Oliebollen

OLIEBOLLEN

Total: 50 mins    Prep: 20 mins     Cook: 30 mins   Rising time: 70 mins Yield: 40 Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (instant)
• 4 cups/400 grams flour (all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar (white)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups/475 mL milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups/2 liters of oil (vegetable or sunflower)
• Garnish: Confectioners' sugar
• Garnish: Ground cinnamon

Method:

Prepare the Yeast Dough

1. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon white sugar into 1/2 cup/120 milliliter of lukewarm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to stand for 10 minutes (if the yeast doesn't bubble, discard and buy new yeast as it means the yeast is no longer active). Stir to combine.
2. Mix together the flour and 1/4 cup/50 grams white sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs as well as the yeast mixture.
3. Warm up the milk in the microwave (it should be lukewarm). Add half of the milk to the well in the flour and mix until all ingredients are combined. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.
4. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area for about 1 hour. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the salt.
5. Fry and Serve the Oliebollen
6. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan or in a deep fryer. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.
7. You will need two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the oliebollen from the hot oil.
8. Quickly dip the two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, carefully scraping and dropping the dough into the hot oil. The oliebollen will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. You should be able to fry at least 6 at a time, but don't crowd the pan (see Tips below).
9. Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.
10. Sieve confectioners' sugar over the oliebollen as well as a dusting of ground cinnamon and serve warm.

Tips

• The dough can be held for 1 or 2 hours covered with a damp dish towel because the yeast will remain active. Then, fry the dough as needed.
• If the fritters are uncooked on the inside, the oil is either too hot or too cold. The oil should not be hotter than 350 F/180 C. Oil that is too cold is often the result of frying too many oliebollen at one time.
• Allow leftover oliebollen to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for approximately two days.
• Leftovers can be warmed in a heated oven at 390 F/200 C for 15 minutes or in the microwave on high (850 watts) for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Leftovers also can easily be frozen and will keep in the freezer for about 2 months. To eat, allow to defrost and then warm as above.