by Happy Easter everyone! I thought the best thing to do early Easter morning was to make some fluffy doughnuts. There is nothing like deep frying in the AM. I have never made them before so I searched high and low for a easy yet tasty sounding recipe. I ended up finding the perfect one at food and wine. These doughnuts were light and fluffy and full of flavor.
I did not have a doughnut cutter so I ended up using a shot glass to make the doughnut holes.
Yeast Doughnuts – (From Lauren Groveman via Food and Wine)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs solid vegetable shortening
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup sugar plus a tad more for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups sifted bread flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a small saucepan lightly warm the milk and shortening just until the shortening starts to melt. Meanwhile in a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer add the yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until the mixture is bubbly (roughly 5 minutes).
Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add the milk mixture, sugar, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk salt and vanilla. Mix together. Gradually add 4 3/4 cups of flour until a sticky dough forms. If using a mixers continue to add flour until the dough pulls away from bowl. Continue to knead for 5 minutes using a dough hook. If you are not using a machine, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Then knead in as much flour as you can until the dough forms a smooth and elastic ball.
Once you have a smooth and elastic dough ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 hours and then punch down the dough, turn it over and cover again. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let rise for at least 2 hours or overnight. I chose this method as I did not want to get up at 4 am to make doughnuts for 9am. For this reason, this dough is awesome. You make it the day before and then it is ready for the morning.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out so that it is about 1/3rd of an inch thick.
Then using a doughnut cutter or a 3+ inch round cutter plus a shot glass for the doughnut hole, cut out as many doughnuts as you can. You can then roll out the scraps one time and then cut out more doughnuts.
When you have the doughnuts cut, place them on a piece of wax paper that is lightly dusted with flour. I did not dust mine with flour and all of the doughnuts stuck to it. Cover the tops of the doughnuts with another piece of wax paper and then let them rise for at least 20 minutes.
Next heat up your deep fryer to 350-375 degrees. If you don’t have a deep fryer use a dutch oven and fill it with a couple of inches of oil. Fry the doughnuts for 1 minute on each side. They flip rather easily.
When both sides are browned remove from the oil and let drain on a rack. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before glazing.
To make the glaze whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, milk and corn syrup. When you have thoroughly mixed it add the vanilla.
Either dip the donuts in the glaze or drizzle the glaze over the doughnuts.
These are some awesome doughnuts. The doughnut holes were more popular than the doughnuts. They were totally pop-able.
