Skip to content

Berlinerboller (Berlin jam doughnuts)

Erken's berlinerboller (Berlin jam doughnuts) from 1914: a yeast dough of 250 g flour, milk, egg, egg yolks, and butter, rolled out, cut with a glass, joined in pairs with raspberry jam, proofed, and fried in lard, served dusted with sugar.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 552 (falt i det fri)

Be the first to rate

About the dish

In Erken's day, berlinerboller were a yeast pastry fried in lard and filled with jam — the forerunner of today's Berlin doughnut with vanilla cream or jam. The recipe appears in the "Baking" chapter alongside scones and other tea breads.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Dissolve the yeast

    Stir the yeast into a batter with the teaspoon of sugar, and thin with the barely lukewarm milk.

  2. 2

    Make the dough

    Sift the flour and stir in the yeast mixture, the melted butter, the whisked egg and egg yolks, and the salt.

  3. 3

    Knead

    Work the dough well until it comes away from the bowl.

  4. 4

    Roll and cut out

    Roll out the dough, not too thin — about as thick as the back of a thick knife. Cut out round pieces with a glass.

  5. 5

    Fill

    Join the round pieces two by two with a little jam between them, and press the edges firmly together.

  6. 6

    Final proof

    Place the buns on a floured tray and let them rise for 20–30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Fry in lard

    Lift the buns off the tray one by one with a broad, floured knife and fry them in lard or oil at about 170 °C (340 °F), not too hot, until nicely browned and risen. Turn them along the way.

  8. 8

    Drain and serve

    Place the buns on paper so the fat drains off, and serve them dusted with sugar.

Changes from the original

Measures are converted to modern units (dl, tsp, g). The old "knivsod" is interpreted as a knife-point/pinch. Lard for deep-frying is given as neutral frying oil or lard, with a modern temperature reference (about 170 °C (340 °F)). The yeast amount is kept as fresh yeast.

In stores now

Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

Product data and prices via Kassalapp. Prices are updated daily and may vary.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

1949 (proofread, p. 643) → 1914 (proofread, p. 552)~50% of the text changedremovedadded
350 250 gr. hvetemel 1½ 1 1/2 del. melk 1 egg 2 eggeplommer eggeblommer 100 gr. smør ¼ teskje 1 teske sukker 1 knivsodd knivsod salt 45 gr. gjær syltetøi. Gjæren røres til en velling med sukkeret og tilsættes den saavidt lunkne melk. Melet siktes, sigtes, irøres gjæren med melken, det smeltede smør, de vispede egg og saltet. Deigen slåes slaaes, til den slipper fatet, kjevles ut, ikke for tynn, tynd, omtrent som baken av en tykk tyk kniv; bruk så lite ekstra mel som mulig, utstikkes med glass eller rundt jern. ølglas. To og to rundinger legges lægges sammen med litt syltetøi imellem, helst bringebærsyltetøi, stryk litt kaldt vann om kanten og trykk trykkes sammen rundt kantene, dette gjør, at de holder bedre sammen, legges på kanterne og lægges paa melet plate til hevning; heves hævning; hæves ca. 20 minutter — ½ minutter—1/2 time. Tas Tages 1 efter 1 av platen med en bred, melet kniv, koker i smultgryten ved ikke for sterk varme varme, til de er pent brune og hevet. Legges opp på hævet. Lægges op paa papir, forat smultet kan trekke vekk, trække væk, og serveres overstrødd overstrøet med sukker.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

Which jam is recommended in the Berlin doughnuts?
Henriette Schønberg Erken recommends raspberry jam, but other jam can be used. Only a small dab is placed between two cut-out rounds of dough, which are pressed firmly together along the edge.
How long should the buns rise before deep-frying?
About 20 minutes to half an hour, on a floured surface. They are then lifted off one by one with a broad, floured knife and fried in the pot of lard.
How thick should the dough be rolled out, and what are the buns cut out with?
The dough is rolled out about as thick as the back of a thick knife — not too thin. The rounds are cut out with a beer glass.
What must I watch for when frying in lard?
The heat must not be too strong; the buns are fried until nicely browned. Heat that is too strong gives a dark crust before they are cooked through.

Equipment for this dish

Advertisement

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It does not affect the price.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Read also

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!