Limburg Fried Dough Rings (Nonnevot)
Nonnevot Say it: NON-uh-vot
Nonnevot is a deep-fried sweet from Limburg, in the south of the Netherlands, and above all from the town of Sittard, where it is eaten around carnival and at fairs. A simple yeast dough is shaped into a ring, fried in hot oil until deep golden, and rolled in sugar while still warm. The result is crisp at the edge, soft and bread-like inside, and only mildly sweet. It is at its best eaten warm, straight from the pan, with a cup of coffee.
Limburg Fried Dough Rings (Nonnevot)
Nonnevot
Pronounced NON-uh-vot
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Frying and coating
Method
Warm the milk to lukewarm, about 100°F (38°C). Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and let it stand for 5–10 minutes, until the surface turns foamy.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, the remaining sugar and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and add the egg, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes. Work in the soft butter in small pieces and keep kneading until the dough is smooth, supple and springs back when pressed.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm spot for 60–75 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size and looks domed and airy.
Deflate the dough, divide it into 8 equal pieces of about 2½ oz (70 g) each, and roll them into smooth balls. Cover and rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
Flour your index finger and push a hole straight through the middle of each ball, then stretch the dough gently into a ring about 3 inches (8 cm) across with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) hole. Set the rings on a floured tray, cover and let them rise for 30–40 minutes, until puffy.
Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot to 350°F (175°C), with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of oil. Fry the rings two or three at a time for 1½–2 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and puffed, turning once with a slotted spoon.
Lift them out and drain briefly on paper towels. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon and turn each ring in it while still warm, then eat them warm or at room temperature.
Regional variants
Recipes differ from baker to baker: some enrich the dough with raisins or a touch more butter, and some serve the rings dusted with powdered sugar instead of rolled in granulated sugar.
Cook's notes
- Keep the oil at a steady 350°F (175°C): too hot and the rings brown before the center cooks, too cool and they soak up fat and turn greasy.
- A floured finger makes the hole cleanly; stretch the ring generously, because the hole shrinks a lot as the dough rises and fries.
- The dough can rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator — take it out 30 minutes before shaping and allow a little extra rising time.
Serve with
Fresh coffee, hot chocolate or a glass of cold milk, and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Make ahead and storage
Best eaten the day they are fried; reheat leftovers for 5 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven to crisp the crust again.
