German Fastnachts With Potato

Total Time: 36 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 6 mins

Ingredients

• 1 packet yeast, dissolved in
• 1/2 cup warm water, with
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup hot mashed potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water, that the potatoes were boiled in (lukewarm)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water or 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups sifted flour, for stiff dough (about)

Recipe

• 1 dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp of sugar.
• 2 mix potatoes, sugar, potato water and flour; add yeast dissolved in water.
• 3 let rise in a warm place for several hours.
• 4 then add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup lukewarm water or milk, 3/4 cup melted butter, 3 eggs, salt and about 5 cups flour for stiff dough.
• 5 turn onto a well floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes.
• 6 add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers.
• 7 grease a large bowl.
• 8 place the dough in the greased bowl.
• 9 cover with a thin towel, and let rise in a warm, draft free place for about 2 hours or until it is at least double in size.
• 10 now, according to all my instruction, you’re supposed to let the dough rise again for another hour or two, but that means you’d be fussing with these things all day; figure it out; this would be its third rising, with another to come; i think at this point i’d be reckless and divide the dough in thirds and start rolling it out.
• 11 what matters if you do have a few large holes in your fastnachts?
• 12 take your choice, rise or roll.
• 13 i’d try rolling the dough to about 3/4 inch thickness.
• 14 fastnachts have a traditional diamond shape; cut them into diamonds with a knife.
• 15 another essential is to cut a slit across the top of each fastnacht with a sharp knife.
• 16 let the fastnachts rise, covered, in a warm place, till they’re springy to the touch; when they’re quite fat and puffy, drop them with the raised side down into fat that is hot enough to brown a bread cube—375 degrees.
• 17 fry on both sides.
• 18 if you don’t want that many fried cakes you might try baking some in a hot oven as rolls.
• 19 food that really schmecks.