Fastnachts Recipe

Fastnachts are yeast-raised potato donuts that are made for 'fasting night', Fat Tuesday or the start of Lent. This traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fastnacht recipe uses mashed potatoes or potato flakes in the dough. These pillowy soft fried dough balls are a delicious way to kick off the Easter season.

🥔 Fastnacht Ingredientsnts needed:

• milk - whole is my favorite for this recipe
• mashed potatoes - leftover is fine but I often will use instant!
• sugar - white sugar
• butter, melted - cooled
• yeast - dry or granular yeast
• water
• flour - all-purpose is what I use
• egg
• Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening or lard for frying

🔄 Substitutions

These substitutions were passed along to me by a reader, Melanie. These are her substations for eggless and dairy-free (also no refined sugar). I have not tested them as of today. I wanted to share these substitutions for Fastnachts if you want to give these ingredient swaps a try.

• Sub the milk for water
• Sub the butter for vegan butter (I did half avocado butter, half lard)
• Sub sugar for Sucanat/rapadura
• Einkhorn flour 1:1 for traditional flour
• Added sunflower lecithin in place of the egg

Definitely did it a little different but what a great starting point.

🥣 How To Make Fastnacht Dough:

1. Scald the milk abd combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes, add ½ cup sugar plus the butter.
2. Cool to about room temperature before proceeding with the next step.
3. Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in warm water.
4. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again.
5. Let rise for 25 minutes and add the beaten egg to the mixture.
6. Add flour, stirring with a large spoon. Knead for about 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a thin towel, and let rise place 2 hours or double in size.
8. Roll out and fry the dough. Instructions below.

📷 Making Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, photo instructions

1. Scald the milk.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes.
3. Add ½ cup sugar plus the butter.
4. Mix with an electric mixer. If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with the next step.
5. Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in barely warm water.
6. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again.
7. Cover with a towel and let rise for 25 minutes.
8. Add the beaten egg to the mixture.
9. Add 4 ½ cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon. Turn onto a well-floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Grease a large bowl.
10. Place the dough in the greased bowl. 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.
11. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough ¾“ thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts.
12. Cut the dough into 3” to 4“ wide strips, then cut the strips into 3” to 4“ pieces.
13. To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife.
14. Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-½” to 2" apart, on large wax paper-lined trays.
15. Cover each tray with a thin towel.
16. Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size.
17. Continue to the fry instructions.

How to fry Fastnachts

1. Heat the shortening to 365°. (a high temp thermometer works wonders here)
2. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time. **** THIS IS AN ADULT ONLY JOB!!****
3. Drain on paper towels.
4. Cool completely before serving.

Fastnacht Glaze:*husbands' favorite*

Beat together:

• 2-½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add enough milk to make a thin glaze.

Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm doughnuts or dip the doughnuts in the glaze.

For powdered doughnuts:

Shake slightly warm doughnuts in a bag with confectioners’ sugar, or a combination of confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon.

Cinnamon Sugar: *my favorite!*

Combine 1 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.  Stir till combined and dredge the warm fastnachts in the cinnamon sugar.

Fastnacht history:

The Pennsylvania Dutch celebrate Shrove Tuesday by eating yeast raised potato doughnuts, which are lovingly known as “Fastnachts.” The name “Fastnacht” is German for “Fast Night.” Fastnacht Day is a day to forget about dieting and a slim waistline and feast on doughnuts! It’s a custom that had its beginnings with the Plain People. Making Fastnachts helped to use up the fat and sugar they had on hand before the Lenten fast began.

📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

Homemade Fastnachts

Sarah Mock

These pillowy soft fried dough balls are a delicious way to kick off the Easter season.

4.70 from 36 votes

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Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Additional Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN

Course Breakfast Recipes

Cuisine German

Servings 24

Calories 203 kcal

HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups milk
• ▢ 1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, milk, or butter added)
• ▢ ½ cup sugar ( + ½ tsp. sugar)
• ▢ 1 stick butter (melted)
• ▢ 1 packet rapid rise yeast
• ▢ ¼ cup water (luke warm)
• ▢ 6½ cups flour (divided, 2 cups + 4½ cups)
• ▢ 1 Egg
• ▢ 1 can Crisco® Shortening (3 pounds Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening for frying)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

 

• Scald the milk.
  2 cups milk
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes.
  1 cup mashed potatoes
• Add ½ cup sugar plus the butter.
  ½ cup sugar, 1 stick butter
• Mix with an electric mixer. If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with the next step.
• Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in barely warm water.
  1 packet rapid rise yeast, ¼ cup water
• Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again.
  6½ cups flour
• Cover with a towel and let rise for 25 minutes.
• Add the beaten egg to the mixture.
  1 Egg
• Add 4 ½ cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon. Turn onto a well-floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Grease a large bowl.
  6½ cups flour
• Place the dough in the greased bowl. 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.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough ¾“ thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts.
• Cut the dough into 3” to 4“ wide strips, then cut the strips into 3” to 4“ pieces.
• To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife.
• Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-½” to 2" apart, on large wax paper-lined trays.
• Cover each tray with a thin towel.
• Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size.
• 
  How to fry Fastnachts
• Heat the shortening to 365°. (a high temp thermometer works wonders here)
  1 can Crisco® Shortening
• Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time. **** THIS IS AN ADULT ONLY JOB!!****
• Drain on paper towels.
• Cool completely before serving.

Notes

**don't have a potato in the house? Use potato flakes as a substitute.  Just be sure to reconstitute them!**

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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originally  posted March 8, 2011

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.