Viennese Fritters

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with dough hook or sturdy mixing bowl and dough scraper
• •Rolling pin
• •4-quart (4-litre) heavy saucepan
• •Deep-frying thermometer
• •Wire skimmer
• •Wire cooling rack set over a sheet pan

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the referenced paste

   Prepare Ordinary Brioche Paste (No. 2368) with the exact firmer Viennese proportions given in the ingredient list. Follow the referenced entry's complete mixing and fermentation procedure, including the working halfway through the long rise and the final working before use. A stand mixer fitted with its dough hook may replace pulling the paste about by hand, but it does not replace the sequence or the two-stage fermentation. If the leaven fails to double, move it somewhere gently warmer and wait; if it remains lifeless, replace the yeast before sacrificing the butter and eggs.

2. 2

   Chill and test firmness

   After the final working, flatten the paste into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) rectangle, cover it, and chill it for 30 minutes. Press it with one finger: it should yield without flowing outward and lift cleanly from a lightly floured surface. If it slumps or sticks like batter, do not bury it under more flour. Ça se rattrape: fold it once, cover it, and chill for another 20 minutes. If it cracks at the edges, let it soften for 10 minutes before rolling.

   The firm paste is the dish. Extra flour added after mixing changes the book's proportion and makes the fritters heavy; cold gives the butter structure without changing the formula.
3. 3

   Roll cut and proof

   Roll the paste evenly to ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, lifting and turning it so it never fastens itself to the board. Cut twelve 2½-inch (6 cm) squares, then turn them on the diagonal to make simple diamonds. The source prescribes the paste but no filling or elaborate figure, so this plain, scrap-free shape is the honest home translation. Set the pieces on parchment, cover lightly, and leave them for 30 to 45 minutes, until rounded and visibly puffy but not doubled. A fingertip dent should return slowly; if it springs back at once, give the paste another 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Heat the frying oil

   Pour the oil into a heavy 4-quart (4-litre) pot, leaving the vessel no more than half full, and heat it to 340°F (170°C). Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby. Hold the oil between 335°F and 345°F (168°C and 174°C): cooler oil soaks the paste, while hotter oil bronzes the butter-rich exterior before the centre can cook.

5. 5

   Fry to deep gold

   Lower three or four pieces into the oil without crowding the pot. Fry for about 90 seconds on the first side, turn them, and continue until both faces are deep butter-gold and the fritters feel light when lifted, about 3 to 4 minutes in total. Let the oil regain 340°F (170°C) between batches. Break open the first fritter after a 2-minute rest: its crumb should be fine, tender, and fully set. If the crust darkens around a gummy centre, ça se rattrape: lower the oil to 330°F (165°C) and give the remaining batches another minute. If a batch emerges pale and greasy, pause until the oil recovers before continuing.

   The first fritter is tuition. Test it before committing the rest of the batch, because oil temperature is easier to correct than twelve undercooked centres.
6. 6

   Drain and serve

   Lift the fritters with a wire skimmer, let the excess oil fall back into the pot, and place them on the rack rather than piling them on absorbent paper, which traps moisture underneath. Rest them for 5 minutes and serve while their bronzed shells remain crisp and the buttery crumb is still supple. The source adds no filling, glaze, or perfume, so neither do we. This is the paste speaking for itself. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Weigh the flour and beaten egg if you can. Half an egg is perfectly manageable once the eggs are beaten together, and exact measurement protects the firm balance that lets this paste take the rolling pin.
• •Use real butter softened only until it matches the paste's consistency. Melted or greasy butter weakens the structure and leaks during frying. We don't apologize for butter, and we don't mistreat it either.
• •The 7 g fresh yeast preserves the source formula. Instant yeast is more concentrated, so use 2.3 g rather than replacing it gram for gram; that adjustment matches strength without rushing the required fermentation.
• •These are at their best within a few hours of frying. Keep leftovers loosely covered at room temperature and refresh them for 5 minutes in a 325°F (165°C) oven. A microwave softens the crust and does the butter no favors.

Advance Preparation

• •Begin Ordinary Brioche Paste (No. 2368) 10 to 12 hours before you plan to roll the fritters, allowing its full two-stage fermentation and both workings to finish.
• •After the final working, the covered paste may be refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Roll, cut, proof, and fry it when you are ready to serve.
• •Do not fully proof the cut fritters far in advance. Once they are puffy and hold a slowly returning fingertip dent, they belong in the oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)