Talbot Family Donuts

Volga German Potato Donuts

1/2 c Butter, melted

3 c Milk, warmed to 120-130 degrees F

1/2 c Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

4 tsp Yeast (follow yeast directions)

6 c Flour (ish)

3/4 c Potato Flakes

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

Makes about 3 dozen?

Combine wet ingredients, add half the flour and the dry ingredients and mix. Allow it to rest for 10 min. Then add flour a bit at a time until it forms a dough. Will be a bit on the sticky side. Might need to add more than 6 c, that is just a starting point. Knead it a bit, then cover and let it rise until doubled.

Roll it out on floured surface to about 1/2” thick, as even as you can. Cut out donut shapes with a round cookie cutter or a cup and something smaller, or whatever you can find. You can make donut holes or just combine the holes with the scrap dough and roll out more donuts.

Let the donuts rise for 15-60 min while you are prepping the oil. You can fry in whatever, but I’ve found vegetable shortening to get the best texture. Fill a skillet with enough oil that they can float without touching the bottom and heat to 325-350 degrees. I use a digital thermometer to try and keep it close to that. Place the donuts in the oil carefully. Wait til the bottom side is golden brown then flip it over and cook the other side. I use the back of a wooden spoon to flip them.

Pull them out and onto paper towels. Immediately coat in granulated sugar, then let them cool for a couple min. You can try glaze or frosting or filling or anything. But the sugar is the easiest and that’s how they were done by my grandma. I’ll add a little cinnamon sometimes.

Brian Talbot says: Recipe is from my GG grandmother Metzler who was Volga German (Germans who moved to Russia during Catherine the Great’s rule) and immigrated to the US during the communist revolution post WWI.