Why are doughnuts the food of the carnival?
According to tradition, if you eat a lot of doughnuts at Carnival, you will have a bountiful harvest. In addition, sweetness brings happiness, which was much needed in the old days, when the end of winter brought the depletion of food reserves. At the same time, the carnival also prepared us for the period before Lent, which was not only full of delicacies but also of fun.
Since the end of winter is the time for looking for a mate, the doughnut is also included. If the lovers shared a broken doughnut, it was certain that they would soon have a wedding. It is said that the shape of the donut also symbolizes the wedding ring.
The French story of the doughnut
There are many stories associated with the creation of the doughnut. One of the most famous goes like this: Marie Antoinette escaped from a masquerade ball at court, joined the crowds gathered in the street, tasted the sweets that were being eaten by the street and became a doughnut lover. Later, the doughnut maker was brought to his court and from then on, doughnuts were also served at royal banquets.
The Viennese story of the doughnut
According to an anecdote, the doughnut originated in Vienna and owes its existence to a coincidence. It happened that Krapfen, the famous Viennese baker whose wife took over the bakery, died. But the baker's wife worked slowly and threw a piece of dough at the customers who were rushing her. Yes, but the dough landed in the hot oil and fried to a fine doughnut. They tasted the delicious smelling delicacy and a new kind of sweet was born!
Ribbon doughnut recipe
To make the carnival doughnut, first crumble 3.5 deka yeast into 1.5 deci lukewarm milk, then add 4 tablespoons of flour and 1 teaspoon of sugar to make a sourdough starter, which is left to mature for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slightly lighten 0,5 deci of rum and dissolve 3 tablespoons of sugar in it, stirring with a spoon.
In a bowl, sift 55 g of fine flour (half of it can be sifted graham flour) and add the leaven, 4 egg yolks, 1 tsp salt, grated zest of 1 untreated lemon and the sugared rum. Mix in the remaining lukewarm milk with a wooden spoon, then add the 7 g of melted butter a little at a time - after 6-8 minutes of kneading, you should have a soft, bubbly dough, which should rise in a lukewarm place, covered with a tea towel, for about 45 minutes until doubled in size. Then knead gently, turn out onto a lightly greased rolling pin and flatten evenly to a thickness of 1,5-2 cm. Using an 8 cm diameter greased pastry cutter or doughnut cutter, cut out the dough, leave to rise for 5-30 minutes, then press one side of the disc of dough slightly in the middle with your finger (this will be the first to go underneath) and place in medium hot oil. Just enough to float the doughnuts in, and only put enough doughnuts in the oil at a time to fit comfortably together. Cover the pan, fry the doughnuts over medium heat for a minute and a half, then turn them over with a fork and fry for another minute and a half, but now without a lid.
Drain the finished doughnuts on a napkin. It is important to put only 2-3 doughnuts in the oil at a time to give them room to expand. Serve with a sprinkling of icing sugar (or vanilla sugar) and a drizzle of apricot jam flavoured with brandy. Best fresh!
The secret to a good doughnut
The secret lies in two places: the dough and the baking. For the dough, a careful housewife prepares the ingredients the night before baking, so that they can „acclimatise”, so to speak, because all the ingredients need to be at a pleasantly lukewarm temperature. Before the dough is made, the flour must be sifted so that it can mix with the air and warm up. Time should be allowed for thorough kneading. Be patient - the dough is only good if it is bubbly and separates from the sides of the bowl!
The right temperature of the oil is a prerequisite for successful frying, so do a test fry before you start frying, i.e. drop a small piece of doughnut into the oil. If the oil is cold, the dough will dry out, if it is too hot, the doughnut will fry quickly and remain raw inside. When the doughnuts are removed, remove the oil from the heat to allow it to „cool” back to the right temperature before adding the next batch.
source: Judit Pákozdi
