Homemade Doughnuts

[chromedome]

My next-door neighbour was asking a few days ago whether I had a good recipe for homemade doughnuts. Appears his mother used to make them, and he's had a hankering lately.

Well, now I've got the itch. Unfortunately, while I've tried a few recipes over the years, I've not been happy with any of them. Do any of you have a good recipe for either a cake doughnut or a yeast doughnut? I've just been given one of those Moulinex deep-fryers, so the timing seems to be coming together just right...

[andiesenji]

I have a great recipe for raised (yeast) doughnuts in one of my Amish/Mennonite cookbooks, the best ever, according to people who try them. (I do not eat them myself.)

It is a versatile recipe that can be made in various shapes, plain or for fillings and even for the apple fritter type doughnuts so popular with the Amish.

I have to dig the book out, I have never put the recipe into the computer.

More later,

Andie

[chromedome]

Having married into a Mennonite family, I'm all in favour of that! Come to think of it, I've got a couple of Mennonite cookbooks on my shelf. I should look at those.

[Wendy DeBord]

Hum............great minds must think alike ( ) cause a couple of my favorite doughnut recipes come from Amish/Mennonite cookbooks. So I strongly ditto Andies reccomendation.

I found there to be many good recipes in these types of books, I don't think I've come across a bad one yet.

[faberpanis]

Fanny Farmer has a good cake doughnut recipe that I use at work

[chefpeon]

So it's been awhile since I've manned the doughnut fryer......at least 14 years. Can't say it's my area of expertise at the moment. I had a client ask me this question:

Living all over in the San Fancisco area; most all bakeries were great. I

now live in Hot Springs Arkansas & love it Except for bakeries.  I Love Plain Cake

Doughnuts & no matter where I go they all taste like commerical

dunkin doughnuts; Very heavy.  I miss those Light Plain Cake Doughnuts &

hope you have a recipe I can use.

When I made donuts, they all came from mixes.....never really had a recipe for a cake donut

from scratch. I'm also inclined to think that a donuts' lightness comes not only from the recipe, but the kind of fat you use and the temperature you fry them at. I do know that if you fry them at too low a temperature they absorb more fat and become heavy. I have also heard that the best donut frying fat is lard.

Anyone have any thoughts about how light cake doughnuts are made?

[Redsugar]

Old-Fashioned Cake Doughnuts

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tsps baking powder

1½ tsps salt

½ tsp ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 oz. butter, melted

1 cup whole milk

4+ cups cake flour

Cinnamon Sugar, optional

1. Stir together sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

2. Add eggs, butter, and milk.

3. Add 3 cups flour, beating until thoroughly blended. Add another cup of flour and beat well. Dough should be rather soft, sticky, and just firm enough to handle. If necessary, gradually stir in sufficient remaining flour to make shaggy, barely manageable dough.

4. Cover w/ plastic wrap & chill overnight. (Impt: at least 1 hour!)

5. Heat oil/fat to exactly 360° F.

6. Scrape half of chilled dough onto floured work surface: Push, pat, roll to make a mass about ½-inch thick. Cut doughnuts w/ flured doughnut cutter. Set doughnuts & holes on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat procedure w/ other half of chilled dough.

7. Fry about 4 doughnuts and hole at a time. Gently drop them into hot fat (yes, lard will give the most authentic old-fashioned flavour!), and invert them only once as they rise to the surface and puff. They will need about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove from pan using a wire mesh strainer (you want as little fat adhering to them as possible), and drain them on absorbent paper – I use brown craftpaper.

8. While they’re still warm, toss in Cinnamon Sugar, if desired.

[Wendy DeBord]

I make doughnuts. I hadn't in years, then just the past month or so I've had the chance to make them a couple times. Gotta admit I'm a bit rusty....but.........

In my experience cake doughnuts aren't anything that could be described as 'light' compared to a yeast raised doughnut. When you use a freshly cleaned and filled frier- it might come across as 'lighter' in flavor compared to a frier that needs cleaning.......so thats one guess.

I just can't help but wonder if they really mean a cake doughnut. I've seen people use the same name for different products. Like a 'scone' I think of as a baked sweet biscuit. But in Utah a 'scone' is a deep fried fritter like a doughnut served with syrup. A 'beignet' in New Orleans is a square piece of yeast raised dough deep fried......I first learned a 'beignet' to be a choux puff type batter with-out yeast.

