It’s hard to imagine Fat Thursday without at least one donut. And although on this day the confectionery shops are full of various types, nothing delights like a homemade donut. For years, my favorites have been those prepared by my mother.
Its secret lies not only in the proven dough recipe, but also in the choice of fat. As it turns out, the best one for this is not oil at all, but pork lard. Our grandmothers knew this very well.
it is a real delicacy of the carnival period, although it is definitely not healthy and low-calorie. Shops and confectioneries are full of a wide selection of donuts, but Many people choose homemade ones anyway.
It is primarily about control over the ingredients, freedom in terms of filling, freshness and unique taste. However, for this to be the case, one of the key aspects is choosing the right fat for frying.
Yeast dough from which donuts are made, has a natural tendency to absorb fat. This happens especially when the fat temperature is too low, the dough is too moist, the donuts are fried for too long or the donuts are not properly drained after frying. This is a simple recipe for fatty, heavy and not very appetizing donuts.
Fortunately, this can be easily remedied by choosing the right fat. The traditional choice known for generations is pork lard, which ensures exceptional crunchiness, beautiful color and low fat absorption.
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Lard has been in Polish cuisine for generations basic fat used for carnival baking. It has a high smoke point, that’s why it does not burn as quickly as some oils and is stable during long frying.
Additionally donuts fried in lard usually absorb less fat than with other oils, which makes them crispier and lower in calories. They also gain traditional taste and golden colorwhich is difficult or even impossible to forge.
The key rule for frying donuts in lard is: appropriate temperature, usually around 175-180 degrees C. Warming up the lard well means that the fried donuts “close” quickly and do not absorb fat. Too high a temperature will quickly burn the donuts on the outside while they are still raw inside, while too low will make them “absorb fat like crazy”.
Frying time should last a maximum of several minutes on each side, and after removing it to a plate, be sure to remember to drain off excess fat. This culinary tradition, known for generations, is a simple recipe for… the carnival donuts were light, crunchy and full of flavori.e. just like from the old days.
