Tuesday 30 September 2014

Doughnuts



Watching the Great British Bake off last week reminded me I haven't made Doughnuts in a long time.  It seems a shame really but true we tend to buy them more often than I make them and I really don't know why.  At £10 a dozen to buy them it is definitely worth making them yourself if you have the time.  Below is a recipe which is similar to the ones we buy from you know where.  Hope you enjoy them.


Ingredients:
1 package yeast
30 ml warm water (approx temp 45C / 110F)
180ml lukewarm milk
50g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
60g trex
400g plain flour
vegetable oil for frying

Glaze:
125g butter
350g icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons water

Chocolate Frosting:
60g butter
175g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons water
100g milk chocolate

Method:

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a mixing bowl.

Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, trex and 200g flour. Beat on low for 30 seconds scraping bowl constantly.  Beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Stir in remaining flour and beat until smooth.

Cover and rise until double, about 1 hour.

Turn dough onto floured surface and turn to coat with flour.

Flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to about 1cm to 1.5cm thick.

Cut out doughnuts.  You could buy a doughnut cutter but I improvise with a drinking glass and a piping nozzle to cut out my shapes.

Cover your doughnuts and let rise again until double, about 30 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil to 190C.  I use a deep fryer but if you don't have one you can fry them in a pan, just keep an eye the oil temperature.

Fry doughnuts in the hot oil until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  Dip them in the Glaze mixture and set on a rack to cool.

Once cooled you can dip them in the chocolate frosting to coat the tops.  If your adding sprinkles be sure to add them immediately after you dip the doughnut as the chocolate starts to set quickly and they won't stick if you wait.


To make the Glaze:

Melt butter.  Remove from heat and stir in icing sugar and vanilla.  Stir in water and mix until smooth.

To make the Chocolate Frosting.

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat.  Remove from heat and stir in icing sugar and vanilla.  Stir in water until smooth.


Makes 24 doughnuts.