Reviving a classic: The 1885 berliner recipe makes a comeback
Traditional recipes often hold secrets to excellent taste, passed down through generations. One such treasure is a donut recipe from 1885, which, despite the passage of time, continues to impress with its simplicity and delicious results. This recipe ensures the donuts turn out fluffy, aromatic, and consistently tasty.
The history of this recipe dates back to the late 19th century when it was published in a contemporary cookbook. For years, it was used in many households, and its revival came thanks to a food blogger who found it in an old cookbook that belonged to her great-grandmother. She decided to try the recipe and share it with her readers, emphasizing that these are the best donuts she has ever made.
Old berliner recipe
This over 140-year-old recipe proves that classics never go out of style. Berliners made according to this recipe are fluffy, aromatic, and fit perfectly when we want to enjoy homemade pastries.
Ingredients:
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 50 grams fresh yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 50 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- A pinch of salt
- Optional: a shot of grain alcohol or rum
- Favourite jam for filling
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation:
- Dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Beat the yolks and egg with the remaining sugar into a fluffy mass. Add sifted flour, salt, the risen yeast mixture, and optionally alcohol.
- Knead the dough until smooth, add melted butter, and knead until the fat is absorbed.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour. After rising, shape into circles, add the jam, seal the edges, form into balls, place them on a floured surface, and let them rise again for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pot to 175°C, fry the donuts in batches for a few minutes on each side.
- Drain on paper towels, and after cooling, dust with powdered sugar.
why add alcohol to donuts?
Adding alcohol to donut dough offers several practical and culinary benefits:
- Less fat absorbed during frying: Alcohol, such as grain alcohol, rum, or vodka, reduces the dough's capacity to absorb fat during frying. This makes the berliners less greasy and lighter in taste.
- Better texture and structure: Alcohol helps create a more delicate dough structure. Alcohol vapours during frying aid in the even rising of berliners, making them fluffy with a light, springy texture.
- Enhancing flavour: Alcohol can subtly enrich the dough's flavour, especially if you use a spirit like rum or liqueur. Most of the alcohol evaporates after frying, leaving only a subtle flavour note.
- Tradition and recipe reliability: In traditional recipes, alcohol was added to improve frying quality and give the dough a distinct character. It's a tried and tested method used for years in both home and commercial baking.
