Oliebollen date back to the early 1600's!

 

These delicious Dutch 'doughnuts' are very much part of the New Years Eve tradition in Netherlands. You will find these for sale across the country from many street stalls from early  November to beginning of January. 

Makes around 10 oliebollen

 

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Method

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or simply a medium sized bowl using a wooden spoon to mix ) put warm milk, one tablespoon of caster sugar and 5 grams of active dry yeast. 
Using the paddle attachment blend the mixture till the yeast dissolves. Cover it with a tea towel and let it stand in a warm place till some bubbles form on top in about 10-15 minutes.

After your yeast is nice and bubbly change the attachment for a dough hook, add flour, one egg, one tablespoon of caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. (cover the mixer with tea a towel to avoid a mess).  

You can also use a bread machine choosing a dough program to knead the dough, or just knead it by hand for about 10-15 min.

Mix in zest from one orange, one grated apple, raisins (if used) and one teaspoon of vodka. Adding alcohol to the dough prevents the oliebollen to absorb the oil, so this way you will achive less greasy oliebollen.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for an hour or until the dough doubles in size.

Heat the oil to 175C in a deep pan.

You will need two tablespoons to create the oliebollen. Put some oil in to a cup. Dip both tablespoons into the oil, take some of the dough using one and scrape it down gently with the other in to the hot oil.  At first oliebollen will sink to the bottom of the pan but it will pop right back up. Lower the heat to medium and fry it until golden, gently flipping when required. Fry few oliebollen at a time. 

Once golden brown, using a slotted spoon remove them and transfer to the plate lined up with paper towel,  let them cool off slightly before serving. 

Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving. 

Ingredients

dough:

  • 125ml full cream milk (42°C /  105°F) 
  • 230g of plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 5 grams of dry active yeast
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 small size apple, grated on the small holes of the grater
  • zest from one orange
  • 1 teaspoon of vodka or rum 

You will also need:

  • icing sugar for serving
  • sunflour oil for deep-frying

Version with raisins:

  • 1 cup of raisins soked in orange juice for an hour