Bolas de Berlim is a true symbol of Portuguese joy of life. They are the complete opposite of worrying about strict diets. Their light texture and sweet, yellow pasteleiro cream make them melt in your mouth like fluff, and each bite takes us on a short journey to the sun and the ocean.
Although the name “bola de Berlim” may suggest a connection with the German capital, the actual history of this donut is much more interesting. The recipe came to Portugal in the 20th century thanks to refugees from Germany who sought refuge in a neutral country during World War II. This is where the idea of a donut resembling the German Berliner pfannkuchen comes from, but transformed by Portuguese flavors and culinary traditions.
While German versions are stuffed with jam, Portuguese bolas de Berlim always have a creamy, yellow interior. This is a pasteleiro cream that is soft, aromatic and intensely vanilla. In Portugal, you can find bolas de Berlim almost everywhere. They reign in bakeries, confectioneries, but also on the tables of beach vendors. This form of dessert quickly became a local classic, so popular that hundreds of thousands of pieces are sold daily throughout the country during the season.
The most important element of bolas de Berlim is the classic filling, i.e. pasteleiro cream. Together with the cake, it combines into a dessert that melts in your mouth like a Portuguese cloud of sweets.
Ingredients for pmeadows:
- 500 g of wheat flour;
- 150 ml of milk;
- 50 g of sugar;
- 25 g of fresh yeast (or 7 g of dried);
- 50 g of butter;
- 2 eggs;
- 1 yolk;
- a pinch of salt.
Krem (pastry cream):
- 400 ml of milk;
- ½ vanilla pod;
- ½ cinnamon stick;
- grated zest of half a lemon;
- 6 yolks;
- 75 g sugar;
- 2 tablespoons of wheat flour;
- 2 tablespoons of corn or potato starch.
Additionally:
- 50 g of powdered sugar;
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for coating the donuts.
Preparation method Start with the dough. Add yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the warm milk, mix thoroughly until they dissolve. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes until it begins to ferment and foams.
In a large bowl, mix the remaining flour with the salt and remaining sugar. Pour in the yeast leaven, add eggs and melted, cooled butter. Knead until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough. Cover it with a cloth and leave it for about 1-1.5 hours in a warm place until it doubles in volume.
Now start making the pasteleiro cream. In a pot, boil the milk with the chopped vanilla, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. When it begins to boil gently, remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod and cinnamon.
In a bowl, beat the yolks with sugar, then add the flour and starch, mixing until smooth. Gradually pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Pour the resulting mass back into the pot and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. Set aside to cool completely.
Heat the oil in a deep pot to approximately 180 °C. Form the risen dough into balls weighing approximately 80-90 g. Fry in batches until the donuts are golden. After frying, drain them on a paper towel and then roll the warm donuts in sugar mixed with cinnamon.
When the cream has cooled completely, fill each donut with it using a piping bag or pastry bag, making a vertical slit and filling the inside to the brim. Ready-made bolas de Berlim taste best when still slightly warm, with a layer of crunchy sugar on the outside and soft cream on the inside.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl
