Honeyed dough puffs recipe

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups warm water, or more as needed
• Olive or other oil, for deep-frying
• 1 to 2 cups Ikarian pine honey or Greek thyme honey, for drizzling
• Ground cinnamon
• Coarsely ground walnuts

1. In a large stainless steel bowl, mix 4½ cups of the flour and the salt. Dissolve the yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon of flour in ½ cup warm water.
2. Make a well in the center of the bowl of flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Add the remaining 1½ cups water. Either by hand (wear thin rubber gloves because the dough is very sticky) or with a large wooden spoon, gradually work enough flour into the liquid to form a thick, viscous, sticky, loose mass. Add more water in ¼-cup increments if necessary to achieve this texture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a large kitchen towel over it. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
3. Fill a large, deep pot halfway with olive or other oil and heat to 375°F (180°C).
To Shape the Loukoumades Traditionally
4. Lightly oil your hands with olive oil. Take up a handful of the dough about the size of a tennis ball; the dough will be loose, elastic, stringy, and yeasty. Clench your fist around it loosely. Have a cup of olive oil nearby to dip a tablespoon in. Squeeze out a knob of the batter between your curled-up index finger and thumb, scoop it up with the oiled tablespoon, then drop it carefully in the hot oil. Repeat with several more.
To Shape the Loukoumades with 2 tablespoons
5. Oil 2 spoons. Lift a little bit of dough up on one and push it off the spoon and into the hot oil with the other oiled spoon. Drop several balls at a time into the oil. Don’t overcrowd.
6. As soon as the dough puffs rise to the top and are light golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the dough is fried. Replenish the oil if necessary.
7. Plate about 10 loukoumades and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts. Serve.