Fastnachts

Fastnachts (German leavened donuts)

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, peeled

2 cups potato water

4 cups flour, divided; additional flour as needed (in our case, 6 more cups)

6 tsp active dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm milk

4 eggs, beaten

½ cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

Making the Fastnachts

Begin preparation after dinner the day before baking.

Boil the potatoes in sufficient water to cover until fork soft (about 20-30 minutes); save the potato water.

Mash the potatoes.

Scald 2 cups of flour in a large bowl with some of the hot potato water

(note: we think this is where we erred – we used ALL the potato water. With additional research after, it seems that scalding flour should involve an equivalent weight of flour and water)

Add the mashed potatoes and mix the batter thoroughly.

Allow time to cool.

Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm water (100-110 degrees F) and add to batter.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups flour and 2 cups lukewarm milk.

The resultant flour/milk batter should drop readily from a spoon.

Add this batter to the initial batch of potato batter.

Cover the bowl, set it in a warm place and allow it to rise overnight.

Appearance of the batter after a night's rise and before the egg mixture is added.

The next day, combine beaten eggs, melted butter and sugar and add to the batter.

Add additional flour to the mix until no longer sticky and stiff enough to knead into a large ball for rolling out flat.

Allow the rolled dough to rise for an hour or two until it doubles in size.

After addition of the egg mixture, the batter supports a mixing spoon but is insufficiently firm to roll or cut.

The batter is very sticky during kneading; flour must be added steadily during this step.

The final firm dough, divided.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to ½ inch thickness.

Cut the dough into squares, rectangles, or triangles of a couple of inches width at their largest with a very sharp knife, cutting straight downward.

Cut a small slit into the center of each piece.

Allow the cut dough to rise again, if for only a few minutes.

Fry the dough pieces in hot oil (we used avocado oil). The oil should be maintained at a temperature between 350 and 370 degrees F, and at a depth of approximately ½"-1" in a high-sided pan.

Flip the pieces in the oil (you can do this as often as you'd like to make sure neither side burns) and remove with a slotted spoon or similar implement when golden to medium brown.

Drain fastnachts on a tray with absorbent paper towel.