Pączki

Pączki are Polish yeast doughnuts, deep-fried and filled with rose jam.

Pączki are made from an enriched yeast dough, rich with egg and butter, that is shaped into rounds, left to rise, and fried until golden. They are traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek), the Thursday before Lent, when rich foods were used up before the fast.

What it really is

The dough is made from flour, eggs, butter, sugar and yeast, and it rises until light before it is cut into rounds. Each round is deep-fried, traditionally in lard, though some bakers use other fats. This gives a golden crust and a soft, slightly dense crumb. Pączki have no hole, unlike a ring doughnut. Once cooled, each one is filled with jam. Rose jam is the classic filling, and plum and custard fillings are also common. Many are finished with a dusting of sugar.

How it's served

• Sold fresh from bakeries, and especially busy on Fat Thursday.
• Eaten warm or at room temperature, by hand, usually as a single piece.
• Dusted with sugar on the outside, with the jam hidden inside until the first bite.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling, rose jam, and say whether it is baked in or piped in after frying.
• Flag wheat, eggs and milk, since the dough contains butter.
• Say what the dough is fried in. Lard is traditional, so guests who avoid pork or animal fat should be told.
• State the standard finish, such as sugar dusting, and list any other fillings as separate items.
• Say whether it is sold by the piece or by the box.