Make your own Sourdough ‘Kreppel’        (Filled Doughnuts)

Kreppel are traditionally eaten during the carnival, also called the ‘silly’, season throughout Germany. I grew up in the capital of the Rhineland, Mainz, which also is one of the capitals of the carnival. So Kreppel transport me home to a very joyous and playful place. I hope they will bring you some carefree times too.

Echt’s sourdough doughnuts use a slightly enriched milk dough. The overnight fermentation allows for a balanced flavour and firmer texture compared with traditional fast yeasted doughs. As with all Echt’s products the slow fermentation also brings the health benefits of breaking down gluten and lowering the GI making it a more digestible.

  In order to make this recipe successfully experience with sourdough or yeasted baking is recommended. If you haven’t got a sourdough starter bug you can pick some up from my bakery on most Wednesdays for free. I have added a pinch of yeast into this recipe to make proofing times and a little more realistic.

Equipment required:

Mixer with dough hook or paddle attachment and bowl. As with most enriched doughs containing butter, it is recommended to mix this dough by machine in order to allow for a strong dough. Hand mixing is less likely to achieve this.

Deep fryer or cast iron pan.

 Make ahead: Plan at least 4-6 hours ahead for preparation of your sourdough and yeast poolish. Timelines depend on the strength of your sourdough, dough/water and room temperatures.

Sourdough: 400 g young but strong Sourdough

       Mix 170g lukewarm water/170g flour/60g active sourdough and leave in warm spot until it has doubled. If you use overripe sourdough it will bring unwanted or strong flavours into this sweet treat.

200g yeast poolish (100g flour/100g lukewarm water/2 g dry yeast). Mix all ingredients, cover and keep in a warm spot. It is ready to use when it has doubled. If your poolish is faster than your sourdough you can just pop it into the fridge until your sourdough is ready as well.

Ingredients Kreppel (makes 20):

400 g young sourdough

200g yeast poolish

900 g flour such as Farmer’s mill Summit flour or high grade flour. Do not use pastry flour.

18 g salt

450g lukewarm milk

100 g cubed, unsalted butter at room temperature.

60 g sugar

Making the Kreppel:

·           Mix Flour, water, sourdough and yeast polish in your mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Try to avoid to add more fluid than outlined unless dry patches of flour remain. Mix until incorporated. Cover and rest for 45 minutes. Desired dough temperature is 24-25 degrees.

·           Add salt and sugar. Mix on low speed for 5- 10 minutes.

·           Rest for 10 minutes.

·           Continue mixing at medium speed and add soft butter slowly.  Wait until each chunk is absorbed into the dough before adding the next.

·           Continue mixing at high speed for 5-10 minutes until dough doesn’t stick to the sides and doesn’t ‘rip’ easily when ‘tugged on’.

·           Transfer to a bowl with lid and leave in warm spot. Depending on dough and room temperature the dough needs to ferment for 2-5 hours before you place it into fridge overnight. The dough is ready to be placed in the fridge when it has not quite doubled.

·           The following day: Take dough out of fridge. If it hasn’t doubled you can leave it at room temperature until it has.

·           Make custard while waiting.

·           Weigh up 95g pieces of dough and shape into little balls. Space balls out on floured tea towels, cover and proof in a warm place for 2-3 hours. The balls should have significantly increased in size and feel very light and soft.

·           Preheat sunflower oil in deep fryer to 180 degrees. Fry doughnuts for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Custard filling

430 ml whole milk

A good pinch of salt

100 g sugar

30 g corn-starch

2 eggs

Content of one vanilla pod

Heat milk to just under boiling point. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Once milk is ready scoop ½ cup of milk into other mixture, stirring continuously. Add mixture to remaining milk on stove stirring continuously. Bring to gentle boil until thickened. Cover and cool.

Chocolate ganache and nut topping:

150 g dark Whittaker’s chocolate

150g cream

28g sugar

Bring a small amount of water to the boil on your stove. Place heatproof bowl on top ensuring bowl does not touch the water. Place all ingredients in the bowl and melt. Stirring regularly.

Assembly of Kreppel.

You will need 120 g chopped nuts (I used locally grown ‘Fairlie hazelnuts’). Make a partial horizontal cut into doughnut. Dip top of doughnuts into chocolate ganache sprinkling it with chopped nuts. Once ganache is dry to touch fill Kreppel with custard using a piping bag.

Enjoy!