Reviving the 1885 berliner: A timeless recipe's resurgence
Traditional recipes often hold secrets to excellent taste, passed down from generation to generation. One such treasure is a doughnut recipe from 1885, which, despite the passage of time, continues to impress with its simplicity and delightful results. Thanks to it, the doughnuts turn out fluffy, aromatic, and consistently delicious.
The history of this recipe dates back to the late 19th century when it was published in a contemporary cookbook. For years, it was used in many households, and its revival came thanks to a food blogger who discovered it in an old cookbook that belonged to her great-grandmother. She decided to try the recipe and share it with her readers, emphasising that these are the best doughnuts she has ever made.
Old berliner recipe
This recipe, over 140 years old, proves that classics never go out of style. Berliners made according to this recipe are fluffy, aromatic, and fit perfectly when we want to enjoy homemade pastries.
Ingredients:
- 500g plain flour,
- 50g fresh yeast,
- 250ml milk,
- 4 egg yolks,
- 1 whole egg,
- 50g butter,
- 2 tablespoons sugar,
- a pinch of salt,
- optional: a splash of grain alcohol or rum,
- favourite jam for filling,
- icing sugar for dusting.
Preparation:
- Dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Beat the yolks and egg with the remaining sugar into a fluffy mixture, add sifted flour, salt, the risen yeast mixture, and optionally alcohol.
- Knead the dough until smooth, add melted butter and knead until the fat is absorbed.
- Cover the dough and leave it to rise for an hour. After rising, form circles, add the jam, seal the edges, shape into balls, place them on a floured surface, and let them rise again for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pot to 175°C, fry the berliners in batches for a few minutes on each side.
- Drain on kitchen paper, and after cooling, dust with icing sugar.
Why add alcohol to berliners?
Adding alcohol to berliner dough has several practical and culinary benefits:
- Less fat absorbed during frying: Alcohol, such as grain alcohol, rum, or vodka, reduces the dough's capacity to absorb fat during frying. This makes the berliners less greasy and lighter in taste.
- Better texture and structure: Alcohol helps create a more delicate dough structure. Alcohol vapours during frying aid in the even rising of berliners, making them fluffy with a light, springy structure.
- Enhancing flavour: Alcohol can subtly enrich the dough's flavour, especially if you use a flavourful spirit like rum or liqueur. Most of the alcohol evaporates after frying, leaving only a subtle flavour note.
- Tradition and recipe reliability: In traditional recipes, alcohol was added to improve frying quality and give the dough distinctness. It’s a tried and tested method used for years in both home and commercial baking.
