Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- In this article, you will learn how to make Croatian yeast donuts (krofne), with all the tips and tricks that will ensure you become a pro in donut making!
- Krofne/krafne are a great Carnival treat beloved by both kids and grown-ups, making them a popular treat for all ages.
What are Krafne/Krofne?
There’s nothing quite like biting into freshly made, pillowy-soft Croatian donuts (krafna, krofna).
Krafne (also known as krofne in some parts of Croatia) are traditional Croatian doughnuts, often filled with apricot jam or chocolate filling. These light, fluffy doughnuts are made with yeast, fried in deep oil and most usually dusted with powdered sugar or rolled in caster sugar.
They are especially popular during holidays, celebrations, and poklade (Carnival season). Making them at home is easier than you think! As the dough rises, your kitchen becomes filled with comforting aromas, promising something truly special. When they hit the oil, they puff up beautifully, turning a perfect golden brown. A quick dusting of powdered sugar and filling of the soft interior with your choice of filling and they’re ready to be devoured – soft, fragrant, and utterly irresistible.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour – as for all yeast-leavened dough, I recommend sifting the flour. You could also use 00 flour for this recipe, but regular all-purpose flour will do just fine.
- Milk – we need it for activating the yeast, and combining all the dough ingredients. It should be warm but not too hot (35-40°C/95-104°F).
- Yeast – I’m using fresh yeast, but you could also use active dry yeast. Whatever you choose, dissolve it in the milk with some flour.
- Sugar– we need some sugar in the dough and some for dusting the donuts before serving (powdered sugar) or rolling the donuts (caster sugar).
- Egg yolks – it will make the dough richer. Leftover egg whites can be used for making meringue cookies or angel food cake.
- Sunflower oil – some of it goes into the donut dough and the rest of it is for frying. Instead, you could use any other neutral oil, like canola oil.
- Rum – for flavoring the dough. It also helps that the donuts don’t soak up too much oil during frying.
- Lemon zest – although it doesn’t show in the upper picture, I like to add it for some additional aroma. You could use orange zest, too.
How to Make Croatian Donuts (Krofne)
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post. It has the exact amounts of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions! I recommend using kitchen scale and metric measurements for this recipe.
1. Activate the Yeast
Add milk, flour, and yeast in a small cup, stir well, and let sit for 10-15 minutes until doubled in size and frothy.
2. Knead the Dough and Let Rise
In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and citrus zest, then make an indent to add bloomed yeast, milk, egg yolks, rum, and oil. Knead with the paddle attachment on low for 15-20 minutes, avoiding extra flour, until smooth and soft. Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Pro tip!
- If it’s cold in your kitchen, you could do proofing in the oven. Preheat it to the lowest setting, usually around 80–100°F (27–37°C), for a few minutes. Turn off the oven once it’s warm and place a bowl with dough on the middle rack. The bowl needs to be covered with damp kitchen towel and a lid (to avoid forming a crust on the dough).
- Let the dough rise for the recommended time until it doubles in size, checking occasionally to ensure the environment stays warm and moist.
3. Shape the Croatian Donuts
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and now you have 2 choices on how you will make the donut shape. The images show my preferred way of shaping Croatian donuts.
Transfer the dough to a floured working surface and portion the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball and place on lightly oiled individual pieces of parchment paper placed on a tray. Cover with a foil, and let rise again for 45 min-1 hour.
How do I know when the donuts are ready for frying?
Do the poke test. To avoid over-proofing, gently poke the dough with your finger. If it bounces back slowly and the dough still holds the shape, it’s good to go.
4. Fry the Donuts
Heat oil in a deep pan to 170-180°C (340–350°F). Fry donuts for about 1 minute per side until golden, then place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
5. Roll in Sugar and Fill
After frying, let the donuts cool for a minute or two, just enough to handle but still warm. Gently roll each donut in the caster sugar, ensuring it’s coated evenly on all sides. If you want to dust them with powdered sugar, then do this when they are completely cooled down.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a long piping nozzle with a filling of your choice. Insert the nozzle into the side of each donut and fill generously. Serve!
Expert Tips for Making Perfect Croatian Donuts
- Let them proof properly – allowing the dough to rise properly will ensure light and fluffy donuts (krafne) every single time. Don’t rush with this step. The dough needs to double in size 2 times. But also, don’t let them ovenproof, otherwise they will be too hollow inside. As mentioned before, you can even let the dough get its first rise overnight in the fridge.
