This is Opa’s recipe from the ‘Bakkerij de Greef’ in Zutphen, The Netherlands.

I have translated it from dutch directly, so if there are any weird words in this post, please let me know as I can’t always see them.

This recipe makes about 50-60 doughnuts.

Ingredients

• 100g fresh yeast (you can purchase this over the counter at Baker’s Delight)
• 10g salt
• 20g sugar
• 40g grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 75g mixed peel (optional)
• 700g milk
• 150g butter
• 500g total of currants/sultanas (soaked in warm water)
• 1kg plain flour

What you will need

• Medium sized-saucepan
• Sunflower oil for frying
• Large bowl for mixing (we use a plastic bucket)
• Saucepan or fryer for deep frying

What to do

Activate the yeast

1. Heat the milk in the saucepan until it is luke warm (approx 30 degrees C)
2. Dissolve the yeast into the milk
3. In the bucket, mix the flour, eggs, yeast and milk to a dough. Note: Do not add the salt

Prove the dough

1. Cover the mix with a tea towel
2. Place the bucket in a warm place to rise
3. Let the mix rise until it has doubled (this varies depending on how warm it is – in the Netherlands they place it in front of a water radiator). Today this took 20mins and it is mid-20s outside

Add 1st set of ingredients

1. In the saucepan, melt the butter
2. Mix the sugar, butter, lemon peel and salt into the dough mix
3. Mix the dough until it is nice and smooth. Note: This seems like it will never happen, but keep kneading and eventually the butter mixes in

Prove the dough (2nd prove)

1. Let the dough double in size again
2. Drain the currants/sultanas
   
3. Mix in the currants/sultanas and cinnamon

Prove the dough (3rd prove)

1. Let the mix rise again
2. Whack the dough down

Deep fry the doughnuts

1. Heat the oil to 180 degrees C
2. Using a spoon or icecream scoop, place golf ball sized balls of mix into the oil
3. Cook until golden brown on one side
4. Carefully roll the ball over and cook the other side
5. Remove from the oil and let rest on a paper towel

Serve

1. It is optional to dust with icing sugar or sugar and cinnamon before serving
2. These doughnuts only last a day or so – so make sure your friends are around!