Makes: About 10 doughnuts
Time: 1½ hours
Crunchy on the outside and tender inside, these are where doughnuts meet biscuits. They’re fried at a lower temperature and flipped twice, giving them their characteristic ridges, which are perfect for clinging to glaze. Coat with any of the glazes you’d use for Glazed Doughnuts.
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until the mixture is like wet sand, then mix in the egg yolks and sour cream. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing first with a whisk and then switching to your hands once it gets too thick. The dough should be slightly sticky but hold together; if necessary, add more flour or sour cream a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Place a candy thermometer inside a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and heat the oil to 325°F, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t get any hotter. Line racks or plates with paper towels.
3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead it a few times, then roll it to ½-inch thickness. Dip a doughnut cutter, 3-inch cookie cutter, or the rim of a sturdy glass in flour and cut out the doughnuts; cut out the holes with a smaller cookie cutter or shot glass. Knead any scraps together, being careful not to overwork, and repeat.
4. Gently add the doughnuts to the oil, one at a time. Don’t crowd them. They will sink at first; when they float to the top, fry for another 15 seconds and then flip. Cook until the underside cracks and turns golden, 1½ to 2 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Doughnut holes cook faster. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared racks and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 325°F. Eat them while they’re still warm, or store for one day in an airtight container at room temperature.
LEMON OLD-FASHIONED DOUGHNUTS Lemon adds to the tangy lightness: If you can find crème fraîche, use it in place of the sour cream; otherwise, decrease the sour cream to ½ cup and add ½ cup cream. Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest and coat with Lemon Glaze.