Go Back
Print

Oliebollen

The history of the oliebol goes back quite a bit in time. The first oliebol can be seen in a painting from 1652 and the first recipe can be found in the cookbook "De Verstandig Kok" from 1667.
These fluffy, yeasted dough balls are a popular winter treat, especially central to New Year's Eve celebrations in the Netherlands. 
Prep Time45 minutes
Proofing1 hour
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Dutch
Keyword: Oliebollen
Yield: 1 kg

Materials

  • 500 ml semi-skimmed milk lukewarm
  • 500 gr flour
  • 7 gr dried yeast
  • 4 tbsp light brown caster s
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 bottle sunflower oil

Optional

  • 150 gr currants soaked in water / rum / brandy
  • 2 apples

Instructions

  • Soak the currants in water for 15 minutes. Stir the dried yeast and sugar into the milk and let it soak for a while.
  • Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Slowly pour in the milk and yeast and beat with a mixer with dough hooks to a sticky batter. Mix in the egg and the currants. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rise for 60 minutes. The batter will become about twice the size.
  • Heat the sunflower oil to 180 degrees. Spoon water-moistened spoons (or an ice cream scoop) into a ball of batter into the fat. After a few seconds you will see the oliebol get a little bigger and it will float to the top. Turn regularly. After about 6 minutes, the oliebollen will be golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with powdered sugar

5 tips for baking oliebollen

  • Soak the currants in rum for a nice taste
  • Let the dough rise at room temperature, if the temperature is too warm it will rise too quickly and the batter will form too many bubbles, if the temperature is too low the dough will rise too little
  • Use golden renettes apples for oliebollen. These are nice and firm and sour and give the oliebol a fresh taste.
  • The batter is very sticky, so use 2 spoons moistened with water to slide the batter into the oil.
  • How do you store oliebollen? Store oliebollen in a sealed bag or box for a maximum of 3 days or freeze them (maximum 2 months). Reheat them (after thawing) in the oven for a few minutes.

Notes