Croatian Donuts (Krofne)
Make delicious, fluffy Croatian donuts (krofne) at home! These golden, airy donuts filled with jam, Nutella, or vanilla pastry cream are the ultimate carnival treat.
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Serving: 1donutCalories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 239IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
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.