Wednesday, October 27

Daring Baker's October - Doughnuts

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Loved, loved, loved this one - they make the most divine, light, fluffy and not greasy at all doughnuts!!! We had a little disaster with ours, they were all made and as you can see beautifully iced, but it was the day before we got all that rain. Got up on the Monday to discover ants had gotten into absolutely everything sob sob sob!! I haven't had a chance to make another batch as my darling DH thinking he was helping one night, used my specially set aside doughnut frying oil to make roast veges and stuff and i wasn't sure I wanted roast flavoured doughnuts lol!!!



Anyways recipe is here, I didn't change a thing, my only tip was if you can make it and leave it overnight in the fridge, then the dough is easier to handle imo. Oh and it makes a bucketload of doughnuts, more than enough for a family of 7 with plenty left over!! Oh and an icing tip makes a good hole remover for the middle of the doughnut.



Yeast Doughnuts:

Preparation time:
Hands on prep time - 25 minutes
Rising time - 1.5 hours total
Cooking time - 12 minutes

Yield: 20 to 25 doughnuts & 20 to 25 doughnut holes, depending on size

Ingredients
Milk 1.5 cup / 360 ml
Vegetable Shortening 1/3 cup / 80 ml / 70 gm / 2.5 oz (can substitute butter, margarine or lard)
Active Dry Yeast 4.5 teaspoon (2 pkgs.) / 22.5 ml / 14 gm / ½ oz
Warm Water 1/3 cup / 80 ml (95°F to 105°F / 35°C to 41°C)
Eggs, Large, beaten 2
White Granulated Sugar ¼ cup / 60 ml / 55 gm / 2 oz
Table Salt 1.5 teaspoon / 7.5 ml / 9 gm / 1/3 oz
Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp. / 5 ml / 6 gm / ¼ oz
All Purpose Flour 4 2/3 cup / 1,120 ml / 650 gm / 23 oz + extra for dusting surface
Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Directions:

1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)
2. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.
4. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.
5. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.
6. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
7. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch (9 mm)thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured otherwise your doughnuts will stick to the counter).
9. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch (22 mm) ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.
11. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brown (my doughnuts only took about 30 seconds on each side at this temperature).
12. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.




6 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear about the ants all over your doughnuts! they look absolutely adorable. I'm sure they were delicious... ask the ants! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I must try this one, they look great - my kids love doughnuts (well, what kids don't?)
    Oooh, those pesky ants!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ants ants ants go away. Your batch of doughnuts look perfect lovely photograph, Well done on this challenge. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh no, the ant army strikes! If i was an ant I would be heading straight for these doughnuts too: loving the chocolate icing and sprinkles!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ants - Oh no!

    The doughnuts do look irresistible though and I love your chocolate and hundreds and thousands topping, so pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sad to hear about the ants, but you did great. The doughnuts look perfect.

    ReplyDelete