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These Berliner donuts are a German version of a sweet yeasted dough with no central hole fried in oil and filled with your favorite jelly and topped with some powdered sugar.
I'm all about donuts - from chocolate frosted donuts to Oreo donuts to baked blueberry donuts.
But is there much better than a light and fluffy donut stuffed with some jelly? No I didn't think so.
So why are they called Berliner donuts? To be honest, I don't have a great reason other than jelly donuts originated in Germany and natives or Berlin are called Berliners.
The first known recipe was found in the German cookbook, Kuchenmeisterei, back in 1532. Since then it has become one of the most popular donuts in the world.
Yes you have your classic donut with the hole in the middle. But when you think of a donut with no hole, you think of a jelly donut. If you have never made yeast donuts, they are surprisingly easy. Just let the mixer do the work and let them rise overnight before cutting and frying. So if you want your to make your jelly donut, give these Berliner donuts a try!
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Ingredient Notes
- Milk - helps tenderize the dough and adds richness.
- Sugar - you use just a little bit of granulated sugar in the dough and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top of the donuts.
- Dry active yeast - metabolizes sugars which releases carbon dioxide and alcohol, thus giving the dough its rise.
- Unsalted butter - thins out the batter and adds flavor and necessary fat.
- All-purpose flour - has the right gluten for the donuts
- Jam - while they are called jelly donuts I prefer a good homemade jam like my low sugar strawberry jam.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I like whole milk for these Berliner donuts, you can use skim or even almond milk if you prefer.
- I'm a fan of granulated sugar in donuts, but light brown sugar or coconut sugar are good substitutes.
- I always use dry active yeast, but you can use instant yeast and skip the blooming step.
- While I like strawberry jam, you can use any jelly or any flavor - from raspberry to blueberry.
Step-by-Step Photos
Let the yeast, sugar and warm milk sit for 5 minutes in a bowl to bloom the yeast before adding the egg, butter and vanilla extract.
Add the flour and salt and knead for 5 minutes to work the dough. It should be slightly sticky and just come away from the bowl. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight or for 8 hours.
Roll out the donut dough on a lightly floured service to ½ inch thick. Cut with a 3 inch circular cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 25 minutes while you prepare the oil.
Heat oil to 340°F and fry 2-3 donuts at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining donuts and poke a hole in the side with a toothpick or knife.
Pipe jam in the middle of each and top the Berliner donuts with some powdered sugar.
FAQs
So I guess the real way to spell it is doughnuts but Dunkin’ Donuts popularized the spelling of donuts back in the 1950’s. For me, I go with donut.
The best temp is 340°F to 350°F. I like to get somewhere in the middle. Oil can be tough to gauge without a thermometer so having a candy thermometer is important.
While a donut cutter makes things so much easier you can use a variety of tools throughout the house.
A canning ring, a round cookie cutter or even a ramekin will work to cut the donuts.
Donuts are done when they're golden brown on both sides, which should take anywhere from 2 min to 3 minutes.
Leftover Berliner donuts are best fresh but you can store at room temperature for 1-2 days in an air-tight container.
Pro Tips/Recipes Notes
- The milk needs to be warm but not scolding to help activate the yeast. It should be around 105-110°F.
- If you don't want the dough to rise overnight, you can use instant yeast and cover it, letting it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Use a candy thermometer to get the temperature of the oil to 340°F, which is best for frying. Speaking of frying, do not overcrowd the pot or the temperature will drop. The amount of oil really depends on how wide or tall your pot is. You want it to be about 2 inches deep.
- Don't pour out the used oil in the sink. Let it cool and the pour into an empty container or save and reuse it.
Other Donut Recipes
If you’ve tried this Berliner donuts recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Berliner Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed (about 105-110°F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- canola oil for frying
- 10 oz jam
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pour the warmed milk in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the sugar and yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the egg, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat to combine. With the mixer running slowly, add the flour and salt and mix for 5 minutes to work the dough. Turn off the mixer and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight or for 8 hours.
- Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out until it is only ½ inch thick. Cut with a 3 inch circular cutter.
- Place the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with kitchen towels and allow to rest for 20-25 minutes as you prepare the oil.
- Heat oil to 340°F. Add 2-3 donuts at a time and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts and place on a wired cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
- Fit a pastry bag with a medium tip and fill with jam. Use a toothpick or knife to poke a hole in the side of each donut. Pipe with jam and top with powdered sugar.
Notes
- The milk needs to be warm but not scolding to help activate the yeast. It should be around 105-110°F.
- If you don't want the dough to rise overnight, you can use instant yeast and cover the dough, letting it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Use a candy thermometer to get the temperature of the oil to 340°F, which is best for frying. Speaking of frying, do not overcrowd the pot or the temperature will drop. The amount of oil really depends on how wide or tall your pot is. You want it to be about 2 inches deep.
- Don't pour out the used oil in the sink. Let it cool and the pour into an empty container or save and reuse it.
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