Gerrys Doughnuts Recipes

15-MINUTE HOMEMADE DONUTS

Steps:

• Pour about 1/2-inch oil into a large saute pan or pot and heat over medium heat to 355 degrees F. (keeping an eye on it as it is heating). Meanwhile prepare donut dough.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Separately whisk together buttermilk and melted butter. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and using a fork, stir in dry ingredients and mix just until combine (be careful no to over-work dough).
• Roll dough into 1/2 Tbsp balls. Once the oil has reached 355 degrees F, fry about 1/2 the dough balls at a time.
• Fry until just golden brown on bottom, then flip and cook reverse side until golden brown.
• Carefully remove with a spider strainer or metal tongs drain onto a paper towel lined baking sheet.
• Pour 1/3 cup sugar into a dish, roll donuts in sugar. Repeat this process with remaining dough.

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.

JELLY-FILLED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Place flour in a large bowl. Form a well in the center; add eggs, yeast mixture, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured work surface; knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 20 rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 20 minutes.
• Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk in a medium, shallow bowl until smooth. Cover glaze with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to fill doughnuts.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 370 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 dough rounds into the oil. Fry until golden, turning once, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat process with remaining dough rounds.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and small bismark pastry tip for filling (such as #230) with the jam. Using a chopstick or a wooden skewer, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into the hole, and pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and jam.
• Dip tops of doughnuts in the glaze to cover. Let stand, glaze-side up, until set.