Yeast Doughnuts
Yield: 16 Doughnuts
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (361g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (227g) milk
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups (907g) peanut oil or shortening for frying
Directions:
- To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Using a mixer or by hand, mix and knead to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Knead the dough after its rest for 6 to 8 minutes, until it’s smooth and soft. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn it over to coat the top, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in bulk.
- To shape the doughnuts: Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it 1/4″ thick, and cut out doughnuts with a 2 1/2″ to 3″ round cutter. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let the doughnuts rise for 30 minutes to an hour, until doubled.
- To fry: Heat the oil or shortening in a heavy frying pan or skillet to 350°F. Carefully place the doughnuts in the oil, 2 or 3 at a time, and fry until golden brown. Turn over and cook the second side; each side should take no more than a minute. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Fill or frost doughnuts as desired, using your choice of sugar topping or glaze.
FROSTING:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp softened butter
- 2 tbsp milk
Directions:
- Mix together softened butter and powdered sugar until the butter is mixed into the sugar. Add the milk slowly until a thick consistency is reached.
Old-Fashioned Cake Doughnuts
Yield: Approx 2 dozen
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 3 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- Oil for deep-fat frying
Directions:
- In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
- Turn onto a heavily floured surface; pat dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°.
- Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
- Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon; roll warm doughnuts in mixture.