Some things I make for the love of others. I’ve been known to gaze lovingly at ingredients. Wrap cookies in little bows, and present a friend with box of still warm chocolate chip cookies at just the right moment.
Other things I make because I’m a selfish hungry girl. These doughnuts. Oh my God! These doughnuts I made because I’m a selfish girl who loves loves loves doughnuts.
Three facts about this, my first doughnut making experience:
These puppies took me about 3 hours and 15 minutes from start to finish. I started craving them after my morning run, and sunk my teeth into my first warm doughnut bite around 2pm. Worth every minute! Seriously.
I burned my mouth, yes, four times eating donut balls that were just too fresh from the fryer. Worth it. I’d do it all over again.
If I didn’t get the what was left after the “Joy vs. Doughnut Throwdown 2008” out of my house, I might well have eaten every singe one. Not a joke. Fact.
If you’ve never made doughnuts before, here is my advice to you: Oh my God! Take the afternoon off. Turn off your phone. Make these donuts. Eat five to eight, and then promptly walk over to your neighbors house and beg them to take the rest off your hands. If your neighbors aren’t home you might even want to call the cops, they’ll be able to stop you from eating the remainder. You’ll need handcuffs.
Oh My God! Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts!
Gourmet, December 2006
makes 1 dozen doughnuts
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
About 10 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
Mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast mixture in mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.
Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 3-inch cutter, then cut a hole in center of each round with 1-inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps.
Heat 2 1/2 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)
I also fried the doughnut holes for about 1 minute and them tossed them in powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar straight out of the hot grease.
Chocolate Glaze
recipe from Alton Brown
This is enough glaze for a double batch of doughnuts! ;)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.
Want more options for doughnut glazes? Chocolate doesn’t float your boat? See if any of these toppings fit your fancy!
Michelle
Hey I’m michelle and i really love your recipes!!!!! But i reall want to start a blog… I kinda have alot of questions….
1) what site did you go to?
2) when did you get coments?
3) how do you get the amazing pictures?
4) did you know i love all the recipes you gave?…..he he he he
Thanks alot!!!!!
carol
disappointed
thought all was well but when lifted donut from the tray it deflated and finished fried product looked very different then the pics on this page!
btw what does foamy yeast look like? do you mean it rises in the mixture?
Lucy
Can’t wait to try these! What could I use as a sub for a dough hook? Thanks xx
joythebaker
No, sorry. You’ll need a dough hook.
Amanda
do you have any suggestions for making pumpkin doughnuts? not the cake-y kind! :) thanks so much!
joythebaker
I’ve never made them for the blog, but Google would sure know.
Traci
Hi Joy!
These look absolutely delicious! Do you think I would be able to bake them instead of fry them? Would that totally freak them out?!
CLARE
Helpful information. Fortunate me I discovered your website accidentally, and I am surprised why this coincidence did not took place earlier! I bookmarked it.
Bebe
Nice answer back in return of this issue
with real arguments and describing everything on the
topic of that.
Ryan
Im sorry but im really upset. They turned out to be very sticky. I thought it was ok and it will firm up after I rested it but no. It’s too sticky to even roll it with a rolling pin. It’s too hard to manage. I even checked the recipe thrice.
joythebaker
sounds like your doughnuts needed more flour!
Yes-sica
I got real excited about these, ordered the Top Pot cookbook on Amazon and waited 5-8 days for it to come, then realized I can’t make these for a bake sale I am going to because they will be terrible the next morning due to the fact that they are not commercial chemical-laden beasts. Rather than being upset about this, I am taking it as a sign that I need to selfishly make them just for me and some key friends so we can eat them all before they harden like a heart filled with regret.