Smoutebollen

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 7 gdried yeast
• 350 mllukewarm milk
• 2eggs
• 50 gcaster sugar
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 50 gbutter, melted

To fry

• lard, enough for 8 cm depth
• or neutral frying oil

To finish

• icing sugar, a great deal of it

Directions

1. Warm the milk until it is lukewarm and no hotter than that. Milk that is too hot will kill the yeast outright. Stir the yeast into the milk and leave it for five minutes. It should start to froth if the yeast is alive. Put the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle with the back of a spoon.
2. Pour in the yeasted milk, the eggs and the melted butter. Beat it hard with a wooden spoon for several minutes. Beat until the batter is smooth, thick and elastic. It should fall from the spoon in a heavy ribbon. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it in a warm place.
3. Let it rise for about an hour until it has doubled. Do not knock it back or stir it down afterwards. Pour lard or oil into a deep heavy pan to a depth of eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with frying fat.
4. Heat it to 175C and check it with a thermometer. Too cool and the balls soak up fat and turn heavy. Keep a lid within reach in case the fat catches fire. Never pour water onto burning fat under any circumstances.
5. Dip two spoons into the hot fat first so the batter slides off. Scoop a rough ball of batter with one of the spoons. Fry only five or six balls at a time in the pan. Turn them with a slotted spoon as they colour. Fry them for about four minutes until they are deep golden.
6. Break one open to check the middle before frying the rest. The inside should be light, airy and fully cooked through. Adjust the heat between batches to hold the temperature steady. Lift them out and drain them on plenty of kitchen paper. Pile the hot balls into a paper cone or into a bowl.
7. Sift icing sugar over them until they are completely white. Shake the cone so the sugar coats every surface. Serving them is done immediately while they are hot.

Technique

• Lard gives the traditional flavour that the name refers to, and most fairground vans still use it.
• Sunflower or another neutral oil works and makes the recipe suitable for people who avoid pork.

Substitutions

• The milk can be replaced with beer for a slightly tangier dough, which some Flemish recipes call for.

Variations

• Dutch oliebollen add soaked raisins and chopped apple to the same batter.
• Some Belgian vans offer them with melted chocolate or speculoos spread instead of icing sugar.

History

Sold from vans at Belgian fairs and Christmas markets; smout is Flemish for lard.

Frequently asked questions

What is Smoutebollen?

Smoutebollen is a street food from Belgium: yeast dough balls fried in lard and buried in icing sugar. Sold from vans at Belgian fairs and Christmas markets; smout is Flemish for lard.

How long does Smoutebollen take to make?

Smoutebollen takes 20 minutes plus 1 hour rising of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 balls. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Smoutebollen?

Yes, within limits. The milk can be replaced with beer for a slightly tangier dough, which some Flemish recipes call for.

What is the most important thing to get right in Smoutebollen?

Let it rise for about an hour until it has doubled. Do not knock it back or stir it down afterwards. Pour lard or oil into a deep heavy pan to a depth of eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with frying fat.