How to Make Loukoumades (Greek Doughnuts)

It is said that Loukoumádes are the first written ancient recipe in Europe and belongs to Greeks.

Ancient Greeks called them honey tokens. They had a round sharp shape like a disk and they offered them as a prize to the winners on the Olympic Games along with Kótinos, the olive tree wreath.

It is believed that this custom was established in honor of a humble baker who won the Olympic game of running around 776 B.C. and it was first recorded by the poet Callimachus. From then on loukoumades stayed as a dessert not only in Greece, but also in several other countries all over the world. There are different shapes and recipes and they have different names depending on the country that are found.

Basically, they are simple dough balls made with flour, dry yeast, water and starch, served warm with honey and cinnamon or syrup and cinnamon. Very easy to make and very popular among children of all ages.

Nowadays, they are served along with a cup of coffee, tea or chocolate in coffee shops or after a meal in tavernas. They are made also at homes for children to enjoy. I love loukoumades and I always love to end a good meal, having them as a dessert if I have such a choice. I’ve wanted for a long time to make them at home and my son was asking for them now and then.

Ingredients:

DOUGH

• 2 cups of white all-purpose flour
• 1 cup / 240 ml lukewarm water
• ½ cup lukewarm almond milk
• 1 sachet (7 g) dry instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp oil + more for frying

SYRUP & GARNISH

• ½ cup / 120 ml maple syrup**
• 1 orange (¼ cup / 60 ml orange juice + orange and zest)
• a quill of cinnamon
• handful of pistachios or walnuts, very finely chopped

Instructions:

LOUKOUMADES

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together including yeast. Then add lukewarm water and milk and mix well until you get a runny batter similar to pancake batter.
2. Cover with a piece of cling film and rest it for about 1-2 hours (in warm weather it will take less time), until dough triples in size and there are lots of air bubbles visible (see photo).
3. Once the dough is ready, heat up a small pot with oil on the stove. Once the oil is hot, dip a teaspoon in it and then scoop a teaspoon of the dough and gently drop it into hot oil. Give the dough a good stir in between batches.
4. Fry about 4 loukoumades at one time. As the dough is very puffy / airy, they have a tendency to float, make sure you flip them now and again to be sure they are cooked evenly.
5. Once your loukoumades are golden brown all over, fish them out of the oil with a fork or a slotted spoon and place them on a few layers of kitchen roll to get rid of excess oil.
6. Pour hot (that’s important!) syrup over your loukoumades and sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios and optionally some orange zest. Serve immediately.

SYRUP

1. Put maple syrup, 60 ml of orange juice and cinnamon quill in a small saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to boil and then simmer very gently for 10-15 minutes until the syrup thickens a little.
3. Fish out cinnamon quill and pour hot syrup over hot loukoumades.