Where to find pączki on Fat Tuesday in Dayton

Deep-fried doughnut goodness.

That’s the pączki (pronounced "pownch-key") in a nutshell. They are deep-fried pieces of dough shaped into flattened spheres and filled with fruit and cream fillings — everything from strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, apricot, custard, chocolate and cream.

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Pączki are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing or granulated sugar. Traditionally, grain alcohol was included in the recipe to prevent the pastries from getting oily.

Different from ordinary doughnuts, paczki are made with more eggs and sugar to render a sweeter result.

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“Pączki is our basic doughnut dough but with some added richness,” including extra eggs, sugar and shortening, said Jennifer Evans, owner at Evans Bakery in Old North Dayton.

The pączki is a “Polish twist” on the doughnut that has a lot to do with the Catholic faith, said Theresa Hammond, owner of Ashley’s Pastry Shop in Oakwood.

Traditionally, Paczki were filled with lemon cream, but have since evolved into a wide variety of flavors.

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In Poland, pączki are eaten especially on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday prior to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. In America, that takes place on Fat Tuesday. This year, Fat Tuesday lands on Feb. 25.

“The pączki, even though they’re Polish in ethnicity, they’re a lot like our American filled doughnuts; the dough is just a lot richer and sweeter than a typical doughnut,” Hammond said. “Keep in mind this is your last big treat if you’re going to give up something for Lent as far as a sweet treat.”

Find pączki on Fat Tuesday at the following local bakeries. Bakeries highly recommend calling ahead of time to place your order, as paczki go fast and your favorite fillings could sell out.

🍩- Ashley's Pastry Shop, 21 Park Ave., Dayton. Open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Info: 937-293-1719.

Theresa Hammons, the Best of Dayton 2017 winner for 'Best Bakery'

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🍩- Evans Bakery, 700 Troy St., Dayton. Open 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Info: 937-228-4151. They offer raspberry, blueberry, lemon, strawberry, apricot, apple as well as custard and cream filled. Cost: $1.30 each

Mardi Gras is almost here! Have you tried our paczki? These Polish donuts are delicious and we'd hate for you to miss...

Posted by Evans Bakery on Tuesday, February 18, 2020

🍩- Dayton-area Kroger stores; locations vary. Cost: 4 for $2.99.

Paczkis from Dorothy Lane Market. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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🍩- Dorothy Lane Market stores, multiple locations: 2710 Far Hills Ave, Dayton | 6177 Far Hills Ave., Dayton | 740 N. Main St., Springboro.

DLM is now selling Paczkis and will continue to through Fat Tuesday. They currently have boxes (which include 4 pączki) ready to go, but if the customer wants to order a larger quantity, DLM asks that they order ahead of time. Each box of 4 is $7.99.

Did we miss your favorite place to order paczki? Please let us know at contact@dayton.com and we’ll be sure to add it to the list. 

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