Smoked paprika balls

Halve red and yellow peppers, remove the seeds, and marinate them with olive oil. Place the pepper halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in a moderately warm oven until the skins turn slightly brown. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and let the peppers steam so the skin loosens and can be easily peeled off.

Purée the peeled oven-roasted peppers with olive oil into a smooth paste.

Note: The pepper paste can be frozen for later use.

In a bowl, mix buttermilk, quark, pepper paste, egg and yeast thoroughly. Then combine this mixture with the flour and salt, kneading into a smooth, lump-free dough. Stir in the finely chopped Peppadews. Finally, fold in the olive oil briefly. Process the dough into a smooth, thick consistency and season with ground pepper.

Note: The target dough temperature is about 24°C. If necessary, slightly warm the liquids.

Dough rest: Let the finished dough rise, covered, at room temperature for 45–60 minutes.

Portion the fermented pepper-quark dough into hot vegetable oil using a piping bag (about 10 g per ball) and fry until golden brown. Drain well.

Mix smoked paprika and onion powder. Toss the warm balls in the spice mixture or dust them with it. Serve warm.

Tip: For storage, freeze the fried balls unseasoned in airtight packaging (at least -18°C, up to 1–2 weeks). To serve, thaw, reheat in the oven, and then dust with the spice mix.