Doughnuts are not something one would make regularly, and the amount of work involved may not inspire anyone to make them from scratch.
It would be easier to nip down to your bakery and buy a dozen.
But there is such a sense of satisfaction that comes from being able to make these delicious treats for a special occasion and decorate them the way you like that makes them worth the effort.
I also dont know of any shop that sells the baked version. These are more like small cakes, and they are best eaten on the day that they are made.
You do need to acquire a special tin to bake them in and I found these to be available at shops selling kitchenware and also on Yuppiechef.
I prefer the baked version because they arent oily.
Baked doughnuts can be made with or without yeast.
If you want to fill your doughnuts, it’s best to do so after frying them. I found that from experience. Trying to sandwich two discs of dough together with a filling in the middle resulted in them separating and messing up the oil.
Doughnuts are great as an occasional sweet treat.
Angela Day shares a few different recipes:
SPUDNUTS
Adding mashed potato to the dough makes it light and fluffy.
Makes 20-30
4x250ml cake flour
2x10g sachets of instant yeast
10ml salt
60ml castor sugar
250ml cooked mashed potato
60g butter, melted
300-400ml milk, warmed
1 egg, beaten
cinnamon sugar to coat
oil for deep frying
Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Add the mashed potato and mix to combine.
Mix together the melted butter, milk and egg and add to the dry ingredients to form a soft but not sticky dough.
If the dough is too dry, add extra warm water to achieve the correct consistency. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into an oiled plastic bag and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Then remove the dough from the bag and knead it gently.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thickness. Cut out circles with a doughnut cutter.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or a large pot to 180°C. Drop the doughnuts in a few at a time and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel and toss in cinnamon sugar while still warm.
FILLED DOUGHNUTS
4x250ml flour
80ml sugar
5ml salt
10g packet of instant yeast
200ml milk, warmed
3 eggs
60g butter, softened and cut into cubes
oil, for frying
pastry cream
jam
castor sugar
Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add the warm milk, eggs and softened butter, and mix for 5 minutes until well combined and smooth.
Place the dough in an oiled plastic bag, set aside in a warm place and allow to rise for an hour.
Remove and roll the dough out into 1cm thickness.
Cut out 10cm circles with a cookie cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer and fry the doughnuts in batches until puffed golden.
Drain on paper towel. Cut a small hole in each and fill with pastry cream or jam.
Sprinkle with castor sugar.
BAKED DOUGHNUTS
Makes about 24
60g butter, softened
60ml sunflower oil
180ml castor sugar
2 extra large eggs
660ml flour
7ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml vanilla extract
250ml milk
GLAZE
500ml sifted icing sugar
3ml vanilla extract
milk to mix
colouring of your choice
sprinkles to decorate
In a bowl, beat together the butter, oil and castor sugar with an electric beater till well blended. Beat in eggs.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb and add to the creamed mixture together with the vanilla and milk. Mix to form a thick batter.
Spray a doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm-wide plain nozzle. Pipe the mixture into the pans.
Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Take the doughnuts out of the pan and place on a cooling rack.
GLAZE: Put the icing sugar in a bowl and add vanilla and enough milk to make a medium glaze. Divide the glaze into bowls for however many colours you want. Add a drop of the colouring to each and mix well.
Dip each doughnut into the glaze then return to the cooling rack. Sprinkle over decoration and allow to set. These doughnuts can be tossed in cinnamon sugar instead of icing them.
BAKED CHOCOLATE STOUT DOUGHNUTS
Makes 12-14
125ml milk stout
5ml vanilla
560ml flour
60ml cocoa
80ml castor sugar
10g packet instant yeast
4 egg yolks
60g butter, softened
60ml cream
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
225g dark chocolate
180ml cream
60ml milk stout
Heat the stout and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat until just warm.
Place the flour, cocoa, sugar and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the warm stout and egg yolks and beat until just combined.
Add the butter and cream and beat for 5 minutes until smooth.
Place dough in a lightly oiled plastic bag and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour to double in size.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1cm thickness and cut out 10cm rounds.
Cut out the middles with a small circle.
Place the doughnuts on a greased oven tray, cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until puffed. Allow to cool before glazing with the chocolate glaze.
GLAZE: Place all the ingredients into a pot over low heat and cook until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to spreading consistency before spreading onto each doughnut.
You can replace the stout with soda water or lemonade. It’s the fizzy bubbles you are after to add lightness to the dough.