Your description of a doughnut absorbing alot of grease also could be what she means in heavy verse 'light'.

Cake doughnut recipes I'm familar with look alot like a muffin recipe where you have your dry ingredients like flour & sugar and then you fold in milk or buttermilk with vanilla, melted butter and eggs (aprox.). I'm sure you could add whipped egg whites to lighten the batter......although I've never seen a recipe for cake doughnuts written that way. This could be something indigenous to SF.

I also typically think of a 'lighter' item as more likely coming from a mix then from scratch...........like a cake mix verse a scratch cake. My best guess is, since she implyed that many places in SF had this similar item that it probably did come from a mix verses scratch baking. Perhaps brand X cake doughnut mix is more popular in SF and in your region another brand is more prevalent.

[Redsugar]

I had posted a recipe for Cake Doughnuts in compliance w/ the thread-starter's request (on behalf of her client). However, if the quest is moving toward an even lighter product, then yes I agree that a yeast-raised dough will produce an airier fried result. These breads are softer & lighter than the Old-Fashioned Cake variety because they are leavened w/ yeast. My fav. yeast-raised doughnuts contain mashed potato and the yeast itself is sponged in potato water; after frying, I glaze the breads w/ melted fondant icing in coffee or maple flavour.

Yet, even lighter in texture are the Mexican Buñuelos – although including these fritters in our discussion would possibly veer attention from the original request. Nevertheless, as may be commonly known, buñuelos are small, round puffy pillows of fried sweet dough (whose hollow centers can be filled w/ jelly). Another Mex. fried bread, Churros, are made of cream puff paste; but they too are almost hollow inside.

Beignets , popularized in America at the New Orleans French Mkt (and traditionally consumed w/ strong *Café au Lait mellowed w/ chicory in the Cajun or Creole style) are famously light French-style doughnuts.

Also, let's include Sopaipillas in our inventory of fried breads. They're an airy southwestern bread which inflates dramatically when cooked.

Finally, for the ultimate deliciously tender 'n buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience of fried breads, prepare a batch of Brioche-Doughnuts!

The quintessential reason for making your own doughnuts is the complete satisfaction of the distinctive tastes & textures – not to mention the undeniable freshness – of these breads. No commercially available product can compare, let alone surpass the sheer quality of privately made doughnuts.

* "...I find so many of the light, tasteless coffees in the U.S. to be a disgrace...the single outstanding exception is French Market Coffee

and Chicory produced in New Orleans, a sturdy, full flavored blend...it rivals even the best 'Italian Roast' beans used for espresso..." ~ James Villas in the December ’97 issue of Town & Country.

Edited August 26, 2004 by Redsugar (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

HUm...brioche doughnuts..........now thats a idea! I've never seen that in a book..........where does that originate?

I also reccomend potato doughs, glad to see a like mind! But they aren't "light" either. Also.......just a thought (witchy at that), but something about a customer asking me for a recipe bothers me. Sometimes it doesn't-but in this instance it does. I guess you have to meet the person..........

[chefpeon]

something about a customer asking me for a recipe bothers me.

Bothers me too! It's almost as if they are saying, "I love the stuff you make but I don't want to pay you to make it, so let me have the recipe, ok?"

In this case though it doesn't bother me, because I don't make doughnuts for a living, I've never made them any doughnuts personally, and mostly, they were just relying on my supposed expertise to find an answer to their question. They respected me enough to ask, so in this case, it's all good.

[chromedome]

The chef/owner at my night job has no qualms about giving away recipes. In fact, the recipe for our ever-popular seafood bisque is even on our website. She just shrugs and says, "If I'm not making it for you, it's not gonna be the same."

And she's right.

[Redsugar]

For Sinclair, et. al.

To make Brioche Dougnuts, first you must prepare a classic brioche bread dough to the point that it's completed the first rising. Punch down the risen dough; then push and roll it until it's about ½-inch thick. Cut w/ a floured doughnut cutter and place the pieces on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving spaces between them. Cover loosely w/ towel and let rise until double in bulk.

