Paczkis (Fat Tuesday)
intro
Pillowy, rich fried doughnuts stuffed with sweet jam, dusted with powdered sugar, a beloved Fat Tuesday treat from Polish-American community traditions.
Ingredients
Steps
In a small mixing bowl, combine 240ml warmed whole milk (heated to exactly 110°F/43°C), 1 teaspoon of the measured granulated sugar, and 7g active dry yeast. Stir gently to dissolve, then let rest for 5-7 minutes at room temperature until the surface is foamy and bubbly, confirming the yeast is active.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the remaining granulated sugar, 57g cooled melted unsalted butter, 4 room-temperature large egg yolks, 3g fine salt, 5ml vanilla extract, and the activated yeast mixture. Mix on low speed (speed setting 2) for 1 minute to combine, then gradually add 480g all-purpose flour 60g (1/2 cup) at a time, mixing for 8 total minutes until a soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides.
Turn the mixed dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, form into a tight, smooth ball, and place into a large glass bowl greased with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a clean cotton kitchen towel, then set in a draft-free, 75°F/24°C warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch the risen dough firmly in the center to release all trapped air, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out uniform dough circles, re-rolling dough scraps only once to cut additional circles. Place cut circles 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover loosely with a towel, and let rise a second time for 30 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled in height.
Heat 1.9L vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven to a steady 350°F/175°C, monitoring temperature with a clip-on candy thermometer. Carefully lower 3-4 dough circles at a time into the hot oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 2 minutes per side until deep golden brown on both surfaces, then use a slotted metal spoon to transfer fried paczkis to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain for 5 minutes. Adjust stove heat between batches to maintain a constant 350°F oil temperature.
Let fried paczkis cool for 10 minutes until safe to handle. Fit a piping bag with a long, narrow round filling tip, and fill the bag with 240g raspberry or prune jam. Poke a 1/2-inch deep hole in the side of each paczki with a paring knife, then pipe 1-2 tablespoons of jam into the center until the dough feels slightly puffed from the filling. Dust all filled paczkis generously with 60g powdered sugar, and serve warm.
Tips
2.Maintain a steady 350°F/175°C oil temperature while frying: oil that is too hot burns the paczki exterior before the interior cooks, while too-cool oil results in greasy, soggy doughnuts.
3.Only re-roll dough scraps one time when cutting paczki shapes; repeated re-rolling overworks the dough and creates tough, dense pastries instead of light, pillowy paczkis.
OMG these turned out SO good for our Fat Tuesday block party! I was super nervous about the dough rising since I’ve never made paczkis before, but the step-by-step directions were so easy to follow. I filled half with raspberry jam and half with prune, just like my Polish grandma used to make, and every single neighbor was begging for the recipe. My kids even snuck two each before we even walked over to the party!
Took me closer to 3 hours total instead of the listed 2.5 because I messed up the first batch of dough by adding the butter way too early, oops. The second batch came out perfect though, super fluffy and not cloyingly sweet. Brought a big tin of them into my office potluck and they were gone in 10 minutes flat. Total game changer for Fat Tuesday, I’ll be making these every year from now on, I just need to remember to not rush the butter step next time!
OMG these just came out of the fryer and they are SO good! I made them for our family Fat Tuesday dinner and I cannot stop sneaking bites while I fill them. The dough is so pillowy soft, I’m shocked it came out as good as the paczkis we get every year from the Polish bakery down the street. I saved a few for my kids’ class snacks tomorrow, hope they hold up overnight! My kids already tried to steal three off the cooling rack.
So pumped to make these for my partner’s Fat Tuesday birthday get-together this weekend! Quick question before I start — is there a good substitute for lard? I don’t keep it in the house and I’d rather not make a special trip to the grocery store if I don’t have to. All the photos look incredible, I know these are gonna be a hit!
I’ve been making paczkis for Fat Tuesday for over 40 years, and this recipe is hands down the closest I’ve found to the ones my own mother made when I was growing up in Chicago. I skipped the store-bought jam and used homemade rose hip jam I canned last summer, and it paired perfectly with the rich, eggy dough. My whole extended family came over for our annual paczki feast and every last one was eaten before dinner even started. 10/10, no notes.
Y’all, I accidentally let my dough rise for TWICE as long as the recipe said because I got caught up in a last minute work call, and it still came out amazing? I was fully convinced I’d ruined the whole batch, but the dough was extra fluffy and light. Fried them up in my cast iron skillet, filled half with salted caramel cream cheese (don’t @ me, traditional jam is great but salted caramel is elite) and half with blackberry jam, and my roommate said they’re better than any gourmet doughnut she’s ever bought from a shop. Total game changer!
Made these last night for our local Fat Tuesday parade watch party, and they were such a hit! The only small tweak I made was adding a little fresh orange zest to the dough, which gave it such a bright, zesty kick that cut through all that rich, buttery sweetness. Will absolutely be doubling the batch next year because we ran out in 20 minutes flat. Don’t let the medium difficulty rating scare you off — I only bake a handful of times a year and these came out totally perfect. SO worth the 2.5 hours of effort!