only coming across the filled type, I kind of gave up for a while. Now I’ve finally stumbled upon your recipe and will definitely be trying this! Yeast and I don’t mix well either, so I will keep my fingers crossed 🙂
Glad to know that I am not alone in thinking the jelly donuts at the store have got it all wrong! ???? I can’t seem to properly click through to the frosting recipe though, it goes to ads…can you post a link here?
True polish paczki are with filling. Traditionally it is rose jam but nowadays it can be any jam or also pudding (which personally I’d never do). It is important not to exaggerate with the amount of it. It’s not suppose to cover the taste of yeast dough, only to enrich it 🙂 You can put the filling in the pack either after frying or before. I prefer the latter.
Angie, just came upon your recipe, and the pictures….Oh my, these are my Nana’s recipe for Paczki. I have so many fond memories of helping her in the kitchen. One of the memories is her using a pashina (feather Quilt ) to keep the dough warm while it rose. She only did that if the kitchen was on the cool side.
So, this year I am going to try this recipe, I have looked for years for a recipe like Nana’s and this was the first one that looked like hers. Thanks for posting and letting me carry on the tradition. Much love and Blessings to you and yours
Stupid question….But I do not want to mess these up. This is exactly what my Mom used to make.
Do you mean the entire amount of yeast that is wrapped in foil? Appears to be a few tablespoons?
thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa –
This was written by someone who no longer writes content for the site, so she won’t see your question, but it seems like her recipe calls for what she calls “fresh yeast” that is refrigerated.
The recipe says: 1 pkg. FRESH yeast (found in refrigerator section in foil wrapped cubes — in a pinch, use 3 packets or 7 tsp of dry active yeast)
So, I would say that means it’s probably around 7 teaspoons of yeast, given her substitute, which would be 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
I hope that helps!
Angie
Oh! I am old. In my youth my grandfather mailed us paczki yearly. I grew up with the old fashioned ones! Ours were filled with a prune filling. Wonderful, heavy, huge shareable things. I delighted in your feeling that jelly donuts are NOT the real thing. They are not. Convenient, over filled, fluffy things indistinguishable from a jelly donut. They are just jelly donuts. Love your comments and recipe.
Dear Jen,
Thank you for sharing your delicious paczki recipe. My daughter and I have been making it for the last 12 years with the children and grandchildren. My daughter and I turned it into a family tradition. Family members able to join in the making and filling come to our home. I have a large family so we make between 200 and 225 paczki. We turned it into a paczki making party with loads of good Polish food to eat after the work is done. All participants take home the fresh made goodness for their families. For those family members unable to attend my daughter and I make special deliveries to their homes. Thank you again and God Bless.