Oliebollen | Dutch Doughnuts

Oliebollen | Dutch Doughnuts

from leitesculinaria.com

Nothing's better than warm oliebollen, or Dutch doughnuts, thanks to their crisp nooks and crannies and their pillowy centers hidden beneath a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lukewarm milk (plus more as needed)
  • 1 envelope active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 quarts vegetable oil (for frying)
  • Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)

Directions

  1. 1

    In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, sift the flour with salt. Make a well in the center and crack the egg into it. Add the yeast mixture and beat with an electric hand mixer, adding more milk if needed to make a thick batter the consistency of a cake batter. Cover the batter and set it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 to 2 hours.

  3. 3

    In a large sauté pan or deep-fry pan set over medium-high heat, warm the oil to 350°F (180°C). Using 2 oil-slicked teaspoons, make balls of batter no larger than 2 inches (5-cm) in diameter, sorta like a large golf ball, and let them slide into the hot oil. Depending on their size, you can fry 4 to 8 at a time. Cook until golden outside and cooked through inside, flipping halfway through cooking, about 6 minutes, depending on the size. Drain on paper towels.

  4. 4

    Serve warm, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.