Papanași
(pah-pah-nash)
Dulcegării (Mamaie’s Bakery & Sweets)
Papanași are the undisputed heavyweights of Romanian desserts. You’ve seen them: towering, golden halos of fried cheese dough smothered under a sheer avalanche of rich cream and tart cherry preserves. They look intimidating, the kind of restaurant showstopper designed to induce a food coma. But here is the reality of the home kitchen: it’s just a humble, one-bowl cheese dough. The trick to nailing that elusive homeland flavor in an American suburb is sourcing the right dry cheese—farmer's cheese is your saving grace—and resisting the urge to overwork it. We want them tender, cloud-like, and melting. Not tough.
Before you start
Drain the cheese if necessary.
If you cannot find authentic dry farmer's cheese, whole-milk ricotta is your best grocery store alternative. However, it must be drained overnight in a sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove excess moisture. Wet cheese will ruin the dough.
Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. You will need it ready to finish cooking the dense donuts.
Ingredients
- farmer's cheese1 lb
- large eggs2 large
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- lemon1 med
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- all-purpose flour1 1/2 cup
- baking powder1 1/2 tsp
- neutral cooking oil1 qt
- crème fraîche1 1/2 cup
- sour cherry preserves1 cup
Method
- 01
Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, mash the cheese, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt with a fork until it forms a cohesive, creamy paste.
- 02
Form the dough gently.
Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over the cheese mixture and fold it in with a spatula until it just comes together, then use your hands to press it into a shaggy dough for no more than 15 seconds. Stop mixing early; overworking the dough creates gluten, turning your fluffy papanași into heavy bread. It should remain slightly sticky.
- 03
Let the dough rest.
Leave it uncovered at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to hydrate the flour naturally.
- 04
Shape the rings and hats.
Generously flour your hands and work surface, divide the dough into four equal portions, and pinch off a ping-pong-sized ball from each to serve as the "hat". Roll the larger pieces into balls, flatten them slightly, and use your floured thumb to poke a hole through the center, gently stretching to form a donut ring. Roll the small pieces into smooth balls.
- 05
Fry to a deep golden brown.
Heat about 2 inches of neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until it reaches 340°F, then fry the rings and balls for 3 to 4 minutes per side. The smaller balls will cook faster; remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they are deeply golden.
- 06
Bake to finish.
Transfer the fried rings to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, then immediately bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 7 minutes. This is the foolproof restaurant trick to ensure the thick rings cook perfectly in the center without burning the outside.
- 07
Assemble and serve warm.
Place a golden ring on a plate, spoon a generous dollop of crème fraîche into the center hole, drizzle with cherry preserves, and crown with the dough hat. Finish with one final spoonful of cream and jam over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
The Weeknight Boiled Variation.
While the towering fried papanași get all the glory, boiled papanași (papanași fierți) are what Romanian mothers actually make on a random Wednesday night. Use the same ingredients but reduce the flour to 2 tablespoons, add 3 tablespoons of semolina, boil the dumplings in salted water until they float, and toss them immediately in a skillet of buttery, toasted breadcrumbs sweetened with sugar.
From Cook Romanian in America.