The story behind the recipe
Cheese oponki are homemade sweets well-established in Polish recipe notebooks. They differ from yeast doughnuts by the addition of curd and a quick leavening with baking soda. The characteristic hole makes it easier to fry the small rings evenly.
We choose thick curd in a block, sour cream, and a small portion of dough, which will yield about 24 oponki and small balls from the centers. They are best enjoyed fresh after cooling. They do not need icing or filling: a light dusting of powdered sugar is enough.
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 g semi-fat curd (thick, well-drained)
- 250 g wheat flour (plus about 20 g for the work surface)
- 1 pc egg
- 1 pc egg yolk
- 50 g sugar
- 60 g 18% sour cream
- 4 g baking soda (about 3/4 teaspoon)
- 5 ml 10% spirit vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
Frying
- 1 l rapeseed oil (amount depends on the pot; not all stays in the dish)
Serving
- 30 g powdered sugar (for dusting)
Method, step by step
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Pass the curd through a press or sieve. Mix with the egg, yolk, sugar, sour cream, and vinegar. Prepare a cutter with a diameter of about 6 cm and a small one for the hole, about 2 cm.
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Mix the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add to the cheese mixture, combine briefly with a spoon, and then with your hand. A soft, slightly sticky dough will form. Do not knead it for long and do not add a large amount of flour at once.
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In a wide, stable pot, start heating the oil. The layer should be a few centimeters deep, but the pot must not be filled more than halfway. Set a candy thermometer, ensuring the probe does not touch the bottom.
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On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough to about 1 cm thick. Cut out circles, and make a small hole in the center of each. Combine the scraps only once, without long kneading. Keep the small centers for separate frying.
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When the oil reaches 170–175°C, place one test oponka in. Fry for about 1.5–2 minutes on each side until golden, gently turning with a metal tool.
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Remove the test piece onto paper or a rack. After a short cooling, cut it open: the center should be fluffy and baked through, without wet dough. If the crust darkens too quickly, lower the temperature and fry the next one a little longer.
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Fry the remaining oponki in small batches, maintaining 170–175°C. Do not crowd them in the pot. Cut the second half of the dough while frying, keeping it covered to prevent drying out.
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Fry the small balls from the centers separately, for a shorter time than the large rings. Turn them to brown evenly. Also here, check one piece by cutting it open.
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Drain the oponki and wait a few minutes. Dust with powdered sugar only after the surface has cooled, so it doesn't dissolve immediately. From the given amounts, you will get about 24 small oponki, depending on thickness.
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Serve fresh. After completely cooling, pour the oil into a suitable container and dispose of it according to local regulations; do not pour it down the sink.
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