German Donuts filled with Strawberry Jam | ‘Berliner’
- Cookies & Pastries, Desserts & Sweets, Fingerfood, Germany, New Year's Eve
The German Donut goes by many names depending on what region in Germany you are in. Berliner, Krapfen, Kräppel or Pfannkuchen – no matter how you call it, it tastes delicious everywhere. Airy and fluffy dough, fried golden brown, filled with strawberry jam and coated with sugar. It is an absolute classic to eat for German Carnival and is also enjoyed at New Year’s Eve.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- 125 ml milk
- 100 g butter
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 1 packet active dry yeast | 7 g
- 1 packet bourbon-vanilla sugar | 7 g
- 30 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- neutral oil for frying
- sugar or powdered sugar to cover the donuts
- around 300 g Strawberry Jam for the filling
How to make German Donuts | Berliner:
(1) Milk and Butter Mixture
In a small saucepan, heat up 125 ml milk with 100 g butter over low heat, until the butter has completely melted.
(2) For the Dough
For the dough, evenly combine 500 g of all-purpose flour with a packet of active dry yeast | 7 g. Then add the remaining ingredients, 1 packet of bourbon vanilla sugar | 7 g, 30 g sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon rum, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk and the lukewarm milk-butter mixture and mix everything together with the dough hook of a mixer or food processor to form a smooth dough.
Form the dough into a ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel, let it rise in a warm place (e.g. in the oven at 40 °C), until it has doubled in size – about 1 hour.
In the meantime, set aside the jam, a piping bag with a filling tip, the sugar for coating the donuts and the oil for frying in a medium-sized pot.
(3) For the dough balls
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll into balls. Cover the balls of dough with a kitchen towel and let them rest for another 15 – 20 minutes.
(4) Fry the Donuts
In the meantime, heat the oil to approx. 160 °C.
Place the dough balls in batches, upside down, in the simmering oil and cook for about 2 minutes each on both sides until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on paper towels.
Fill each donut with strawberry jam from the side through the light edge and cover them completely in sugar, while they are still warm.
Some Recipe Tips:
Rum: If you prefer non-alcoholic baking, you can use about 3 drops of rum aroma as an alternative to the tablespoon of rum.
Jam: You are free to choose the jam filling. I prefer strawberry jam, but any type of fruit will do. However, the jam should be fine so that no pieces of fruit get stuck in the filling nozzle, when you fill the donuts. If the jam is chunky, it is best to push it through a sieve beforehand. If you don’t like jam, you can of course leave it out completely.
Sugar Decoration: I prefer the donuts rolled in sugar, but it is also very common to decorate the donuts with powdered sugar – again you have the choice!
German Donuts filled with Strawberry Jam | ‘Berliner’
Course: Donuts, Cookies & Pastries, Dessert & SweetsCuisine: GermanyDifficulty: Easy16
donuts30
minutes1 hour 15
minutes1 hour 45
minutesThe German Donut goes by many names depending on what region in Germany you are in. Berliner, Krapfen, Kräppel or Pfannkuchen - no matter how you call it, it tastes delicious everywhere. Airy and fluffy dough, fried golden brown, filled with strawberry jam and coated with sugar. It is an absolute classic to eat for German Carnival and is also enjoyed at New Year's Eve.
Ingredients
125 ml milk
100 g butter
500 g all-purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast | 7 g
1 packet bourbon-vanilla sugar | 7 g
30 g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
neutral oil for frying
sugar or powdered sugar to cover the donuts
around 300 g Strawberry Jam for the filling
Directions
Milk and Butter Mixture
In a small saucepan, heat up 125 ml milk with 100 g butter over low heat, until the butter has completely melted.
For the Dough
For the dough, evenly combine 500 g of all-purpose flour with a packet of active dry yeast | 7 g. Then add the remaining ingredients, 1 packet of bourbon vanilla sugar | 7 g, 30 g sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon rum, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk and the lukewarm milk-butter mixture and mix everything together with the dough hook of a mixer or food processor to form a smooth dough.
Form the dough into a ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel, let it rise in a warm place (e.g. in the oven at 40 °C), until it has doubled in size - about 1 hour.
In the meantime, set aside the jam, a piping bag with a filling tip, the sugar for coating the donuts and the oil for frying in a medium-sized pot.
For the dough balls
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll into balls. Cover the balls of dough with a kitchen towel and let them rest for another 15 - 20 minutes.
Fry the Donuts
In the meantime, heat the oil to approx. 160 °C.
Place the dough balls in batches, upside down, in the simmering oil and cook for about 2 minutes each on both sides until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on paper towels.
Fill each donut with strawberry jam from the side through the light edge and cover them completely in sugar, while they are still warm.
Notes
- Rum: If you prefer non-alcoholic baking, you can use about 3 drops of rum aroma as an alternative to the tablespoon of rum.
- Jam: You are free to choose the jam filling. I prefer strawberry jam, but any type of fruit will do. However, the jam should be fine so that no pieces of fruit get stuck in the filling nozzle, when you fill the donuts. If the jam is chunky, it is best to push it through a sieve beforehand. If you don't like jam, you can of course leave it out completely.
- Sugar Decoration: I prefer the donuts rolled in sugar, but it is also very common to decorate the donuts with powdered sugar - again you have the choice!