Gently drop the cut-outs into the hot oil and turn frequently until they’re golden brown. Remove from fryer using a wire-mesh ladle and drain the doughnuts on absorbent paper. A cinnamon-sugar coating is optional. Enjoy!

[alacarte]

The King Arthur Flour cookbook also says that lard is best for frying doughnuts, but that veg shortening or oil can be used too. I checked the Craft cookbook too; pastry chef Karen DeMasco fries her cake doughnuts in peanut oil -- but I've noticed that the Craft cookbook uses peanut oil for nearly all their frying and sauteeing.

Can I ask you bakers a modification question? Redsugar's recipe sounds great. If I wanted to change it a bit by adding orange juice to make an "orange cake doughnut," do you think it can be just dumped in, or should other liquid ingredients be reduced (i.e. less milk, fewer eggs, or less melted butter)?

[Redsugar]

I offer a recipe for Orange Doughnuts:

4 navel oranges

1 large egg

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 oz. uns.butter, melted & cooled

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

Grate the orange zest into a large bowl. Cut up 1 of the oranges, reserving remaining oranges for another use. Discard the seeds and chop in processor. You’ll need about 1 cup chopped orange. Add to the zest w/ the egg, sour cream, sugar, & butter; combine mixture well.

Next, sift in the dry ingredients and stir the dough until it is just combined. (It will be very soft, like cookie dough.) Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it lightly, about 6 or 7 times, until smooth. Pat the dough out ½ inch thick and cut it w/ a well-floured doughnut cutter. Briefly knead the scraps together and make more doughnuts in the same manner.

Fry them properly. Drain the doughnuts on unglazed brown paper. Dip them in an Orange Glaze, if desired.

[alacarte]

thanks Redsugar! I'll try that.

[Kapuliperson]

I'm so glad I finally got to be part of this site. I'm gonig to try those donut recipes either this weekend or next when I've got a bit more time (away from the computer :p). I've only made donuts thrice and each time they didn't turn out very well.

[Wendy DeBord]

Welcome Kapuliperson.

I'm sorry to read you had problems previously with your doughnut making. If you need any assistance the next time, don't hesitate to ask.

[deensiebat]

i just saw this recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...MSL&site=living

which i'm tempted to try bc they're just so cute (and bc their small size helps me baby-step through my fear of deep frying). although i'm wondering if i need a dough with potatoes for my dream doughnut (uberlight and airy with a crunchy outside). guidance? recipes?

[pastrymama]

I love this recipe from Jacques Torres, they are very light and fluffy. I filled them with homemade jam and they were wonderful. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_20317,00.html

[CaliPoutine]

I love this recipe from Jacques Torres, they are very light and fluffy.  I filled them with homemade jam and they were wonderful. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_20317,00.html

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I saw an episode of Food911 ( Tyler Florence) where he made two kinds of donuts, they looked fab. Check foodtv.com

[CanadianBakin']

I don't have a recipe but to confirm that good donuts come from Mennonites... I remember growing up one of my mom's Mennonite friends used to make amazing yeast donuts with mashed potatoes. If you come across a recipe like that in one of your books, it would be worth a try.

[Becca Porter]

The new Gourmet Cookbook has an incredible cake doughnut recipe. They are coated in granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar. They call them sugar doughnuts. I don't believe I could ask for a better recipe.

They also have a viennese filled doughnut recipe. I fill with strawberry or raspberry jam. They bake into these beautiful spheres that you top with powdered sugar. Their method of filling them works great.

You should be able to find both at Epicurious.

Sugar Doughnuts and

Viennese Jelly Doughnuts

[MelissaH]

My husband's doughnut recipe, inherited down the line from his great-grandmother, is also a yeasted dough with potatoes. I haven't tried making them yet. Must get over "fear of frying" one of these years!

MelissaH

[deensiebat]

i tried the martha stewart dainty doughnut recipe (which was remarkably similar to the food tv recipe), and added in about a half cup of mashed potatoes. i cut them out about 2 inches (using the cap to the top of my cocktail shaker) with wee little holes (the base of a pastry bag tip, which had the added advantage of a hole at the other end you could blow through to dislodge the dough). fried in non-hydrogenated shortning, shaken with sugar. amazing. although, to be fair, they all got consumed within a couple hours of being fried, so who knows how they hold up.