BASICS - Donuts: 50 Sticky-hot Donut Recipes to Make at Home (2014)

Donuts: 50 Sticky-hot Donut Recipes to Make at Home (2014)

Yeast donuts

Tips for making yeast donuts

Cake donuts

Tips for making cake donuts

Croissant-donuts

Tips for making croissant-donuts

How to deep-fry

How to bake

yeast donuts

These donuts have a lovely soft and chewy texture, making it hard to stop at just one. For the best results, be sure to enjoy these the same day you make them.

MAKES 10 PREPARATION 25 minutes (plus 2 hours 25 minutes resting)

YEAST DONUTS

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) lukewarm milk

3½ teaspoons dried yeast

450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

A good pinch of fine sea salt

1 egg, at room temperature, lightly whisked

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted, at room temperature

WHISK the milk and yeast together in a small, heatproof jug. Add 1 teaspoon of the flour and 1 teaspoon of the sugar, then whisk until well combined. Allow to stand at room temperature in a warm spot for 10-15 minutes, or until frothy.

PLACE the remaining flour, remaining sugar and the salt in the bowl of a standmixer. Attach the dough hook and mix together on a medium speed until well combined.

WITH the motor running, slowly add the egg, melted butter and the yeast mixture. Mix for 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic (the dough should feel slightly sticky).

USING very lightly floured hands, scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a piece of baking paper, then a tea towel (dish towel). Set aside to rest in a warm, draught-free spot and leave for 1-1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. (See Tips for making yeast donuts.)

LINE two large baking trays with baking paper. Generously flour a work surface and gently tip the dough out onto it. Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to a 1 cm (½ inch) thickness. Using a floured 8 cm (3¼ inch) round cookie cutter, cut out 10 rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible. Use a floured 3 cm (1¼ inch) round cookie cutter to cut out holes from the centre of each larger circle. Carefully transfer the donuts and their holes to the prepared trays, spreading them out in a single layer. Cover with tea towels then allow to rest for 40 minutes at room temperature, or until the donuts have doubled in size.

DEEP-FRY or bake and coat in cinnamon sugar as instructed. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Tips for making yeast donuts

The dough needs to be left for 1-1½ hours to rise.

Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll out the dough.

Cut out rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible.

Cut out holes from the centre of each larger circle.

cake Donuts

These donuts are wonderfully quick to make — just like whipping up a cake batter — and are sure to be a hit with the kids too. Enjoy them on the day you make them, or store overnight in an airtight container at room temperature and reheat for a few seconds in the microwave until warm.

MAKES 12 PREPARATION 25 minutes

CAKE DONUTS

80 g (2¾ oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

110 g (3¾ oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) milk

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/31/3 cups) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

A good pinch of fine sea salt

CREAM the butter and sugar together in a large standmixer for 3 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla essence and milk and mix until just combined.

SIFT the flour and salt over the mixture in the bowl. Mix until just combined, but do not overmix or the dough will become tough. (See Tips for making cake donuts.)

LIGHTLY flour a work surface, turn the dough out onto it and, using lightly floured hands, gently bring together. Knead gently for a few seconds until the dough becomes smooth. Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to a 1 cm (½ inch) thickness. Using a floured 8 cm (3¼ inch) round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible. Re-roll any off-cuts and cut out more rounds until you have 12 in total. Use a floured 3 cm (1¼ inch) round cookie cutter to cut out holes from the centre of each larger circle.

DEEP-FRY or bake and coat in cinnamon sugar as instructed on. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Tips for making cake donuts

Mix the dough until just combined — do not overmix or the donuts will be tough.

Bring the dough together with your hands and knead gently.

Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll out the dough.

Cut out rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible.

croissant-donuts

A wonderfully decadent combination: croissant meets donut. A little patience and time is all that’s needed to prepare these, and they are well worth the effort.

