Mix the Paczki

1. Scale the flour, less ½ C, yeast, and salt into a bowl.

2. Paddle the butter and sugar to a pale white color.  

3. On low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, then the rum.

4. Add the flour and cool milk in alternating additions starting and ending with the flour. Turn speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes or until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. It should soft, but not very sticky. If it is too sticky, add the remaining flour and mix on medium 1 more minute.

5. Place the dough into a buttered stainless steel bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof 1 to 1.5 hours, or until nearly doubled.

6. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter or work table and roll ½ inch thickness. Too thin and they will not be tall enough to hold filling. Too thick and they will not cook in the center.

7. Cut the Puczki with a 3” round cutter pushing straight down and twisting only when the cutter reaches the table. 

8. Place the paczki onto a lightly floured pan, drape a clean kitchen towel over them and allow to proof till 1” high.

9. While the paczki are proofing, prepare the oil and pan for frying. In a deep and wide 6 qt or more pot, or a Le Crueset casserole, bring 3 to 4 inches of oil slowly to 350 degrees F. Use a digital candy or fryer thermometer to keep the temperature even. (If you are using a deep fryer, new, clean oil is best so the paczki don’t pick up the flavors from the previous cooks. Set the device to 350 and wait).

10. When the paczki are 1” tall, carefully remove them from the sheetpan, place them into the oil—don’t drop them; they’ll splash hot oil—and fry until the bottom is well golden brown. Flip the paczki over, fry again till well golden brown then remove each as it is done to a draining rack on a sheet pan. Fry 3 or 4 at a time watching the temperature of the oil so it remains nearly 350 degrees. Too many paczki will make the temperature reduce and the paczki will taste greasy and dense. Better to fry fewer than more. If you do not have a draining rack, several paper grocery bags or a thick pad made of paper towels will suffice.

11. When cooled, poke a hold into the side of the paczki with a table knife and work the blade a wee bit up and down and to and fro to make a hole for the filliing.  

12. Place the filling into a small pastry bag or zip top bag and cut the point off the bag. Push the bag into the hole made with the knife and gently squeeze jam into the center until it starts to return out the hole.  

13. Dust or glaze the paczki while they are cool. If you are using an apple filling, a cinnamon sugar is nice, but place the paczki into the cinnamon sugar while the are quite warm. Let them cool, them create the hole and fill.

14. Find the nearest Polish person you can find and share in the custom that is Paczki Day. All of Hamtramck will be joining you.