Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky cover

I deemed this past Saturday “Deep Frying Day”. Claudia came over early, as we had a lot of Ukrainian cooking to do. All of which consisted of frying dough in hot oil. All of which was absolutely delicious. It had been quite a few years since I have had Pampushky. They are Ukrainian style doughnuts that are traditionally filled with either poppy seeds or prunes. They are little bites of heaven. The dough is sweet, amazingly soft, light and flaky. We make ours on the smaller, bite-sized side, but you can make them larger, like traditional doughnuts. People also tend to dust them with icing sugar for added decadence. My family prefer these au naturale, but there is truly no right or wrong way to enjoy them. They are the perfect dessert for Christmas Eve, which is coming up a lot faster than I’d like it. The dough requires a bit of time – 2 hours in fact. But it’s so worth it. This recipe makes a lot of Pampushky – 12-13 dozen or so. They freeze exceptionally well if you can’t consume all 145 within a 3 day period. I wouldn’t judge you if you did though. They are delicious! ‘Tis the season, am I right?! 

You will need:

For the dough:
3 packages yeast (6-3/4 teaspoons)
3 cups lukewarm water, divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
1 cup plus 1 tsp. white sugar, divided
1 cup 2% milk, scalded 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. salt
10 cups flour
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
1.5 – 2 litres canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying. 

*Note: this recipe makes enough dough for both the poppy seed and prune filling. If you are making just one type of filling, double the filling recipe shown below*

For the poppy seed filling:
2 cups ground poppy seeds
1 egg white
4 tbsp. liquid honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 white sugar

For the prune filling:
1.5 lbs. prunes
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 1

 In a saucepan bring your milk up to 82 °C (180 °F), stirring frequently. 

Remove from heat and set aside. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 2

Dissolve one tsp of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 3

Sprinkle yeast over water mixture.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 4

Let stand for 10 minutes, until nice and foamy. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 6

 Beat eggs and yolks together in a medium sized bowl.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 9

Add in your sugar.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 10

Then add in salt.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 11

Add in your 2 cups lukewarm water.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 12

Then add your cooled scalded milk. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 13

Add in your melted butter. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 14

Add in your oil.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 7

Finally add in your yeast mixture. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 5

Place 8 cups of your flour in a large bowl, making a well in the center.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 15

Slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 16

If your dough is still very sticky and runny, start adding the remaining flour by 1/2 cup increments until dough is soft and not too sticky. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 21

Turn dough out on a floured surface.

There is a lot of dough to work with here! 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 20

Knead dough for 10 minutes. 

Yes, 10 minutes. This is very important and key to this soft dough. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 19

After 10 minutes, your dough should look like this – soft and smooth. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 18

Because we didn’t have a bowl big enough to fit 1 dough ball, we separated the dough into two batches. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 17

Place dough into a well-greased bowl.

Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to allow dough to double in size (approximately 1 hour).

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 28

Here is our dough which as doubled in size. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 27

Punch the dough down, cover and let it rise again until it has doubled in size, again about 1 hour. 

While your dough is rising, you can make your filling. 

I will show you our two favourite/traditional options – Prune filling and Poppy Seed filling.

Let’s start by making the Prune filling: 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 22

Place prunes in a medium saucepan and cover with enough water to just cover the prunes. 

Bring water to a boil and simmer until prunes are soft, about 10 minutes. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 30

Drain prunes, ensuring all water has been removed. 

We typically let the colander sit in the sink for about 10 minutes to ensure all the moisture has drained out. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 31

Cut any larger chunks of prunes into smaller pieces. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 32

In a medium bowl, combine prunes with 1/3 cup sugar. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 33

Next add your fresh lemon juice.

Stir well and set aside. 

Now let’s make the Poppy Seed filling: 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 23

It is very important that your poppy seeds are ground. You can do this by boiling the poppy seeds for 1/2 hour in water. You then drain them and let them stand for 1 hour. After, if you don’t have a poppy seed grinder, you can simply put them through the finest blade of a food chopper.

