Loukoumades

Have you ever had loukoumades before? If you are Greek, definitely! If you have visited a Greek church festival, surely! Well this is the sourdough homemade version! Some folks call them Greek baby donuts.

My yiayia Anneta, who this blog is inspired by was the person who made them a staple of our childhood.

They are fried dough balls that are soaked in warm honey. Then you dust them with cinnamon and garnish them with nuts.

And depending on where you are from you will use walnuts, almonds, even sesame seeds. Yiayia Anneta used all three! I have always wondered if that was her personal preference or if it was the way that she grew up eating them in Kefalonia.

Feel free to use your favorite nuts! These days you will even find them drizzled with Nutella or white chocolate. Have fun with this. Enjoy them the traditional way, which is certainly a bit healthier.

Loukoumades have a very long Greek history that dates back all the way to the Ancient Greek Olympic Games! They were part of the reward that a winner got to enjoy, along with their olive leaf crown. The Olympic Games were held in honor of the Greek god Zeus. So loukoumades are surely fit for the Gods of Olympus themselves!

Do give them a try.

If you are not a sourdough baker, I will include how to use yeast in this. Because I WANT you to make them!!!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups + 2 tbsp water

1/4 cup  sourdough starter

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

(If using yeast)

1 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 tbsp sugar

Traditional garnish:

Honey

Cinnamon powder

Nuts

Directions:

Mix the starter,  water, sugar & salt together. Then add the flour. Gently knead it to form a loose dough. It will be sticky, so wet your fingers with water. Set it aside for three hours in a warm place and let it rise. 

Alternatively, if you are using yeast instead of sourdough starter:

1 tsp active dry yeast,

1/2 cup warm water

2 tbsp sugar

Mix these and set aside for 10 minutes until you see the yeast froth up. Now mix that into the rest of the ingredients to form a loose dough. Cover and let it rise for 2 hours or until doubled in a warm place.

Now let’s fry them up! You can use your favorite oil for frying. Some people use a light olive oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, etc.

Now frying is the tricky part. Know that at home you will likely not get perfectly round balls the way you would at a festival or restaurant. They are using a machine made especially for this task that drops perfectly spherical globs of this dough right into the hot oil.

At home, you will use a tea spoon and your hands just like any Greek yiayia.

I am a righty! If you are a lefty, the spoon will be in your dominant hand. I dampened my left palm and fingers with a little water. Grab a little bit of dough and squeeze it. A portion will rise up through the fist and between your index finger and thumb. With the spoon, you will cut that piece of dough and drop it into the oil. I dip the spoon into the oil and repeat the same movement until I have filled the pot with a few. Leave room so that you can turn them as they float in the hot oil.

When they are golden brown, drain them on a paper towel. Repeat with the whole batch!

Once you have finished frying the loukoumades, it is time to drizzle and toss them in honey! My yiayia would gently warm up the honey. Dust them with cinnamon and garnish them with her favorite nuts!

Kali Oreksi!