Berlin Doughnuts

Hey there, foodies!

This week, I wanted to share a well-known and much-loved treat from our region. The Berlin doughnut!

So soft and indulgent... You simply can't resist! :o)

Personally, it takes me right back to my childhood! Back then, they used to make them outside, in front of the Migros! They were still warm and so delicious! Unfortunately, I never managed to recapture that childhood memory... The ones you find in Swiss shops just aren't the same anymore...

But with this recipe, I took a leap back in time! A guaranteed trip down memory lane. Yum!

Here is the list of ingredients (for 18 mini Berlin doughnuts):

- 100g of milk

- 1 packet of dry yeast or 20g of fresh yeast

- 220g of flour

- 50g of sugar

- 20g of butter at room temperature

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 tsp of vanilla flavouring

- 1/2 tsp of salt

- 1 litre of frying oil

- 200g of sugar

- 150g of raspberry jelly

Start by heating 100g of milk in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. The milk should be lukewarm (30 to 40°C), not boiling hot! Otherwise the yeast won't survive.

Then add 1 packet of dry yeast (7g) or 20g of crumbled fresh yeast.

Briefly mix with a spoon and set aside.

In a large bowl, pour 220g of flour and make a well in the centre.

Pour the milk/yeast mixture and 25g of sugar right into the centre.

Make sure to get all the yeast that remained in the bowl.

Using a spoon, mix a little flour (just a little) with the sugar/milk/yeast and let it rest for 10 minutes.

The yeast will develop thanks to the sugar and lukewarm milk, making your dough much more airy going forward. You'll see that within 10 minutes, the mixture will have puffed up and air bubbles will appear on top. That's the sign that the yeast is doing its job.

Once the 10 minutes are up, add the remaining sugar (25g), 20g of butter at room temperature and 2 egg yolks.

Then also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavouring. And finally, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the edge of the bowl! Not in the middle! You need to avoid the salt touching the yeast directly. Otherwise your dough won't rise properly.

Then mix the dough with a dough hook for 5 minutes at medium speed.

I tried the natural vanilla flavouring from Decora! It's incredible!

After 5 minutes, your dough should be both elastic and soft.

Use a dough scraper and shape it into a nice ball in the centre of the bowl.

Then place a warm, damp cloth on top of the bowl.

Next, place your bowl in your cold oven with a bowl of very hot water. This way, the dough will double in volume and become very airy.

If you need the oven for something else, you can simply use a airtight plastic storage container. It works just as well.

I always do the same with my bread doughs, brioches and all doughs that need to rise! This way, whether it's summer or winter, my dough will always rise the same way.

Let your dough rise for 1h-1h30. It should double in volume.

Once the dough has doubled in volume, grab two sheets of baking paper, two 5 mm guide sticks and a large rolling pin.

Roll out the dough evenly, then cut out 6 cm rounds.

Lightly oil a sheet of baking paper and place the 6 cm rounds on it.

This way, the doughnuts won't stick to the paper. :o)

Now it's time to get the next steps ready!

Take a fairly deep pan and pour in 1 litre of frying oil.

Also prepare a plate with sugar. You'll need about 200g of sugar.

Finally, prepare a rack to let your Berlin doughnuts cool. I slipped a sheet of baking paper under my rack to avoid making a mess.

Heat your oil to 160°C. It can be between 160°C and 175°C maximum. But not below 160°C and not above 175°C. This is important!

Once your oil is at the right temperature, place your doughnuts in by sliding them in from the side. Be careful not to get oil splashes on you! You can easily put several doughnuts in at the same time.

They will first sink to the bottom, then rise back to the surface.

Let them brown for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side.

Once they've risen to the surface, they will puff up. If your doughnuts don't rise or don't puff up, your oil is not hot enough.

After 2-3 minutes, flip your Berlin doughnuts using a fork and let them cook again for about 2 minutes.

Then remove them, still using a fork. Drain them slightly to avoid retaining too much oil.

Place the Berlin doughnuts directly into the sugar and coat them well all over.

Do this right away once the Berlin doughnuts come out of the oil so that the sugar sticks properly.

Then place them on the cooling rack for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, get ready to fill these lovely little Berlin doughnuts.

Here I used a filling nozzle and a 30 cm piping bag.

Once the Berlin doughnuts have cooled, fill them with raspberry jelly. I put about 5g of raspberry jelly in each Berlin doughnut. If you put in too much jelly, it will come straight back out.

Push the nozzle well into the doughnut so you can get enough jelly in.

And here's the result!

I'm warning you, if you put them out in sight, they won't last long!

My kids pounce on them as soon as they're filled! :o)

I wish you a wonderful Sunday!

Karin

P.S.: All the equipment used can be found at the bottom of the recipe.