The Daring Bakers Deep Fry Stuff

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Yah! doughnuts. or donuts. I'm not sure which one is correct? I started off with Alton Brown's recipe for yeasted donuts- they turned out crispy on the outside and very light and airy on the inside! Man homemade donuts are so much better than the ones from the shop! The only downside is watching the big pan of oil you are frying the donuts in...and then eating several donuts, with the picture of the pan of oil in your head. Thinking about all that oil that seeped into the donut...But it doesn't matter. Because they are delicious!

I decided to make several different kinds because I'm crazy. I made a s'mores donut which was a regular donut filled with homemade marshmallow creme and topped with chocolate frosting and graham cracker crumbs. Then I made a coconut cream filled donut topped with toasted coconut. Then there are the standards- cinnamon sugar, regular glazed, powdered sugar and chocolate sprinkle. And FINALLY I made one very special donut. This is the kind of donut that they would have at the county fair (except they would probably find a few other ways to make it

more fattening). This special, lone donut, was an oreo cookie filled donut! I contemplated doing cookies and cream filled but then I figured, why not just put the whole oreo in there? So I did and it was amazing- it tasted like a cookies and cream donut.Now I wish I had

thought of other things I could have stuffed into the donut dough before deep frying but hey there's always the next deep fry session!

The dough for the yeasted donuts was very very soft- it didn't really come together after adding the amount of flour stated on the recipe. It kind of just poured out but I think that was the key to such a light and fluffy outcome. It was also really hard to keep the donuts a nice shape since the batter was so soft. Next time I might just add more flour anyway so I can get prettier donuts! If you know me, you know I have a dislike of ugly food- I'm sorry ugly food!

In the end, this was a really cool challenge. The amount of oil that I used (and splattered all over the kitchen) was unsettling but you only make donuts once in a while right? :) I got up extra early to make these and so my mom ate a few and I gave the rest of them to my relatives ...along with a coconut cream cake and a mocha cream cake. You see, I had a lot of extra coconut cream filling and I had also made some coffee cream filling (except I decided not to use it to fill any donuts not sure why) so I had to find a use for the extras...But who doesn't appreciate a home made donut and two full sized cakes?! Yummmm scrumptious!

Yeast Doughnuts:

Preparation time:
Hands on prep time - 25 minutes
Rising time - 1.5 hours total
Cooking time - 12 minutes

Yield: 20 to 25 doughnuts & 20 to 25 doughnut holes, depending on size

IngredientsMilk 1.5 cup / 360 ml
Vegetable Shortening 1/3 cup / 80 ml / 70 gm / 2.5 oz (can substitute butter, margarine or lard)
Active Dry Yeast 4.5 teaspoon (2 pkgs.) / 22.5 ml / 14 gm / ½ oz
Warm Water 1/3 cup / 80 ml (95°F to 105°F / 35°C to 41°C)
Eggs, Large, beaten 2
White Granulated Sugar ¼ cup / 60 ml / 55 gm / 2 oz
Table Salt 1.5 teaspoon / 7.5 ml / 9 gm / 1/3 oz
Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp. / 5 ml / 6 gm / ¼ oz
All Purpose Flour 4 2/3 cup / 1,120 ml / 650 gm / 23 oz + extra for dusting surface
Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Directions:

1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)
2. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.
4. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.
5. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.
6. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
7. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch (9 mm)thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured otherwise your doughnuts will stick to the counter).
9. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch (22 mm) ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.
11. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brown (my doughnuts only took about 30 seconds on each side at this temperature).
12. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.