Similar to a beignet, oliebollen are a Dutch fried dough, traditionally eaten on New Years Eve! Since living in Amsterdam, our owner, Giulia, was inspired to make this recipe with einkorn, after seeing the carts selling oliebollen across the city. The truly traditional recipe includes raisins, but they are also delicious without! Since there is only a small amount of sugar in the dough, the oliebollen themselves are not very sweet—so feel free to use abundant powdered sugar. 

Instructions

1. Place one cup of milk in a small bowl, add the dry yeast, and mix until fully dissolved.
2. The dough can be made either in a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment or a handheld mixer with dough hooks. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest to a large bowl or standing mixer bowl. Mix until all ingredients are well distributed, then make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the well and start mixing. Gradually add in the rest of the milk and mix for a few minutes until the batter is free of visible flour. If making raisin oliebollen, add raisins to taste now. Give a quick mix until evenly distributed.
4. Cover with a dish towel and set aside to rise for about an hour. Once done, the dough should be doubled and bubbly.
5. Heat a deep pan or pot of sunflower oil (or your preferred oil for deep frying), until it reaches 350°F. Drop heaping ice cream scoops of batter into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd them. Fry for 6-7 minutes, or until nicely browned and cooked through.
6. Remove the oliebollen from the oil and let drain in a bowl lined with paper towels. Then transfer them to a larger bowl and toss in plenty of powdered sugar. The oliebollen themselves are not very sweet, so feel free to use abundant powdered sugar. Enjoy warm.