MAKES 8 PREPARATION 50 minutes (plus 3 hours 30 minutes chilling and 40 minutes resting)

CROISSANT-DONUTS

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) lukewarm milk

3 teaspoons dried yeast

55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

A good pinch of fine sea salt

BUTTER MIXTURE

35 g (1¼ oz/¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

COMBINE the milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence, flour and salt in the bowl of a standmixer. Attach the dough hook then mix on a low speed until the ingredients are well combined. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix for 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic (the dough will be sticky).

LINE a baking tray with baking paper that’s been lightly floured, then transfer the dough. Using lightly floured fingertips, flatten the dough into a rectangle shape roughly 20 x 15 cm (8 x 6 inches). Cover with a piece of baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

BEAT the flour and butter for the butter mixture in a standmixer until smooth. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and transfer it on the baking paper to a work surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 5 mm (¼ inch) thick rectangle roughly 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches). Spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough, making sure you spread it right to the edges. (See Tips for making croissant-donuts.)

FOLD the dough in thirds from the shorter sides, like a letter, then transfer back onto the tray on the baking paper. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

REMOVE the dough from the fridge and transfer to a clean piece of baking paper lightly dusted with flour. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it into the same-sized rectangle again, then fold both edges to the middle. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes, then repeat the whole turning, rolling, folding and chilling sequence twice more. Finally, turn, roll and fold the dough, then chill it for 1 hour.

LINE a large baking tray with baking paper. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin and roll the chilled dough out to a 5 mm (¼ inch) thick rectangle roughly 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches). Using a floured 8 cm (3¼ inch) round cookie cutter, cut out eight rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible. Use a floured 3 cm (1¼ inch) round cookie cutter to cut out holes from the centre of each larger circle. Carefully transfer the croissant-donuts and their holes to a prepared tray in a single layer. Cover with a tea towel (dish towel). Set aside to rest for 40 minutes at room temperature or until they have doubled in size.

DEEP-FRY and coat in cinnamon sugar as instructed. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Tips for making croissant-donuts

Spread the butter mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough, right to the edges.

Roll out the dough with a lightly floured rolling pin.

Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.

Cut out rounds from the dough, making sure you cut them as close together as possible.

Croissant-donuts must be deep-fried; they are not suitable for baking like yeast or cake donuts.

How to deep-fry

When deep-frying donuts, make sure you use a saucepan that allows for a minimum depth of 5 cm (2 inches) for the oil. Only add the donuts to the oil when it has reached the desired temperature, otherwise they’ll absorb too much oil and become stodgy, rather than being light and fluffy. To check this, you’ll need a sugar thermometer, or you can drop a small amount of the donut off-cuts into the heated oil: it will immediately bubble around the edges if the oil is hot enough.

PREPARATION 10 minutes COOKING 15 minutes

Vegetable, canola or rice bran oil, for deep-frying

HEAT the oil in a deep-fryer or a deep, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat, or until the oil temperature reaches 180°C (350°F).

DEEP-FRY the donuts in batches, turning occasionally, for 2-3 minutes each, until puffed, golden and cooked through. Transfer to paper towel to drain before coating (see here) and serving.

DEEP-FRY the donut holes in three separate batches for 1-2 minutes each, or until puffed, golden and cooked through. Transfer to paper towel to drain before coating (see here) and serving.

How to bake

Baking donuts is a healthy alternative to deep-frying. You may find that some of the holes in the donuts close slightly on baking — if that happens, simply use the end of a wooden spoon to gently re-open the holes while the donuts are still hot.

PREPARATION 15 minutes COOKING 25 minutes

100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, melted

PREHEAT the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Place the donuts and donut holes 3 cm (1¼ inches) apart on the prepared trays.

BAKE the donuts, one tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed, light golden and cooked through (the donuts will sound hollow when their bases are tapped). Allow to cool for 3 minutes on the tray.

BRUSH lightly all over with the melted butter before coating (see tip) and serving.

TO COAT

Everyone’s favourite topping for donuts is cinnamon sugar. For 8-12 donuts, you’ll need 220 g (7¾ oz/1 cup) sugar — white granulated sugar is best — and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Combine in a deep, heatproof bowl, and have ready to toss the just-cooked donuts through!