A golden ring of fried cheese dough sits on the plate, a small fried ball resting on top. While it's still warm, cool white sour cream and dark fruit jam are spooned over it. This is papanași, one of Romania's best-loved desserts: soft cheese doughnuts, crisp outside and tender within, with the tang of sour cream against the sweetness of the jam.
Papanași in Romania
Papanași is one of the popular Romanian sweets, and it's a dish Romanians like to introduce to visitors. The typical fried version (prăjiți) is a ring with a small ball set on top, served warm and covered with sour cream and cherry or blueberry jam. There is also a boiled version, papanași fierți. For more dishes from the same country, see the Romania country page.
The dough is simple: fresh cheese, sugar, eggs, a little baking soda, vanilla and flour. Romania has other dishes built on fresh cheese, such as plăcinta, a cheese-filled pie. In papanași, though, the cheese goes into the dough itself, which is shaped into rings and fried.
The dish is written Papanași in Romanian, and often Papanasi without the diacritic in English. The singular form, papanaș, refers to one piece. The origin of the name is not settled.
Ingredients: One Dough, Plus Oil, Dusting Flour and Toppings
These amounts make 10 servings.
This recipe contains milk (cheese, sour cream), eggs and wheat (flour). Check the labels of the jam and sour cream you use as well.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- A board or tray dusted with flour, for shaping
- A deep frying pan
- Tongs or another utensil for turning the pieces
- Absorbent paper for the fried pieces
Choosing the Cheese for Papanași
The state of the cheese makes the biggest difference. Use fresh cottage cheese that is very well drained and still has small curds. Wet cheese gives you a dough that's hard to shape, so drain it thoroughly before you start.
In Romania, papanași is made with brânză de vaci or urdă, and ricotta is sometimes used. Well-drained cottage cheese is the closest option for most home cooks.
How to Make Papanași
Fry for about 5 minutes. Golden brown on both sides does not mean the center is cooked. Make sure the dough is cooked throughout, with no raw center, before serving.
The order matters: cheese, sugar and baking soda first, then the eggs and vanilla, and the flour last.
Doneness and Common Problems
Break one open and you should find a golden outside and a pale, fully cooked interior, with small curds of cheese still visible. The center should be soft but never raw or liquid.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The dough is too wet to shape | The cheese held too much moisture | Add an extra tablespoon of flour to this batch; drain the cheese better next time |
| The dough sticks to your hands while shaping | A soft, moist dough | Dip the dough in the dusting flour before widening the hole |
| One side is pale | Not yet fried on that side | Turn it and keep frying until both sides are golden |
| You are unsure when it is done | Color and time alone do not show doneness | Check that both sides are golden and the dough is cooked throughout, with no raw center |
The extra flour is a fix, so add it only when the dough is genuinely too wet. If you make smaller pieces, adjust the frying time and check the inside rather than going by color.
Serving and Variations
Papanași is best served warm, right after frying, with sour cream and jam. Choose whatever jam you like; cherry and blueberry are classic.
You may come across other versions. Some recipes add semolina, and some combine baking soda with vinegar in different proportions. These are separate formulas, so keep to the amounts given here when making this dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular supermarket cottage cheese?
Yes, it's the closest widely available option, though brands differ in moisture and curd size. Drain it very well. If the dough is still too wet to shape, add an extra tablespoon of flour.
How many pieces does this make?
This makes 10 servings. Because the balls are shaped by fist size, the number of pieces will vary.
