Doughnuts, whether fried, baked or batter, are a naughty, but very nice, indulgence! Popular the world over—from the Krispy Kremes made famous by New York TV series Sex and the City, to the battered delights served warm in Asian street markets—whatever type of doughnut is your favorite, there is a delicious recipe in this book for you. Simple and easy to prepare at home, using standard kitchen equipment or newly available doughnut pans, these doughnuts are perfect for snacks, parties or even desserts.
There are several methods for preparing doughnuts. The most common doughnuts are made from a light yeast dough and fried, which although take time to prepare, are most definitely worth the wait. For a healthier option, oven baked doughnuts offer a lower fat content as they are not fried in oil. There are a variety of shaped pans available in good kitchen stores for baked doughnuts, which give them a classic doughnut ring shape. You can also make doughnuts with a batter similar to that used for waffles or thick pancakes. These can either be made using a batter dispenser to drop rings of batter into hot oil or using a doughnut machine. Doughnut machines are relatively inexpensive and work similarly to a waffle iron. They produce doughnuts very quickly and are therefore ideal for large scale doughnut production—such as for the Doughnut Croquembouche on page 43.
I have to confess that, at first attempt, making traditional fried doughnuts can seem a little daunting and there are a few things that can go wrong. However, the steps in this book simplify the process and will ensure that you make perfect doughnuts every time. One of the key steps is the right combination of flour for your doughnut base—whilst you can use strong/bread flour on its own, the best results use a combination of this and ordinary all-purpose/plain flour to give lightness to the dough.
An essential step in making perfect fried doughnuts is the kneading process. Do not underestimate the time you must knead the dough for. To save time (and your arms], this is best done with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Using the dough hook, you need to work the dough slowly for about 2 minutes and then increase the speed and knead vigorously for about another 8 minutes. When done, the dough will be very soft but not sticky and when you pull a piece between your hands it should be thin and elastic and not break or create holes. The next stage is resting and proving. Shape the dough into balls (or rings, depending on which doughnut you are making) and place each one on a flour-dusted square of baking parchment. Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes, allowing the dough to relax, then reshape so that you have perfectly round doughnuts. Next, cover the trays in lightly-oiled plastic wrap/clingfilm and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. The actual proving time required will be influenced by how warm it is. In my kitchen, which is warm from the Aga, the proving takes about 35 minutes. To test if the dough is proved, press one of the doughnuts gently with a fingertip. If the dent springs back, the dough is not yet fully proved. If the dent just holds it shape, the doughnuts are ready. If you press and the dough collapses, the doughnuts are over proved and will taste yeasty and may deflate slightly when you put them into the oil. The final stage is to let the doughnuts rest uncovered for another 10 minutes before frying to allow a thin crust to form.
When frying doughnuts you need the oil to be very hot 375°F (190°C), This is easiest done in a deep fat fryer, where the temperature can be controlled, but you can also fry them, carefully, in a large saucepan on the hob using a kitchen thermometer to ensure the oil is at the right temperature. When it comes to adding the doughnuts to the pan, this is where the baking parchment helps. If the dough is handled too much it can deflate, so lifting the doughnuts by gripping the individual squares of parchment lets you slide them, one at a time, safely into the oil without deflating the dough or burning yourself. Cook the doughnuts for a couple of minutes on one side until golden brown, then turn over and cook until golden on the other side. Doing this will create the classic pale ring around the middle of the doughnut.
When filling doughnuts, it is important to make a cavity in the doughnut which is large enough to hold plenty of filling— there is nothing worse than a meanly-filled doughnut! This is best done with a round-handled teaspoon—poke it into the side of the doughnut and then move around to create a cavity inside, whilst keeping the exterior hole as small as you can. The easiest way to fill doughnuts is to use a piping bag, otherwise things can get a bit messy! Pipe the filling into the doughnut until you feel the doughnut slightly “kick back” in your hand, which means that it is full. Don’t worry too much if you over-fill as you can simply wipe away any excess with a paper towel. If you are filling your doughnuts with fresh cream, always remember to store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
Baked and batter doughnuts are simpler to make as they do not contain yeast and therefore don’t require proving time—perfect for those sudden doughnut cravings!
All doughnuts taste better fresh and are best served the day they are made. But if you don’t manage this (despite how irresistible they are!) store them in an airtight container. Whichever type of doughnut you prefer, these recipes will enable you to create decadent delights at home to treat friends and family—the only issue is how to stop eating them—you have been warned!
