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1
Mix and Knead the Egg-Rich Dough
15 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Tip the flour, the 70 g of dough sugar and the salt into a large bowl and make a well. Pour in the foamy yeast milk, the beaten eggs, vanilla and lemon zest, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add the softened butter a piece at a time and knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and springy — it should bounce back when you press it. Malassada dough is softer and stickier than bread dough, so resist adding much extra flour.
Oil your hands lightly instead of flouring them — extra flour makes the doughnuts tough, while a little oil keeps the soft dough workable.
Done when: A smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough that springs back when pressed.
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2
First Rise Until Doubled
60 Mins
Warm place, about 25°C (77°F)
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth or cling film. Leave it in a warm, draught-free place for about 60 minutes until it has doubled in size and a finger pressed in leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
An oven with only its light on is a perfect warm spot — just make sure the oven itself is off.
Done when: Dough doubled in size, soft and puffy, with a slow spring-back.
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3
Shape into Flat Rounds and Rest
25 Mins
Warm place, about 25°C (77°F)
Knock the dough back gently and divide it into 12 equal pieces of about 86 g. With oiled hands, flatten each piece into a round about 10 cm (4 inches) across and 1 cm thick — malassadas are flat rounds, not balls, and the thin middle fries through while the edges puff. Set the rounds on a floured tray, cover loosely and leave for 20–25 minutes until puffy.
Keep the middle thinner than the rim — a thick middle stays doughy inside while the outside darkens.
Done when: Puffy, flat rounds about 10 cm across, light as air when lifted.
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4
Fry Until Deep Golden
20 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 175°C (350°F) — use a thermometer, not guesswork. Lower 3 rounds in at a time and fry for about 2 minutes, then turn and fry 2 minutes more until deep golden on both sides. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let the oil come back to 175°C (350°F) before the next batch.
Do not crowd the pot — too many rounds at once drops the oil temperature and they soak up fat instead of puffing.
Done when: Deep golden doughnuts, crisp at the edges and cooked through to a soft, steamy middle.
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5
Roll in Sugar and Serve Plain
10 Mins
Warm, about 50°C (122°F)
While the malassadas are still warm, roll each one in the granulated sugar until coated all over, then set on a rack. Serve them plain and unfilled, exactly as they are eaten in Portugal — no jam, no custard, no filling of any kind. Eat the same day, while the sugar is still crisp and the middle is soft.
Roll them while warm or the sugar will not stick; if they have cooled, warm them for a minute in a low oven first.
Done when: Warm, sugar-coated doughnuts with a crisp sugary crust and a soft, eggy crumb.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the malassadas while they are still faintly warm, with the sugar crisp on the outside and the middle soft and eggy — one bite should give you crackling sugar, a golden crust and a tender, almost custardy crumb, with nothing inside but dough.
Portugal
50m
