Yeast Doughnuts

• 
  
  
• Yesterday at Wimbledon, amidst all the Pimm’s and strawberries and cream and prawn and avocado salads (oh, and the tennis, too), it was the yeast doughnut covered in strawberry glaze that had me at hello.  It’s been ages since I’ve last seen the inside of a Dunkin’ Donuts or a Krispy Kreme and I was in desperate need of a fix.  Alas, the minute I awoke this morning I had one thing on my mind: to turn my kitchen into a doughnut plant.  A few hours and a few (dozen) doughnuts in my belly later and I’d say the mission was accomplished.  Brightly colored American doughnut chains, eat your hearts out.
• 
  
• Yeast Doughnuts: Dunkin’ and Krispy Style
• 
  
• For the doughnuts:
• (adapted from Alton Brown)
• 
  
• 1 ½ cups (360  ml) milk
• 2 ½ ounces (70 grams) vegetable shortening, approximately ⅓ cup
• 2 packages (14 grams) instant yeast
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) warm water (105 to 1115 degrees Fahrenheit)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 32 ounces (910 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (approximately 1 quart/960 ml, depending on fryer)
• 
  
• Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
• 
  
• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
•  
• On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to ⅜-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 ½-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a ⅞-inch ring for the center hole, if desired (I found it much easier/less sticky not to make a hole, but I like the look of both). Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
• 
  Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to between 350 and 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing/filling.

Yield: Alton says 20-25 doughnuts, but if my output was anything to go by, I’d say at least 30.

 

• For the glaze:
• (from Recipezaar)
• 3 cups (300 grams) confectioners’/icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup cold water 
• Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment. Pour into medium bowl and  set aside until doughnuts have cooled.  Dip each doughnut in glaze and place on wire rack to harden.  

Yield: enough to glaze 20-25 doughnuts.

• For the chocolate frosting:
• (adapted from Use Real Butter) 

½  cup (125 grams) butter*
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) sifted confectioners’/icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

Cream butter and shortening. Gradually add sugar ½ cup at a time. Add milk and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa powder. When cool, make small hole to insert frosting . Take a knife and carefully make a large cavity inside of the doughnut to hold the frosting. Fill the doughnuts generously with frosting using a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip (I used Ateco #804) and dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Yield: enough to fill 10-12 doughnuts.

 * The original recipe called for ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup vegetable shortening, but I ran out of shortening making the doughnuts and sadly the only place I can find Crisco in this country is at Selfridges in Oxford Circus, a place to be avoided at all costs on the weekend.  Considering the fact that I’ve already devoured half a dozen, I’d say either way would work just fine.  

 

About these ads