- Choose the right amount of frying oil and the right pot – the pot you’ll be using for flying the donuts needs to have a thick bottom so that it can keep the temperature. The donuts need to float in oil; they shouldn’t touch the bottom of your pot/pan.
- Watch the oil temperature – perfect oil temperature during this process is crucial; you should aim the oil to be between 170-180°C (340 – 350°F). Too hot, and the donuts will burn; too cold, and they will absorb too much oil.
- The upper side of the donut goes first in the hot oil – the bottom side (the one that’s touching the parchment paper) fries after.
- Even filling – if you’ve wondered how you fill the inside of the donut, I find that using a piping bag (with or without) long nozzle will do its job pretty well. To make that step easier, place the donuts vertically and make a hole with a butter knife. Then insert the nozzle carefully to avoid breaking the donut.
- Experiment with filling – while apricot jam or chocolate filling are classics for Croatian donuts (krofne), you can also try other jams, lemon curd, or even custard or tiramisu filling.
More carnival (Mardi Gras) recipes
- CROATIAN FRITULE
- JAM FILLED YEAST BUNS (BUHTLE)
- CHOCOLATE GLAZED YEAST DONUTS
- RED MULLED WINE
- PALACINKE (CROATIAN CREPES)
If you’re interested in learning more about Croatian cuisine and recipes, you should check out my post about the Best Croatian Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over Again.
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe post, leave your comment and rating under this post, and don’t forget to tag @foodandmoodblog on Instagram in your posts.
Happy frying!
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Croatian Donuts (Krofne)
Equipment
- digital thermometer
- kitchen scale
- stand mixer
- long piping nozzle
Ingredients
FOR BLOOMING THE YEAST
- ½ cube fresh yeast (or 7 g active dry yeast)
- 50 ml milk (full fat, warm)
- 50 g all-purpose flour
FOR THE DOUGH
- 500 g all-purpose flour (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 15 g vanilla sugar
- 300 ml milk
- 50 ml sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 2 egg yolks (M size)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
FOR FRYING
- 2 litres sunflower oil (or any other neutral oil)
FILLING IDEAS
Instructions
BLOOMING THE YEAST
- In a small measuring cup, warm milk, flour, fresh or dry yeast.
- Stir well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until doubles in size and is frothy.
MAKING THE DOUGH
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add sifted flour, salt, and sugars. Add the citrus zest (if using).
- Make an indent in the middle of the bowl and start adding bloomed yeast, milk, egg yolks, rum, and oil. Start the kneading process using the paddle attachment and knead the dough for a good 15-20 minutes on a low speed. Avoid adding the extra flour because you want the final dough to be smooth and soft like a cloud.
- Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured working surface and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and a lid and let it rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours (or until it doubles in size).
- Once the dough has risen significantly, punch it down and now you have 2 choices on how you will make the donut shape.
- FIRST OPTION: Roll it out to about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thickness. Using a round cutter or a glass (8 cm/3.15 inch) cut out the circles. Place them on a tray lined with lightly oiled pieces of parchment paper, cover them with foil, and let rise again for about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- SECOND OPTION: Transfer the dough to a floured working surface and portion the dough into 16 pieces (each piece should weigh between 60-65 g). I recommend using a kitchen scale so that all your donuts are about the same size. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball and place on lightly oiled individual pieces of parchment paper placed on a tray. Cover with a foil, and let rise again for 45 min-1 hour.
FRYING
- For frying, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan or pot to 170-180°C (340 – 350°F). Have a thermometer to be accurate.
- Carefully put the donuts in the hot oil and fry until they become golden in color, about 1 minute per side. When done, place them on a cooling rack covered with 2-3 layers of paper towel to drain the excess oil.
FILLING AND ROLLING IN SUGAR
- Let the donuts cool for a minute or two, just enough to handle but still warm. Gently roll each donut in the caster sugar, ensuring it’s coated evenly on all sides. If you want to dust them with powdered sugar, then do this when they are completely cooled down. To make the filling easier, place the donuts vertically and make a hole with a butter knife first. Fill a piping bag fitted with a long nozzle attachment (if you have it). You can use pastry cream, apricot jam, lemon curd, chocolate filling, or other filling of your choice.
- Insert the nozzle into the side of each donut, fill generously, and serve! Dobar tek.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
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