In a small bowl,  combine your ground poppy seeds with your egg white. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 24

Next add your sugar. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 25

Then add your honey.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 26

Finally, add your cinnamon. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 29

Mix well and set aside. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 34

Now it’s time to assemble everything together.

Roll out your dough to 1/4 inch in thickness.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 35

Cut out dough using a round cookie cutter, about a 2 or 3 inches in diameter (you can make them larger, but we prefer bite-sized)

Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough.

Be very careful not to get any of the filling along the edges as it may not seal properly. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 36

Fold one half of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 37

Round out the edges until you have the shape of a ball. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 43

Viola! 

Place dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand 1 hour to rise again. 

They should almost double in size again. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 41

Using a deep fryer or a large pot and thermometer, heat canola oil between 350-360°F. 

Place dough in hot oil and deep fry until all sides are light golden brown, about 1 minute. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 40

Remove Pampushky from the oil with a slotted spoon

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 39

Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and allow to cool completely. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 38

Dish it up and serve to your friends and family on Christmas Eve, or any day you’d like! 

You can also dust these beauties with a bit of icing sugar for added sweetness. 

We personally prefer them without.

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 46

My personal favourite is the pruned-filled Pampushky. 

The dough is so soft and flaky. 

Claudia's Cookbook - Pampushky 47

 Claudia’s favourite is the poppy seed-filled Pampushky. 

These should be eaten within 1-3 days of making. They also freeze very well. 

Enjoy! 

