HOW TO: Doughnuts

Brenda’s Mom (a.k.a. Mom Saunders) is an amazing cook. Ask anyone and you’ll learn her specialty is raised doughnuts. She passed her doughnut-making expertise on to her children, each one possessing the skills to produce light-as-air doughnuts, though only a few have reached the true expert level. Brenda has reached true expert level—ask any one of Brenda’s friends or family.

In the recipe below, Brenda breaks down each step of the doughnut-making process to teach us how to make light-as-air doughnuts.

CAUTION: deep frying anything can be dangerous. Always keep your hands and face away from the hot oil. DO NOT add any water to the oil (hot or cold) or an explosion may result.

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HOW TO: Doughnuts

Step 1: Make a batch of Brenda’s Favorite Yeast Dough

• Allow to proof once for 45 minutes

Step 2: Prepare surface and roll out dough

• Recommended to use a silicone mat

• Dust lightly with flour

• Dump dough onto mat and sprinkle lightly with flour

• Using a rolling pin, roll dough evenly until it is ~3/4” thick

Step 3: Cut out doughnuts (Standard Glazed and/or Bars)

• Standard Glazed: Use a doughnut cutter to create perfect doughnuts.

  • No cutter? Use a biscuit cutter, or drinking glass, to cut out circles. To cut the centers, use a small medicine bottle or the cap from a spritz bottle.

    • Gather scraps and press into a ball. Allow to rise for ~30 minutes and roll into more doughnuts.

• Bars: use a pizza cutter or knife, to cut 2 1/2”-3” strips. Cut across strips at 5”-6” to make bars.

Step 4: Set aside to rise

Place doughnuts and/or bars on sheetpans lined with clean dish towels, spaced 2” apart. Set aside to rise for 35-45 minutes. Usually 12-15 doughnuts per sheetpan.

Step 5: Begin heating oil (in deep fryer or on stovetop)

Note: It will take approximately 10-15 minutes for the oil to properly heat to 375F. IMPORTANT: Heat should be started 25 minutes after the first doughnut is cut out.

Select one:

1. Deep fryer

   • If you have a basket, set it aside — you will not need it

   • Fill with oil to the fryer-specified level

   • Turn on fryer and set temperature to ~375F

2. Deep pot on stovetop

   • Place a deep pot on the stovetop

   • Add ~4” of oil to the pot

   • Turn heat to medium*

Step 6: Test oil temp

• Fryer: there should be an indicator light and, most likely, it should be off when the oil has reached the selected cooking temp

• Pot: use a thermometer to test (ideal temp is ~375F) . . . . or [faster] hold hand about 2” above the surface of the oil, if it is almost too hot to keep your hand there then the oil is definitely hot enough. A final test is to select the first doughnut and CAREFULLY slip it into the oil, if the oil immediately bubbles around the doughnut, it is hot enough to start cooking.

Step 7: Cook doughnuts

• Slip doughnuts, one-by-one, into the hot oil (do not touch the hot oil)

  • Each doughnut will drift momentarily towards the bottom and then pop back to the surface

  • Add only enough doughnuts to allow easy movement between them

• Watch around the edges, the doughnuts will begin to show browning after ~2 minutes

• Flip using a fork or slotted spoon

• Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the other side is equally browned

• Carefully remove, using a slotted spoon or tongs and place on a paper towel lined pan to drain excess oil

Step 8: Glaze or Frost

1. Glazing tips: doughnuts should be glazed hot. Once the batch drains for ~30 seconds, follow these steps to glaze:

   • Drop first doughnut into glaze, use a fork to flip then slide a knitting needle (or skewer) through the center of the doughnut to remove from glaze.

   • Repeat with the second doughnut. Use the fork to hold the first doughnut in place on the needle while picking up the second. Usually three doughnuts will fit.

   • Once 2-3 doughnuts are on the knitting needle, set it across the top of the glaze bowl to allow drips to return to the glaze.

2. Frosting tips: Allow the doughnuts or bars to cool completely prior to frosting.

   1. Maple

   2. Chocolate

   3. Other toppings: Sprinkles, Coconut, Walnuts

   4. Bonus: Mom Saunders specialty - Coconut Glazed Doughnuts - add 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to a resealable bag. Glaze a hot doughnut following the steps above. Once coated in glaze, immediately transfer to the bag and toss lightly in the coconut.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: one batch of Brenda’s Favorite Yeast Dough yields approximately two and three dozen 3” doughnuts

• *When deep frying, the oil’s temperature is critical to success. The desired temp is ~375F for doughnuts. This can be estimated using the hand test mentioned above if needed. Additionally, observe the results of the fried doughnuts. If the color is a little darker than desired then slightly reduce the heat. If the color is a little lighter, increase the heat. The most important thing is that the doughnuts are cooked through and not doughy. The best starting point is “medium” heat making slight adjustments as needed.

• Doughnut parties are recommended. Make a couple of batches of dough and fill your house with friends eating doughnuts . . . this is happiness.

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

The glazing process . . .