German Doughnuts Recipe (Ausgezogene Krapfen)

Ausgezogene Krapfen which literally means pulled out doughnuts, also known as Hutkrapfen, Auszogne, Küchle or Knieküchle (they have so many names), are German doughnuts and a Bavarian specialty.

These Bavarian style doughnuts are flat and very thin in the middle and thick on the sides. Just like German fried pastry aka. Geschnittene Hasen, Ausgezogene Krapfen are normally made for special occasions such as baptism, confirmation, wedding or parish fair.

My mum in law, Beate and her mum, Rosa always make Ausgezogene Krapfen once a year, in July, a few days before the annual parish fair of their church. About 3 years ago I joined the doughnuts making crew.

Last week, it was that time of the year again that Beate, Rosa and I made the doughnuts. This time I was one hour late because my daughter slept longer than usual.

When we arrived at my parents in law’s place after a 30 minute drive, Beate and her mum were already done making the dough and rolling it into balls. They were also very kind and took photos for each and every step, while I was not around. Therefore, 80% of the photos in this recipe were taken by Beate and Rosa!

We always triple this recipe, so that we will get 100 doughnuts. Because, my in law’s family and friends are always waiting impatiently for their share. The 100 doughnuts always disappear in no time.

Just like the best cheesecake ever recipe, I’ve tasted different doughnuts from the bakeries and homemade ones normally sold during parish fairs in Bamberg and its surroundings, but I must say that none could beat this recipe from my mum in law. My very picky husband only eats doughnuts baked by his mum.

I then interviewed my mum in law and her mum, and they shared with me their tips and tricks for making the best Bavarian style doughnuts. I’ve noted all the tips and tricks in the step-by-step recipe.

My father in law likes his German doughnuts in the form of a hat, thus why you’ll see some hat formed doughnuts. But they were all made in the same way

Making German doughnuts is very time consuming, but it’s worth it. You must definitely have a helping hand, to speed up everything a bit.

German Doughnuts step-by-step photo recipe

Yield: 25 doughnuts
Prep Time: 90 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 110 min

What you’ll need to make the sweet yeast dough

– 1 kg (2.2 lbs/ 8 1/4 cups) plain flour plus extra for dusting
– 1 fresh yeast, approx: 40 g (1.4 oz)/ 4 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
– 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar 
– 3 medium eggs, room temperature
– 120 g (4 oz/ 2/3 cup) sugar
– 100 g (3.5 oz) butter
– 500 ml (16.9 fl.oz/ about 2 cups) milk
– a pinch of salt
– 1 shot fruit brandy of your choice (around 20 ml/1.3 tbs)
– 1 tablespoon sunflower oil, plus extra to grease the bowl, your hands, the dough and the cling film

You’ll also need:

• 3* 500 g (about 3 lbs) clarified butter to deep fry the doughnuts (we also used clarified butter, because it tastes very good that way. But you can use any oil of your choice)
• 3 bowls, 1 pot & a spoon
• kitchen cloth, 2 old table cloths & plastic dust sheet
• a cooling rack
• preserving jar (at least 1 liter), rubber ring & cling film
• a cutting board
• a kitchen machine or a hand mixer, but you can also use your hands
• icing sugar to dust the doughnuts

The German doughnuts recipe step-by-step-Instructions

How to make a sweet yeast dough

Heat the milk and butter in a pot at medium heat. Stir continuously until butter has melted. Remove the pot from the heat and let the milk – butter mixture cool.

Next combine fresh yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a bowl. Using a spoon/fork break the yeast into small pieces and mix until yeast starts to dissolve. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes or until you have a smooth liquid.

• If you’re using dry yeast, add 2 tablespoons flour (from the 1 kg (2.2 lbs/ 8 1/4 cups), 1 tablespoon sugar (from the 120 g (4 oz/ 2/3 cup) and yeast to the jar with half of lukewarm milk. Stir well and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes. Then follow the recipe.

Crack the eggs into another bowl and beat until blended.

Put the flour, the remaining sugar, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a hole in the middle. Then pour in the yeast – sugar mixture in the middle and mix well.

Add the eggs, then start mixing, while adding the lukewarm milk – butter mixture slowly. It’s very important that milk and butter mixture is lukewarm and not hot before using it. Next add slowly fruit brandy shot while the dough is busy kneading, followed by a tablespoon of sunflower oil.

Knead the dough very well. I normally knead my dough like this:

• If I’m kneading it with the hand mixer, I knead the dough for about 8 minutes at low speed and then for 5 minutes on medium high speed.
• With the kitchen machine I knead the dough for 7 minutes at low speed (speed 1, on Bosch kitchen machine) and for 3 more minutes at medium high speed (speed 3).
• With the hands, I knead the dough for about 10 to 12 minutes. If the dough is sticky when kneading with the hands, just oil them with few drops of vegetable oil.
• If you’re using a heavy duty kitchen machine, please knead your dough for maximum 7 minutes in total. Otherwise you will be overworking the dough.

Put the dough in the greased bowl. Pour few drops of oil on the dough, so that the dough will not dry out. Using your hands, apply the oil evenly and cover with a kitchen cloth. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Make the yeast dough balls

In the meantime, take an old cloth, spread it out and lightly flour it. The cloth must be spread out in that way that you’ll be able to cover the dough balls with it later.

Next, grease the cutting board and your hands. Take two tablespoons of the dough and put them directly on the cutting board. Using your hand, form a smooth ball!

Put the rolled balls on the kitchen cloth. Put a drop of oil on the surface of each and every ball and massage it nicely. Repeat the process, until you have used up the dough.

Cover with the plastic dust sheet and then with a table cloth. Let the dough balls rise for 30 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

• It’s very important that all the windows are closed! The room must be a bit warm, but not too warm.

Stretch out the dough balls and deep fry

Turn the preserving jar the other way round. Such that the bottom is up. Cover the bottom with a plastic film. Using a rubber ring, fasten the plastic film and oil the surface.

Heat the oil in the pot at medium – low heat.

Grease your hands and take a dough ball. Using your hands stretch out the dough starting from the middle and going to the edges.

Put the dough on the jar, the exactly same way it was in your hands without turning it. Keep stretching out the dough, gently, such that the middle is thinner than the sides.

Next, take the pulled out dough ball from the jar and put it the exactly same way you have it in your hands in the fat without turning it. When you put the dough in the pot make sure that it’s not wrinkled, otherwise the doughnut will loose it’s form.

While the doughnut is in the pot, keep pouring hot oil over it. Once the bottom is nicely brown, turn it, until the other side is also golden brown.

Remove the doughnut from the fat, let cool a bit on the cooling rack, until you’ll be able to touch it with your hands and then move it on a table cloth. This is also very important because the table cloth removes the excess fat.

To serve German pulled out doughnuts dust them with icing sugar (powdered sugar) and enjoy!

Can you freeze this German style doughnuts?

Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. My mum in law, Beate does this all the time. Since my daughter is crazy about them and always asks for a doughnut, when she is at her grandparent’s house.

Simply let the doughnuts cool completely, before putting them in a a freezer-safe container, preferably  freezer bags. Then refrigerate for up to 3 months. 

How to thaw frozen doughnuts?

Remove the doughnuts from the freezer and let defrost at room temperature and eat them on the same day. Or you  defrost them overnight in the fridge and enjoy them the next day.  To serve the thawed doughnuts, reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds. Then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy. 

Love this doughnut Recipe? Try my jelly filled doughnut recipe, too.

Did you make this Ausgezogene Krapfen recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.