Prune-Filled Pampushky (Ukrainian Doughnuts)
Yields 145
Delicious prune or poppy seed-filled doughnuts, perfect for Ukrainian Christmas Eve, or any day of the week.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
3 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
3 hr 30 min
Prep Time
3 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
3 hr 30 min
For the Dough
  1. 3 packages yeast (6-3/4 teaspoons)
  2. 3 cups lukewarm water, divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
  3. 1 cup plus 1 tsp. white sugar, divided
  4. 1 cup 2% milk, scalded
  5. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  6. 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
  7. 4 whole eggs
  8. 2 egg yolks
  9. 1 tsp. salt
  10. 10 cups flour
  11. Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
  12. 1.5 – 2 litres canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying.
For the prune filling
  1. 3 lbs. prunes
  2. 2/3 cup white sugar
  3. 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
For the Dough
  1. In a saucepan bring your milk up to 82 °C (180 °F), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Dissolve one tsp of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes, until nice and foamy.
  3. Beat eggs and yolks together in a medium sized bowl.
  4. Add in sugar, salt, 2 cups lukewarm water, scalded milk, melted butter, oil, and foamy yeast mixture. Stir well.
  5. Place 8 cups of your flour in a large bowl, making a well in the center.
  6. Slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour. If your dough is still very sticky and runny, start adding the remaining flour by 1/2 cup increments until dough is soft and not too sticky.
  7. Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
  8. Place dough into a well-greased bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to allow dough to double in size (approximately 1 hour).
  9. Punch the dough down, cover and let it rise again until it has doubled in size, again about 1 hour. While your dough is rising, you can make your filling.
For Prune Filling
  1. Place prunes in a medium saucepan and cover with enough water to just cover the prunes. Bring water to a boil and simmer until prunes are soft, about 10 minutes.
  2. rain prunes, ensuring all water has been removed. We typically let the colander sit in the sink for about 10 minutes to ensure all the moisture has drained out.
  3. Cut any larger chunks of prunes into smaller pieces.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine prunes with sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.
To Assemble
  1. Roll out your dough to 1/4 inch in thickness.
  2. Cut out dough using a round cookie cutter, about a 2 or 3 inches in diameter (you can make them larger, but we prefer bite-sized)
  3. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough. Be very careful not to get any of the filling along the edges as it may not seal properly.
  4. Fold one half of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together. Round out the edges until you have the shape of a ball.
  5. Place dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand 1 hour to rise again. They should almost double in size.
  6. Using a deep fryer or a large pot and thermometer, heat canola oil between 350-360°F.
  7. Place dough in hot oil and deep fry until all sides are light golden brown, about 1 minute.
  8. Remove Pampushky from the oil with a slotted spoon.
  9. Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and allow to cool completely.
  10. You can dust Pampushky with icing sugar if you desire (optional).
  11. Dish it up and serve to your friends and family on Christmas Eve, or any day you’d like!
Notes
  1. These should be eaten within 1-3 days of making. They also freeze very well.
Claudia's Cookbook http://www.claudiascookbook.com/
Poppy Seed-Filled Pampushky (Ukrainian Doughnuts)
Yields 145
Delicious poppy seed-filled doughnuts, perfect for Ukrainian Christmas Eve, or any day of the week.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
3 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
3 hr 30 min
Prep Time
3 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
3 hr 30 min
For the Dough
  1. 3 packages yeast (6-3/4 teaspoons)
  2. 3 cups lukewarm water, divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
  3. 1 cup plus 1 tsp. white sugar, divided
  4. 1 cup 2% milk, scalded
  5. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  6. 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
  7. 4 whole eggs
  8. 2 egg yolks
  9. 1 tsp. salt
  10. 10 cups flour
  11. Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
  12. 1.5 – 2 litres canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying.
For Poppy Seed Filling
  1. 4 cups ground poppy seeds
  2. 2 egg whites
  3. 1/2 cup liquid honey
  4. 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  5. 1 cup white sugar
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan bring your milk up to 82 °C (180 °F), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Dissolve one tsp of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes, until nice and foamy.
  3. Beat eggs and yolks together in a medium sized bowl.
  4. Add in sugar, salt, 2 cups lukewarm water, scalded milk, melted butter, oil, and foamy yeast mixture. Stir well.
  5. Place 8 cups of your flour in a large bowl, making a well in the center.
  6. Slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour. If your dough is still very sticky and runny, start adding the remaining flour by 1/2 cup increments until dough is soft and not too sticky.
  7. Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
  8. Place dough into a well-greased bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to allow dough to double in size (approximately 1 hour).
  9. Punch the dough down, cover and let it rise again until it has doubled in size, again about 1 hour. While your dough is rising, you can make your filling.
For Poppy Seed Filling
  1. In a small bowl, add your egg whites, sugar, honey and cinnamon to your ground poppy seeds. Mix well and set aside.
To Assemble
  1. Roll out your dough to 1/4 inch in thickness.
  2. Cut out dough using a round cookie cutter, about a 2 or 3 inches in diameter (you can make them larger, but we prefer bite-sized)
  3. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough. Be very careful not to get any of the filling along the edges as it may not seal properly.
  4. Fold one half of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together. Round out the edges until you have the shape of a ball.
  5. Place dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand 1 hour to rise again. They should almost double in size.
  6. Using a deep fryer or a large pot and thermometer, heat canola oil between 350-360°F.
  7. Place dough in hot oil and deep fry until all sides are light golden brown, about 1 minute.
  8. Remove Pampushky from the oil with a slotted spoon.
  9. Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and allow to cool completely.
  10. You can dust Pampushky with icing sugar if you desire (optional).
  11. Dish it up and serve to your friends and family on Christmas Eve, or any day you’d like!
Notes
  1. These should be eaten within 1-3 days of making. They also freeze very well.
Claudia's Cookbook http://www.claudiascookbook.com/

 

by | 46 Comments

46 Comments on Pampushky (Ukrainian Doughnuts)

  1. Kristy Young
    March 26, 2015 at 8:52 AM (9 years ago)

    This recipe looks perfect. I have been trying to find my Baba’s pampushky recipe but this one looks like it’s bang on! Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  2. PHILINE
    April 10, 2016 at 11:04 AM (8 years ago)

    I make these for every family holiday, they are specially appreciated at Provody. I have made them with wild blueberry filling, apricot filling and even recently made them with raspberry filling, they were to die for!

    Reply
  3. Diane
    September 18, 2016 at 4:07 PM (8 years ago)

    I’m pretty sure this is what my Aunt Mary used to make every Christmas except, as you mention, hers were larger. But I was sure she baked hers in the oven. Once these have risen, do you think baking in the oven is an option? I’ve been trying to find out for years what the real name was of these and I’m quite sure this is it.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      September 18, 2016 at 9:15 PM (8 years ago)

      We’ve never baked them in the oven, so I cannot say.

