This Pączki Day, try a traditional Polish treat warm—by making them at home with this On The Table recipe.
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Every year, the proprietors of Market 22 in Maple City make the 500-mile road trip to New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck, known during my childhood as “Little Poland,” and return north with fresh paczki for loyal Leelanau County customers. In nearby Cedar, my kids love popping into Sweeties Homemade Baked Goods, where they fill paczki to order with each kiddo’s favorite jam or custard. Johan’s in Petoskey offers 11 flavors that customers can preorder.
Photo by Sarah Peschel
But have you ever tried making paczki at home?
Made with flour, eggs, milk and a little bit (ok, a lot) of hot oil, frying your own is not as complicated as you might fear. While you can fill paczki with any fruit preserve, the most traditional filling is sweet, floral rose hip jam, which you can buy at Cedar’s Polish Art Center. Generously dust those donuts with a few knocks of powdered sugar and your family will change their mind.
Read Next: 7 Northern Michigan Bakeries with Paczki for Fat Tuesday
Rose Hip Paczki Recipe
Makes a dozen donuts
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 ¼-ounce packets active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon Rectified Spirytus or Polish vodka
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 gallon canola oil
- 1 12-ounce jar rose hip preserves
- powdered sugar for dusting
- edible rose petals for garnish
Photo by Sarah Peschel
1. Using a small saucepan set over low heat, slowly warm the milk until small bubbles form around the edge of the milk, it is just beginning to steam, and the milk is hot to the touch, about 4 minutes. Remove the milk from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved. To avoid killing the yeast, let the mixture sit until the pan is still warm but can be handled with bare hands, about 5 minutes. Add yeast and ¼ cup of the flour, whisking with a fork to combine.
2. While the yeast activates, make the dough. To a mixer fitted with a dough hook, add remaining 3 ¾ cups flour and salt. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, melted butter, alcohol and vanilla, whisking with a fork. Set the mixer to slow speed and begin pouring the liquid egg mixture into the flour mixture. With the mixer still running, add the now frothing and foaming scalded milk and yeast mixture, using a spatula to retrieve every last drop. Let the hook knead the dough until one sticky but cohesive mass has formed, about 3 minutes. The ball of dough should be glossy and smooth. Lift the hook out of the dough and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, letting the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
3. Lightly dust a baking sheet with a scant coating of flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, each about 3 ounces in weight. Using lightly floured hands, work each piece of dough into a smooth and uniform ball and set them all on the floured baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap and let rise again, another 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile, heat the oil.
Photo by Sarah Peschel
4. While the balls are rising, prepare to fry the paczki. Place a few layers of paper towels on two dinner plates, where the hot donuts will rest. Pour oil into a deep Dutch oven or fryer and heat the oil until it is 350°, about 15 to 20 minutes, and a small piece of scrap dough sizzles on contact. Working in batches, fry the donuts 4 at a time—flipping them halfway through cooking—until they are golden brown on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the oil, set on the paper towels to drain and repeat with the next batch.
5. Working quickly so the paczki remain warm, place the rose hip preserves into a pastry bag fitted with a wide piping tip or a heavy-duty Ziplock with a corner snipped off. As soon as the paczki have cooled enough to comfortably handle, use a small paring knife to cut a narrow but deep slit into each paczki. Place the nose of the pastry bag deep into the paczki and squeeze an ounce of preserves into each donut.
6. Dust the paczkis with confectioners sugar, sprinkle with crushed rose hips or edible rose petals to garnish, and serve.
Stacey Brugeman is a 20-year food and beverage journalist. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Eater and on Instagram @staceybrugeman.
Sarah Peschel, @22speschel, is a stylist and photographer with an appreciation for all things local agriculture, food and drink.