Cuisine: The Polish Palate
Course: Desserts
Diet: Vegetarian, High-Carb, High-Satiety
Occasion: Fat Thursday, Afternoon Snack, Dessert & Tea Time, Comfort Food, Carnival, Culinary Heritage, Autumn Harvest

Pączki Kujawskie (Kuyavian Potato & Pumpkin Doughnuts)

Traditional golden yeast doughnuts enriched with mashed potatoes and pumpkin, yielding an incredibly tender, long-lasting crumb bursting with plum jam.
Prep time 30m
Cook time 1h 5m
Rest time 1h 30m
Total 3h 5m
Yield
12
Per serving:
382 kcal
58g Carbs
6g Protein
14g Fat
By Adam Dworak
Published: 10 October 2026

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Ingredients

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Kitchen Kit

  • Large Pot
  • Potato Masher
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Deep Pot
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Wire rack
  • Peeler
  • Chopping Board
  • Chef's Knife
  • Small Pan
  • Tea Towel
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pastry Cutter
  • Kitchen Paper
A top-down view of ingredients for making Kuyavian potato and pumpkin doughnuts on a wooden table, including bowls of mashed potatoes and pumpkin puree, flour with a cracked egg, yeast, and shaped dough balls.

Method

  1. Start by prepping the veg. Pour the water into a large pot, salt generously, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat (this will take about 15 minutes).
  2. Tip the peeled potatoes and pumpkin chunks into the boiling water. Cook until entirely tender, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly, let the steam dry off for a minute, then mash them until silky smooth with no lumps. Spread the mash on a plate and leave to cool completely.
  3. Gently warm the milk until lukewarm (not hot). Crumble in the fresh yeast, add 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the wheat flour. Stir to dissolve, then leave for 10-15 minutes until it froths and smiles at you.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, tip in the remaining wheat flour, the cooled potato-pumpkin mash, the rest of the caster sugar, and the salt.
  5. Crack 2 of the eggs fully into the bowl. Separate the 3rd egg, dropping the yolk in with the flour and saving the white for another use.
  6. Pour in the activated yeast mixture. Begin to knead the dough—either by hand or with a dough hook—until it comes together.
  7. Chuck in the melted butter and the vodka. Keep kneading for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will be slightly stickier than standard dough due to the vegetables—resist the urge to add too much extra flour.
  8. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to proof in a warm, draught-free spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  9. Punch the dough down to knock out the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a thickness of about 1.5 cm. Use a glass or cutter to stamp out circles.
  10. Place a teaspoon of plum jam in the centre of a circle, fold the edges up, and pinch them tightly together to seal. Roll it briefly in your palms to form a neat ball. Repeat until all the dough is used. Place the balls on a floured board, seam-side down, cover, and let them rest for 30 minutes for their second proof.
  11. Meanwhile, pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot and set over medium heat. Let it come up to 175°C (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
  12. Gently lower the proofed doughnuts into the hot oil, frying 3 or 4 at a time so you don't drop the temperature. Fry for about 3 minutes until deep golden brown, then flip and fry for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
  13. Lift the pączki out with a slotted spoon, letting the excess oil drip off, and transfer them to a wire rack lined with kitchen paper.
  14. While they are still slightly warm, generously dust the doughnuts with icing sugar before serving.
Chef's Note & Storage
Room temperature in a breathable paper bag or cardboard box for up to 3 days. The potato and pumpkin keep them remarkably moist. Never put them in the fridge, as the cold temperature rapidly stales the starches.
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A close-up view of a single powdered Kuyavian potato and pumpkin doughnut on a cracked ceramic plate, broken open to show the bright orange crumb and glossy dark red plum jam center.

A Taste of Kuyavian Ingenuity

In the fertile region of Kujawy, resourcefulness in the kitchen is a long-standing tradition. Adding mashed potatoes to yeast dough is a classic Polish baker's trick to retain incredible moisture, but the regional addition of pumpkin takes these pączki to another level. The pumpkin lends a vibrant, golden hue and a subtle, earthy sweetness. Because of the vegetable starches, these doughnuts stay remarkably soft and fresh for days, far outlasting standard bakery yeast buns that stale by sunset.

CHEF'S SECRET: The vegetables must be mashed perfectly smooth and allowed to cool to room temperature before mixing into the dough. Hot mash will instantly kill your yeast, and stray lumps will interrupt the delicate, fluffy crumb. Don't skip the splash of vodka in the dough either—the alcohol evaporates rapidly upon hitting the hot oil, creating an outward pressure that physically stops the dough from absorbing excess grease.

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The Perfect Fry

Frying these enriched doughs is entirely an exercise in temperature control. If your oil dips below 170°C, the doughnuts will drink the fat and become heavy, greasy lead balloons. Keep a steady heat, fry in small batches so you don't shock the oil temperature, and look for that iconic pale ring around the middle (the obrączka)—the ultimate sign of a well-proofed, highly buoyant pączek.

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Powidła Śliwkowe (Traditional Polish Plum Butter)
Featured ingredient: Plum Butter

Powidła Śliwkowe (Traditional Polish Plum Butter)

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