      Reply
    • Betty Gemelli
      February 3, 2017 at 11:20 PM (7 years ago)

      Diane I too have been looking for a baked pampushky recipe that my Mom and Grandmother made every Christmas when we were children. Please share if you ever find one.

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Martha Chowansky
        November 17, 2019 at 2:57 PM (4 years ago)

        My Baba also made these for Swiaty Vechord and baked them, then steamed them to reheat and put melted butter over them. She used more of a bread dough recipe. Wish I had paid more attention but she had everything done till I got there to help.

        Reply
        • Betty Gemelli
          January 3, 2023 at 9:07 PM (1 year ago)

          Hi again. Another 4-5 years later and I am still looking for our Ukrainian BAKED prune Pampushky recipe. There must be someone that has the recipe. It was a sweet roll made similar to a dinner roll except it was filled with prune. . . . and Baked.

          Reply
  4. Barb Toker
    November 7, 2016 at 10:24 AM (7 years ago)

    I am sooo glad I stumbled upon your website!!! I do have a question for you…I live in an apartment and therefore am worried about doing the frying on the stovetop. Have you ever tried frying in a deep fryer? I am just worried about maintaining the temperature. Sometimes those hardware store fryers can be pretty up and down temp wise.

    Thank you so much for the website! I enjoy the familial tone in your presentation of the recipes.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      November 13, 2016 at 7:04 PM (7 years ago)

      I’ve never used a deep fryer for these, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work!

      Reply
    • Sheila
      February 18, 2021 at 1:22 PM (3 years ago)

      I used a small deep fryer and it turned out perfectly

      Reply
  5. julie sheppard
    December 11, 2016 at 7:42 PM (7 years ago)

    i have troubles getting them to stay close,they seem to want to open up when deep frying

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 13, 2016 at 10:01 AM (7 years ago)

      Hi Julie – Try not filling them as much, and making sure the filling doesn’t touch the edges of the dough when you are rolling.

      Reply
  6. Leslie
    December 16, 2016 at 11:41 PM (7 years ago)

    I have attempted these several times now and my bun always opens up and I lose my filling. Do you have any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong. I do my best to make sure they are sealed when I make the bun.

    Reply
    • Claudia's Cookbook
      December 23, 2016 at 9:56 AM (7 years ago)

      Don’t overfill and ensure the filling doesn’t touch the sides when you pinch/roll them up.

      Reply
  7. Bev Lesko
    January 6, 2018 at 9:51 AM (6 years ago)

    Where can I buy your cookbook. I’ve been looking for a recipe for these buns with prunes and poppyseed for yrs my baba used to make them for Christmas but never had a recipe

    Reply
  8. Cindie
    March 15, 2018 at 10:43 AM (6 years ago)

    Hi there I made these so good , my mom always made them, but how do you keep them after you make them I found they go kinda tough the next day , what’s the best way to avoid this ,

    Reply
  9. Madelynne Gordon
    April 30, 2018 at 3:41 PM (6 years ago)

    Thank you Claudia for sharing your recipe online! I`m originally from Vinitsya, Ukraine so I love making all sorts of Ukrainian dishes. I`ve never made these before so I am looking forward to it and plus they look DELICIOUS!!!!

    Reply
  10. Cheryl Sears
    February 5, 2019 at 4:40 PM (5 years ago)

    Dear Claudia, I remember these buns fondly as a child, by grandparents came to Canada from Poland in the early 1900’s. I was just watching a Bake show on the Food Network and they called the buns Paczki (pronounced Punshki) Your version is exactly like my Baba and Mom would make. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • sandra
      April 5, 2020 at 1:57 PM (4 years ago)

      those are jelly filled doughnuts xx

      Reply
  11. Elmer Gawryletz
    March 20, 2019 at 4:03 PM (5 years ago)

    Hello Claudia
    I tried your Pampushky recipe and had great success, not one opened up, than I went one step farther and just finished a batch of doughnuts using the same recipe and it`s like WOW, the best doughnuts ever. Thank you for sharing your recipes.

