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A square picture with Dutch oliebollen.

The Best Traditional Oliebollen (Dutch Donuts) (So Delicious)

Andréa
Oliebollen, aka Dutch Donuts, are eaten at New Year's Eve. A real Dutch tradition. They’re crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. Fill them with currants and apple or just let them be natural. And don't forget to sprinkle some icing sugar on them (it's a sweet tooth treat).
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Appetizers and Snacks, Sweets and Sweet Baking
Cuisine Dutch, European, European Cuisine
Servings 25 dutch donuts
Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups raisins (optional)
  • ½ stick butter unsalted
  • ¼ cups milk
  • 1 oz yeast, instant
  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs size L
  • 1½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ oz. salt
  • 3 cups beer
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 apple (optional) peeled, cored and cut into small cubes, sour apples are the best (Granny Smith or Goudreinette)
  • 1 gallons sunflower oil enough to fill 2–3 inches / 5–7 cm
  • 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic

Instructions
 

  • Wash the raisins and leave them in a small bowl, just below water level for about 1 hour.
    2 cups raisins
  • Melt the butter on low heat. Warm the milk to 100 °F / 37 °C.
    ½ stick butter, ¼ cups milk
  • Stir the yeast in the milk.
    1 oz yeast, instant
  • Mix the flour (see notes), salt, and sugar in a bowl and stir the eggs, one by one, through the batter.
    8 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons sugar, ½ oz. salt, 2 eggs
  • With a whisk mix the beer through the dough, bit by bit.
    3 cups beer
  • Stir until all lumps are gone.
  • Add the milk-yeast mixture, butter, and cinnamon and mix well.
    ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • At last, add the raisins and the apple and stir slowly with a wooden spoon for a few minutes.
    2 cups raisins, 1 apple
  • Wet a towel with lukewarm water and lay this over the bowl. Top with plastic foil.
  • Let the dough rise for about one hour in a warm area.
  • Heat the sunflower oil to 350 °F / 180 °C.
  • After this hour whisk gently with a wooden spoon through the batter.
  • With two spoons make small balls and place them in the heated oil.
  • Fry the donuts for 3 minutes at each side. Lay kitchen paper in a colander and get the donuts on top after baking, to get rid of excess oil.
    1 gallons sunflower oil
  • Dust the donuts with powdering sugar before eating them. They're delicious eaten warm and cold.
    4 tablespoons confectioners sugar

NOTES

1. Flour: Flour can be measured in two ways. One way is metric (in grams or ounces) and is the most precise method. But you could also use cups. For flour, you can add a cup with loose flour, which weighs about 120 grams, and then you'll need 8 cups. If you pack the flour into the cups, it counts for 150 grams, and you'll need 6 ⅔ cups. 
2. Yeast:
  • This recipe uses 1 oz. (30 grams / 6 teaspoons) of instant yeast. If you prefer to use fresh yeast, you require 2 oz. (60 grams). If you use dry yeast, you need 1 oz. (30 grams). Note: with both fresh yeast and dry yeast, you must first dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk before adding it.
  • By dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm milk you can check if it's still working. If bubbles aren't arising after five minutes, discard the milk and get some new yeast.
3. Batter: The batter should be scoopable and have the thickness of Greek yogurt. See in the added video if you want to see it in real time. If it's too thick, add some beer, milk or water. Is the batter to thin add some extra flour. 
4. Ice cream scoop: the easiest way to scoop the dough from the bowl. Put them in the oil for a few seconds before scooping the dough; this will make them slide off into the deep fryer better. If you don't have an ice cream scoop, you can also use oiled tablespoons.
5. Au naturel
If you don't like raisins or apples in your oliebollen, you can just leave them out. In the Netherlands, you can get them both ways.
6. Storage
  • Room temperature: Store the oliebollen at room temperature in a draught-free place. The next day, (New Year's Day), you can reheat them in the oven until they've got the right temperature and sprinkle them with confectioners' sugar. Really delicious.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 259mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Iron: 2mg
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