Air-Fried Paczki: A Quick, Easy, And Delicious Treat

Ingredients

- 2 cups whole milk, warmed to 110F

- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

- 3/4 cups + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided

- 6-7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

- Custard, for filling

- Powdered sugar, for coating

Steps

1. Pour 2 cups warm milk into bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it has become bubbly.

2. Stir in 2 cups of flour to the mixture until the batter becomes smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot for 30 minutes. The mixture should have risen and become bubbly.

3. In a bowl, whisk 1 egg and 4 egg yolks for 3-4 minutes, until it becomes frothy. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt, and whisk until smooth.

4. Add the egg mixture to the dough and mix on medium-low speed with the dough hook attached until mostly combined. Stir in 4 tablespoons melted butter. Gradually add 3-4 more cups of flour to the mixture and knead until a very soft dough comes together. It will be a sticky dough and will not form a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Remove the dough from the bowl and turn out onto a floured work surface. Sprinkle flour on the dough and roll it out to ½-inch thickness. With a glass, metal can or biscuit cutter cut out circles and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Do this with all of the dough. Cover dough circles with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.

6. Preheat air fryer to 350F for 3 minutes. Line the bottom of the air fryer with parchment paper and place 3-4 dough circles in at a time (do not line the air fryer with parchment paper and put it inside without the donuts). Bake for 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check paczki often to make sure they aren't burning. You want a light golden color.

7. Remove from air fryer and place on a paper towel-lined platter and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and fill with fruit jams or custard. Enjoy within one day.

How to make the dough

To make the dough, start by pouring 2 cups of warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in 4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes bubbly. Next, stir in 2 cups of flour until the batter becomes smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot for 30 minutes. The mixture should have risen and become bubbly.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg and 4 egg yolks for 3-4 minutes, until it becomes frothy. Add 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of salt, and whisk until smooth.

Add the egg mixture to the dough and mix on medium-low speed with the dough hook attached until mostly combined. Stir in 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Gradually add 3-4 more cups of flour to the mixture and knead until a very soft dough comes together. It will be a sticky dough and will not form a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

How to make the custard filling

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk (low fat or whole)
• 1 egg yolk

Method:

• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.
• Slowly stir in the milk and egg yolk.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for about a minute until thick (it will thicken more as it cools).
• Spread the custard onto a dinner plate and let it stand, undisturbed, to cool thoroughly before using. You can refrigerate it if necessary.

How to roll and cut the dough

Rolling and cutting the dough is a simple process. First, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a floured work surface. Sprinkle some flour on the dough and roll it out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Use a glass, metal can, or biscuit cutter to cut out circles and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Cover the dough circles with a towel and let them rise for about an hour.

How to cook the paczki in the air fryer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of whole milk, warmed to 110F
• 4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
• 3/4 cups + 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, divided
• 6-7 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Custard, for filling
• Powdered sugar, for coating

Method:

• Pour 2 cups of warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Stir and let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes bubbly.
• Add 2 cups of flour to the mixture and stir until the batter becomes smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot for 30 minutes. The mixture should rise and become bubbly.
• In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg and 4 egg yolks for 3-4 minutes, until frothy. Then, add 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
• Add the egg mixture to the dough and mix on medium-low speed with the dough hook attached. Mix until the dough is mostly combined.
• Stir in 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
• Gradually add 3-4 more cups of flour to the mixture and knead until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky and will not form a ball.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, which should take about 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a floured work surface. Sprinkle flour on the dough and roll it out to a 1/2-inch thickness.
• Use a glass, metal can, or biscuit cutter to cut out circles from the dough. Place the circles on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
• Cover the dough circles with a towel and let them rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat your air fryer to 350F for 3 minutes. Line the bottom of the air fryer with parchment paper.
• Place 3-4 dough circles in the air fryer at a time. Do not put parchment paper in the air fryer without the doughnuts, as this can be a fire hazard.
• Bake the doughnuts for 4-6 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Check the paczki frequently to ensure they are not burning. You want them to have a light golden color.
• Remove the paczki from the air fryer and place them on a paper towel-lined platter to cool.
• Sprinkle the paczki with powdered sugar and fill them with fruit jams or custard. Enjoy within one day.

How to fill the paczki with custard or jam

To fill the paczki with custard or jam, you can use a pastry bag with a long tip, pushing it into the side of the paczki. Alternatively, you can cut a slit in the side of the paczki and use a spoon to insert the filling.

Frequently asked questions