    Reply
  12. Judith S. Cudecki
    November 25, 2019 at 6:04 PM (4 years ago)

    I am of Slovak decent and my Mom used to make these and she also called them Pampushki.My mom has passed but never wrote down the recipe…it was automatically embeded in her mind! I remember her using Whiskey in the dough..can I still add that to yours?And about how much? Thank you for this recipe,I haven’t made them yet,but when I do I’ll get back to you.Thanks again

    Reply
    • sandra
      April 5, 2020 at 1:59 PM (4 years ago)

      usually they used vodka and that was to stop them from absorbing too much oil when frying them..xx

      Reply
  13. C J
    November 26, 2019 at 10:10 AM (4 years ago)

    I tried making these pampushky and used my electric deepfrying pan with about 1.5 to 2 inches of oil like I make my doughnuts. However, with these little things, I couldn’t flip them, they kept turning over onto only one side like little beached whales. I was wondering what is the trick to fry these evenly on both sides?? It was a nightmare to get over 100 of these fried, don’t want that to happen again lol Please help!

    Reply
    • Ruth
      December 29, 2019 at 9:59 AM (4 years ago)

      We had the same problem…. but finally figured out … put them in oil and then do the first flip quite quickly… otherwise the air gets trapped and it is impossible to turn them. Once they have been flipped once, it seems easier to do the second flip to complete the cooking of the first side. Other than that I think that a deep fryer with a screen that you can hold them below the surface of the oil is the only other way.

      Reply
    • sandra
      April 5, 2020 at 2:02 PM (4 years ago)

      when putting them into the fryer try putting them in with the top down first … when you pick them up to put into fryer make sure you place them in where the bottom is on top first ..xx

      Reply
  14. Mihaela
    August 18, 2020 at 12:31 PM (4 years ago)

    They sound delicious and I would like to make them but these are a lot of pampushkys. Can the recipe be halved?

    Reply
  15. Silvia ball
    March 8, 2021 at 7:51 PM (3 years ago)

    What a frustrating recipe. Now I can appreciate when my baba made these and they were soooo good. I found the dough tasteless as it didn’t have enough salt. On top of that no matter what I tried to keep them from opening up with no luck. I quite making them and through the dough in the garbage after burning myself when trying to get them to flip over and brown on both sides. Not my day 😂

    Reply
  16. Jim
    November 4, 2021 at 5:00 PM (2 years ago)

    Why Tim Horton’s hasn’t caught on to these I would never know. My grandmother made these all the time. They were a “regular” favorite with coffee. You have the only recipe on the entire web.

    Reply
    • donna
      January 14, 2022 at 10:17 PM (2 years ago)

      Costco should be all over these!

      Reply
  17. Carol
    March 26, 2022 at 8:47 PM (2 years ago)

    They are even better if you mix the poppy seeds into the prunes. My mom and I made them this way all the time.

    Reply
    • Jim
      May 21, 2022 at 5:38 PM (2 years ago)

      Actually now as I remember Gran’s version had a short cut. She used the prunes whole which made for a larger bun.

      Reply
  18. Carolyn
    December 6, 2022 at 9:19 AM (1 year ago)

    👋 Claudia! What’s the best yeast to use? My 1st attempt 🤞 Thank you 🌷

    Reply
  19. emily
    November 6, 2023 at 10:44 PM (5 months ago)

    Have you ever let the dough rise overnight the second time? I’ve used your recipe two years in a row, and now I’m thinking of doubling it, but it would be easiest if I could have the dough ready when I wake up and then start assembling. Thoughts ?

    Reply
  20. Graciela
    April 4, 2024 at 2:48 PM (2 weeks ago)

    Hola!! Gracias por compartir ésta receta. La busqué años. Mi madre los hacía al horno de barro y ella no se acuerda ya. Es posible hacer esta receta al horno

    Reply

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