Kazakh baursaks

This national dish, Kazakh baursaks, somewhat resembles the well-known donuts. Traditionally, baursaks are made in the shape of small balls or squares, fried until they have a crispy golden crust. The dough is kneaded with a small amount of sugar, necessary only to activate the yeast.

Yield: 35 pieces.

Cooking time: 90 minutes.

Caloric value: 398 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Kazakh.

Ingredients

• milk with any fat content - 100 ml;
• purified water - 100 ml;
• flour (all-purpose) - 300 g;
• dry yeast - 5 g;
• white sugar - 20 g;
• fine salt - 2 g;
• butter 72-82% - 20 g;
• odorless vegetable oil for frying - 170 ml.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients for making Kazakh baursaks. If using fresh pressed yeast instead of dry, their quantity needs to be increased 3 times compared to the dry ones, meaning 15 grams of fresh yeast will be needed. The butter should be melted and allowed to cool. The milk and water should be warmed to 36-38 degrees before use.

2. In a spacious bowl, combine the milk and water.

3. Add the yeast and wait until they dissolve in the liquid component.

4. As soon as this happens, add the sugar.

5. Next, add the oil and salt. Mix everything together.

6. Start sifting the flour in parts, mixing the dough each time. Set aside a little flour (about 70 g) for dusting.

7. Mix the ingredients first with a spoon directly in the bowl until all the flour is moistened.

8. Then generously sprinkle the table with the remaining flour and dump the dough on it.

9. Start kneading it by hand. The longer the process continues, the softer the dough will become and the stickiness will disappear. It is not advisable to increase the amount of flour; otherwise, the baursaks will turn out too heavy and doughy. In the end, the dough should only slightly stick to the hands, hold its shape, and not spread out.

10. Grease a clean bowl with vegetable or butter. Place the dough ball inside, cover with a lid, and leave it in a warm place to rise.

11. After an hour, the dough will have risen well, doubling in size.

12. Place it on the table, sprinkled with the last flour. Just gently knead the dough and flatten it with your hands.

13. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5-7 millimeters.

14. Using a round glass or a special mold, cut out circles (4 centimeters in diameter) or cut squares. Combine the remaining scraps, re-roll, and cut out more circles.

15. Lay out the blanks separately so they do not touch each other. Cover them with plastic wrap and leave for 10 minutes to rest.

16. Set the heat to a medium level. Heat the oil in a cauldron (for efficiency, it is better to use a not too wide cauldron). Drop in several blanks that will float freely in the oil. The circles will begin to puff up immediately, like balloons.

17. When one side turns golden brown, flip the piece to the other side. If there is space in the cauldron, drop in a new blank.

18. Place the finished balls on parchment paper or a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

19. Kazakh baursaks are ready. They can be used instead of bread. However, if dusted with powdered sugar or served with jam, the dish turns into a very appealing dessert. Enjoy your meal!