Since I don’t enjoy deep frying, I save doughnuts for special occasions. I decided to make a recipe with all of the characteristics I look for in a doughnut: tender but slightly chewy, yeasty and eggy, and glazed with sugar. As it turns out, finding textural balance between a cake and a bagel can be challenging. This recipe uses part bread and all-purpose flour, as well as vegetable oil for tenderness. Diastatic malt powder, also found in my bagel recipe, contains enzymes which break starches into sugars, promoting browning. Instead of making doughnut holes, which often turn out dry, try using the scraps to make monkey bread.
Makes 20-30 donuts, depending on the size
Ingredients
70g vegetable oil
2 eggs
6g (2 tsp) instant yeast
400g milk
100g sugar
6g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
200g bread flour
400g all-purpose flour
20g diastatic malt powder (optional)
2 qt vegetable oil
300g confectioner’s sugar
100g hot water
Pinch kosher salt
4 oz seedless jam, optional
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, yeast, milk, and sugar until homogenous (it is ok if the oil separates). Add the salt, bread flour, all-purpose flour, and diastatic malt and mix with the dough hook attachment by hand until the dough forms a shaggy mass. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer, and mix the dough on medium-high speed until it is smooth, pulls away from the edges of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test, 10-15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.
Uncover the bowl and punch the dough down to deflate. Lightly dust a countertop with flour, and place the dough on the counter. Roll the dough out to ½” thickness. Using a 3” ring cutter or a drinking glass with a thin rim, cut out 20-30 doughnuts. Using a pastry tip or other narrow ring cutter, cut holes in the center of the doughnuts, or keep doughnuts whole if filling with jam. Reserve the holes if frying or making monkey bread.
Line two 13”x18” sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place the doughnuts (and doughnut holes, if frying) on the sheet tray with at least 1” space between doughnuts. Spray the top of the doughnuts with cooking spray.
If proofing the doughnuts overnight in the refrigerator tightly cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 10 hours and up to 18 hours.
If proofing the doughnuts at room temperature, loosely cover the doughnuts with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature until the doughnuts are puffed but not quite doubled in size, around 45 minutes.
30 minutes before frying, heat 2 qt vegetable oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F, using an instant-read or candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature. Line a sheet tray with paper towels and place a wire rack atop. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, hot water, and salt until homogenous.
When the oil has reached 350°F, place three or four doughnuts in the oil and let cook until golden brown, 30-40 seconds. Then flip the doughnuts with a slotted spoon or spider and cook for another 30-40 seconds. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and place them on the rack. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, monitoring the temperature and changing the temperature as needed.
Let the doughnuts cool on the rack for 2 minutes. If filling with jam, poke a hole in the side of the doughnuts with a paring knife and pipe jam into the centers with a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the edge snipped off.
To glaze the doughnuts, use your fingers or forks to dip the doughnuts in the confectioner’s sugar mixture and return to the wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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