I'd always wondered how difficult doughnuts were to make, and assumed that all of that heavenly taste came from umpteen chemicals and preservatives. I was wrong, very very wrong.
Give this recipe a go, and you won't be sorry! I prefer the sugar coated ones, but if you prefer glazed I've added a suggestion for that too.
Ingredients
190g Strong White Flour
15g Caster Sugar
20g Unsalted Butter left at room temperature
1 Packet Fast Acting Dried Yeast (7g)
Pinch of Salt
65ml slightly warmed Milk, I use semi skimmed but whole milk would be richer if that's what you prefer
45ml Warm Water
1 Egg, free-range please :)
1 litre Oil to deep fry - vegetable oil or something similar
3 tbsp Jam
TIP: Why not try different fillings, apple sauce (heat up some apples and blend with some sugar and cinnamon), custard or even a toffee sauce.
Coating
15g Caster Sugar, or as much as you like for dusting
OR
20g Unsalted Butter
85g Icing Sugar
20ml Warm Water
1/2tsp Vanilla Paste
Serving: 6 large doughnuts or 8 guilt-free (almost) doughnuts
Method
1) Combine all of the dry ingredients in to a large bowl or bread maker
2) In a small bowl, pour the warmed milk and water over the butter. Stir until the butter melts
3) Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture along with the egg. Stir to combine. A dough should form; firm, but not stiff. If it's still a litte sticky add a bit more flour, or if it's too stiff add a little more milk
4) Now for the fun part.... kneading. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Or, if you're pressed for time, pop in the bread maker on the dough setting and let it do it's thing for 10-15 minutes whilst you get on with something else
5) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place, an airing cupboard is great for this, or on top of a boiler, for about an hour, until dough has doubled
Get on with some house chores and get excited for some evening indulgence
6) Divide dough in to 6 large or 8 smaller balls
7) Secret Tip: Take one side of a ball and pull the edge into the middle, do this all the way round the ball, so that it looks a bit like when you make a fist with your hand. Place the ball on a lightly floured tray smooth side up, making sure all the edges are tucked up underneath. Repeat with all the balls
8) Cover with a damp tea towel again and leave for another hourish (if you're desperate then you could just wait 40mins)
More chores... nearly ready! Here's a pic to keep you going...
9) Heat the oil in a high-sided saucepan. And, if you're like me, get out every fire blanket and extinguisher you have in the house
10) Wait until the oil is at 160degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, take a tiny piece of dough and drop it in the oil - it's the right temperature when the dough fizzes and floats straight back to the top
11) Carefully lower balls into the oil with a slotted spoon. It's best to only have 3 balls in the oil at one time. Leave for 2-3 minutes and then turn over. TIP: Use a chopstick to turn them over by pressing down firmly on one side of the ball
12) Whilst the doughnuts are cooking, get your coating ready:
12a) If you fancy plain sugar, just pop the 15g in a bowl
12b) If you're more of an american at heart and want to try the glazed option, melt the butter and mix with all of the other ingredients. Set aside to cool
13) Once your doughnuts are golden both sides, carefully remove them from the oil and place them straight into your coating of choice, turn over the doughnut until it's well covered and place on a cooling rack
14) Cook up the next batch of doughnuts, 3 at a time, until they're all done
15) Now for the filling... mmmmm YUM. Get a piping bag and place your jam inside TIP: Or, if you don't want to wash up, make a cone from some greaseproof paper and pop the jam in there, remembering to snip off the end of the cone
16) With a skewer, make a hole in one side of the doughnut and push through to the middle
17) Put your piping bag into the hole and squeeze a little jam inside
You're DONE!
They'll probably all be gone by the morning, but just to let you know, doughnuts don't keep amazingly well, so it's best to get some friends over to eat them all at once. Saying that, i've been known to have a cheeky one for breakfast.
Enjoy everyone, and let me know how you get on. Oh, and be safe with the oil guys!
xxxx
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