Raised Doughnuts
Though yeast breads may seem intimidating, don't be fooled. These are not difficult to make and nothing can compare to the texture and taste of a raised donut. You will be glad you gave these a try.
Equipment
- Deep fat fryer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast one package
- 2 large eggs
- 8 tbsp butter (1 stick) melted and cooled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for rollingout the dough
- 2 quarts canola oil or other neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the milk until it is warm but not hot, about 90 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over the warm milk and stir lightly. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Using a stand mixture fitted with a dough hook, beat the eggs, butter, sugar and salt and milk and 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 time, if the dough is too wet.Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to raise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it to ½-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.
- Place the doughnuts on two parchment lined baking sheets, allowing plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let raise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 45 minutes to an hour. About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done raising, put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fat fryer and heat the oil to 350°FMeanwhile, line cooling racks, baking sheets or plates with paper towels. Carefully, add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. (I like to cut the parchment paper around each doughnut and then gently slide the doughnut in cradling it with a spatula or wire meshed 'spider'. When the bottoms are deep golden, (about 1 minute), use a slotted spoon or spider 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 350°F. Glaze, frost or fill as desired and serve as soon as possible.
Eleanor's Easy Sugared Donuts
If you are craving a warm and delicious donut, but you don't have time for making a big production out of it, you must try these! You will be amazed at how easy and scrumptious they are.
Equipment
- Deep fat fryer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 quarts canola oil or other neutral oil with a high smoke point
- 1 can Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuit dough 10 oz
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep fryer, heat the oil to 350°F. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.
- Separate the biscuits and lay them flat on a work surface. Cut a circle out of each center, using a round cookie cutter, so the biscuits look like donuts. (Using the top of a bottle also works to create the donut holes.)
- Carefully transfer the donuts, working in batches if needed, to the hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown on each side. Transfer the fried donuts to a wire rack placed over a sheet pan to drain. While the donuts are still hot, coat them in the sugar on both sides and serve.
Maple Bars
These are definitely the king of doughnuts and difficult to eat just one. Though these take a little time to make, they are well worth the effort.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook I use a Kitchen Aid
- Deep fat fryer optional
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp yeast
- 1 cup filtered water slightly warm--110°F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup maple sugar may substitute with granulated sugar
- 4 cups bread flour more for rolling dough out
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup Crisco vegetable shortening
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Canola oil for frying
Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp half-n-half
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp maple extract
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix together yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugars, flour, baking powder and salt. Attach the bowl to stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add Crisco, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix on low setting for about 1 minute and then add flour mixture, a little at a time, fully incorporating into batter before adding more. After you have added about ⅔ of the dry ingredients, replace paddle attachment with the dough hook and mix until dough forms into a ball. Increase speed on the mixer to medium and knead the dough for approximately 1 ½ minutes.Place the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet that has been sprinkled with a little bread flour and shape into dough into a rectangle, about 1-inch deep. Sprinkle the dough with more bread flour and cover with a cotton cloth and set aside.Boil filtered some water and fill a 9 x 13-inch heatproof dish about ⅔ of the way full and place it on the bottom rack of your oven. Place your covered baking sheet with dough on the middle rack, close the door of the oven and allow to set for 1 hour. (Be sure that your oven is completely cool).After your dough has doubled in size, flip it out onto a floured board or counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 11 x 12-inch rectangle. Using a rotary pizza or pasta cutter, cut about ½-inch of dough from the edges and discard. Cut the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise and then cut 6 bars from each half of dough. Place the bars into 2 floured, rimmed baking sheet, (6 bars per sheet), leaving space between each bar. Refill heatproof dish with boiling water, place on bottom shelf of and place trays of bars onto upper shelves of cool oven. Close oven door and allow bars to raise, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Fill deep fat fryer with canola oil and heat until it reaches 350°F. **If you don't have a fryer, you may use a large cast iron skillet with 2 inches of canola oil, heated over medium-high until it reaches 350°F. Be sure to use a candy thermometer to be sure that the temperature of the oil is kept at 350° as the temperature will fluctuate and drop when you add the doughnuts to the oil.When the bars have doubled in size, remove them from the oven. Carefully place a couple in the hot oil with a spider or metal spatula, being careful not to splash any hot oil. Cook one side for 30 to 45 seconds and then gently turn the bars over in the oil and cook for 20 to 30 seconds more. The bars should be a light golden color.Place fried bars onto a metal cooling rack, placed over paper towels to catch dripping oil. Repeat this process until all bars have been fried and allow to cool completely.
Maple icing
- While the bars cool, melt butter with brown sugar, half-n-half, and corn syrup in a medium size saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low and whisk in maple extract, salt and confectioners' sugar, ½ cup at a time, until smooth. Remove from heat.Icing will begin to dry and harden as it sits so give it a quick stir before you dip each cooled bar into it. If it gets to thick, set the pan back over low heat and whisk in a teaspoon more of half-n-half.
Buttermilk Beignets
I found this recipe in Bon Appetite many years ago and it is truly spectacular. They are ridiculously easy to make and they are so light that they seem to evaporate when you take your first bite. Trust me, you will be amazed.
Equipment
- Deep fat frier (optional)
- Stand mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 3½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Oil for frying peanut or canola
- confectioners sugar for serving as much as you think you will need and then double that
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3-4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1-2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
- Pour enough oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into a ½-inch-to ⅓-inch-thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1½-inch squares (you should get about 48).
- Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still war , buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD: The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight fro the refrigerator.
Have An Entertaining Day!
