Berenklauw

Berenklauw (Dutch Bear Claw Pastry)

A deep-fried enriched yeast dough from the Dutch and Belgian Limburg, shaped so its corners splay into four or five claw-like points when flipped in hot oil, then buried under a thick crust of coarse caster sugar. The classic plain-sugar version is given here; pastry cream or stewed apple can be piped into the centre after frying.

Prep

40 min

Cook

20 min

Total

60 min

Serves

12

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) bread flour, high-protein flour gives the chewy crumb that holds the claw shape
• •10 g (0.35 oz) instant yeast, one standard sachet
• •60 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk, lukewarm, 30-35°C / 86-95°F
• •2 whole large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• •60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• •1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, from 1 unwaxed lemon, optional but traditional
• •1.5 L (6 cups) neutral frying oil, sunflower, peanut or canola; peanut is closest to Dutch bakery practice
• •250 g (9 oz / ~1½ cups) coarse caster sugar, also called crunch caster or 'kristalsuiker'; do not use fine sugar, it dissolves

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the lukewarm milk, eggs, lemon zest and the softened butter. Knead with the dough hook on medium for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and releases the sides of the bowl; it should pass the windowpane test (stretch a piece thin enough to see light through without tearing).
2. 2 First rise: shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature (about 22°C / 72°F) for 60-90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
3. 3 Shape the claws: turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it to a rectangle about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. With a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut into 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 inch) squares. Working one at a time, make 4 diagonal cuts from each corner toward the centre, stopping about 2 cm (¾ inch) from the middle so the centre stays intact (this is what allows the corners to open into claws when fried). Keep the squares no thicker than 5 mm as you roll; a thick square is the main reason a claw stays raw inside.
4. 4 Second rise: arrange the scored squares on parchment-lined trays, cover loosely with a clean tea towel and proof for 30-45 minutes until visibly puffy. Meanwhile, set up a wire rack over a tray, pour the coarse caster sugar into a wide bowl, and line a second tray with paper towels.
5. 5 Heat the oil safely: pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep pan to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 inches) and no more than one third of the pot. Dry the proofed squares and your hands before moving them near the pot, and never add water or wet dough to hot oil. Heat to 175-180°C (350-356°F). Use a clip-on thermometer and keep the temperature steady; too cool and the dough absorbs oil, too hot and the outside browns before the inside cooks.
6. 6 Fry one claw at a time: gently pick up a proofed square by the centre, lower it into the oil base-down, and immediately nudge each of the four cut corners toward the centre with a long skewer or chopstick so they flip upward and outward as the dough sets. Fry 60-90 seconds per side, until deep mahogany-brown and blistered on top.
7. 7 Check the centre: at 60-90 seconds per side a thick claw can still be raw in the middle, so probe the centre of the first one before you start sugaring. The centre must read at least 95°C / 203°F on an instant-read thermometer. If it is below that, return the claw to the oil for another 30 to 45 seconds and check again; if the outside is already dark, lower the oil to 170°C / 338°F and give it the extra time, so it browns and cooks through together.
8. 8 Drain: lift the claw out with a slotted spoon, let oil drip back into the pot for a second, then set on the paper towels for 10-15 seconds only - it must still be very hot when sugared.
9. 9 Sugar immediately: drop the hot claw into the bowl of coarse caster sugar and toss/turn so every surface is thickly coated. The heat melts the sugar just enough to cling; the crystals stay audible when bitten.
10. 10 Repeat: keep frying and sugaring, one claw at a time, probing the centre of every claw so the reading is checked each time rather than assumed. Watch that the oil returns to 175°C between batches. If the oil drops below 170°C / 338°F the claws will stay pale and oily; above 185°C / 365°F they will scorch on the ridges before the centre cooks.
11. 11 Serve warm, the same day, in paper cones as is traditional at the Vrijthof and Sinterklaas markets. Doneness cue: the surface should be mahogany-brown and crackling and the interior pale, airy and steamy, but the only reliable cue is the centre reading 95°C / 203°F on a probe.