Everything Doughnuts Recipes

DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. In a large bowl, combine it with the yeast. Stir lightly, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, if the dough is too wet. If you're using an electric mixer, the dough will probably become too thick to beat; when it does, transfer it to a floured surface, and gently knead it until smooth. Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out the doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, concentric cookie cutters or a drinking glass and a shot glass (the larger one should be about 3 inches in diameter), flouring the cutters as you go. Reserve the doughnut holes. If you're making filled doughnuts, don't cut out the middle. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and let rest for a few minutes before repeating the process.
• Put the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets so that there is plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes. If your kitchen isn't warm, heat the oven to 200 at the beginning of this step, then turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375. Meanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way only if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's O.K. if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use a slotted spoon to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375. Glaze or fill as follows, and serve as soon as possible.

RING DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Tip the flour, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt into a bowl and mix to combine. Pour in the milk, egg and vanilla, and bring everything together with your hands into a rough dough, making sure all the flour is mixed in. Or, do this using a stand mixer. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside for 30 mins.
• Tip the dough onto a clean surface and knead for 10-15 mins by hand or 5-8 mins in a stand mixer on low speed until springy and glossy. Use your hands to work the softened butter into the dough - this will take about 5 mins. At first, it will look like it's not coming together, but keep working the dough through your fingers and it will become smooth and glossy. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place to prove for 2-3 hrs, or until nearly doubled in size. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 2cm thickness, then use a 9cm cutter to stamp out as many circles as you can. Use a 4cm cutter to stamp out the middles. Re-roll the trimmings (including the middles) and stamp out more (you should end up with six ring doughnuts). Re-roll any remaining trimmings and use the 4cm cutter to stamp out five or six mini bites. Put the doughnuts and bites on the prepared tray, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for another 2-3 hrs, or in the fridge overnight until doubled in size. The lightness of the doughnuts depends on this second proving, and a longer prove in the fridge will give the doughnuts more flavour.
• Fill a deep-fat fryer following manufacturer's instructions, or a heavy-based pan, ensuring it is no more than a third full. Heat to 170C or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lift two or three doughnuts from the tray and slide them into the hot oil using a floured spatula. Fry for 2 mins each side until puffed up and golden brown, then remove to a sheet of kitchen paper using a slotted spoon or tongs. Leave to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, then fry all the mini bites for a total of 2 mins.
• When the doughnuts and bites have cooled, you can either coat them in sugar or a glaze. For sugar doughnuts, combine the sugar and cinnamon, then toss with the doughnuts. For glazed doughnuts, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in 2 tbsp cold water until you have a runny icing. Dip in the doughnuts, then decorate with the toppings of your choice. Best eaten straightaway, but will keep in an airtight container for a day.