Description
Golden, sugar-coated Berliners with a lightly crunchy exterior, soft yeast dough inside, and a sweet raspberry jam filling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warm
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam
- 1 cup granulated sugar, for coating
Instructions
- Set up a tray lined with parchment paper, a wire rack, and a deep pot or frying pan for frying.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt.
- Add the warm milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, then mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut out rounds using a 3-inch cutter and place them on the prepared tray.
- Cover loosely and let the rounds rise again for 30 minutes until puffy.
- Heat the vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep pot.
- Fry the dough rounds in batches for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side until deeply golden.
- Transfer the fried pastries to a wire rack to drain briefly.
- While still warm, roll each one in the 1 cup granulated sugar for coating.
- Once cool enough to handle, use a piping bag to fill each pastry with raspberry jam.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use warm milk, not hot, for the best yeast activity.
- Keep the oil close to 350°F so the pastries cook evenly and do not become greasy.
- Coat the pastries in sugar while they are still warm so it sticks better.
- Do not overfill with jam, a moderate amount keeps the center neat and balanced.