Cooking Clarified and KidCulture have teamed up to bring you a month of doughnuts, like these Fank Hungarian Doughnuts! You’ll get recipes here and the background on all of the delicious doughnuts from around the world at KidCulture. Check back each weekday in April for doughnut facts & recipes. If you like Fank, you’ll love these Brazilian Sonhos.
Fank Hungarian Doughnuts
Fank, also known as farsang fank, or ribboned carnival doughnuts, are a traditional Hungarian carnival food.
Hungarian carnival – like that in many other parts of the world – last from about Twelfth Night until Ash Wednesday, but it really heats up just before Lent begins (generally in February or March).
Hungarian carnival, also known as farsang, features parades with people wearing crazy masks, parties and feasts.
Most of the traditions associated with farsang are not religious. It’s just an opportunity to have a good time, blow off some steam, and prepare for the Lenten season.
Traditionally, Hungarians enjoy fank during carnival. The recipe may vary, but most Hungarians enjoy their fank with a side of apricot jam.
Fank can be served with or without jam. They’re also wonderful with just a dusting of powdered sugar.
TIPS:
Make sure you don’t overheat the milk mixture. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise.
Don’t over knead your dough or you’ll have tough, chewy doughnuts. Knead just until it’s smooth.
TOOLS:
Round Cookie or Biscuit Cutter
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TECHNIQUES:
Mixing, Rolling out Dough and Frying
Fank Hungarian Donut
Ingredients
- /3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1¼ teaspoons dry yeast
- 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ cup jam or preserves of choice
- Canola or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- Place the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a small pot and cook over low heat until warm (120 – 130 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Mix the yeast and half the flour together in the bowl of a mixer. With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk, egg yolk and the remaining flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and knead until it’s smooth, about 2 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm space and let the dough rise for about an hour. (It should double in size.)
- Roll the dough out until it’s about ¼-inch thick and use a 2 ½-inch cookie or biscuit cutter to cut rounds from the dough.
- Heat at least 2 inches of canola oil in a large pot to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use your fingers to press a dent in the center of each doughnut before carefully adding them to the hot oil. Fry the doughnuts until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Once cool enough to handle, add a teaspoon of jam in the dent in the center of each doughnut. Arrange on platter and dust with powdered sugar.
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