Donut Recipes

Doughnuts made Without Yeast

6oz self raising flour
1 1/2oz cooking fat
1 1/2oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
cooking fat or oil for frying

Prepare pan of hot cooking fat or oil.
Cream the fat, sugar and salt. Add the egg and clear. Stir in the milk, add the sieved flour and mix lightly to a smooth clear dough.
Turn out on to a floured board, roll out fairly thick (approx. 1/4inch) and cut into rounds. Stamp out small round holes in the centre of each and place in pan. Turn over when half cooked and cook the other side.
Dredge or roll in caster sugar.

The fat must be hot (approx. 260-370F). To test the temperature (if a thermometer is not available) a cube of bread will become golden brown in one minute.
Frying at too low a temperature produces greasy, heavy doughnuts.
If smoke rises from the fat it is too hot. This not only discolours the fat but also detracts from the flavour and appearance of the finished doughnuts.
Leave the doughnuts to cool slightly before rolling in caster sugar. If rolled immediately the hot fat melts the sugar

Doughnuts Made with Yeast

1x7 g sachet dried yeast
70g caster sugar
500 g plain flour
315 ml whole milk, warmed until tepid
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
80 g unsalted butter

How to make:
1. Put the yeast in a bowl with a tbs of the caster sugar and a tbs of the flour and mix in the warm milk. Put in a warm place for a bout 15 mins until the mixture becomes frothy.

2. Put the rest of the sugar and flour, lemon and orange zest and butter in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and use spoon to bring it all together then use your hands to mix it into a ball. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough for 5 mins or so until it's smooth n silky. Pop it into a bowl, cover with clean damp cloth amd leave to rise for about 1 hr. Meanwhile, make your flavoured sugar by mixing the sugar, spices, zest, and vanilla seeds together in a bowl.

3. When the dough has doubled in size, give a bit of punch. Then on a floured surface, roll the dough out until it's an even 1 cm / 1/2 inch thickness. Using a little cutter or a small glass (app 5 cm / 2 inch diameter) cut about 25 little circles and pop them on to a greased baking tray to rise again, make sure there is a sufficient gap between each of them. Cover with damp tea towel and allow to rise for about 45 mins.

4. When the dough has doubled in size again, use a chopstick to make a little hole in the centre. Now, heat the vegetable oil in a large deep saucepan then fry your doughnuts for until golden brown (app 2 mins). Then sprinkle them with the flavoured sugar.