new years donuts
Time to make the donuts!
For various and sundry reasons, my 2016 sucked a big, fat nut. But it's over now, and I'm filled with optimism and hope for 2017, which feels a little silly given our president-elect, but what can you do.
We have developed a tradition of making donuts for New Years Day breakfast. Ring-shaped foods are supposed to bring good luck. And to welcome all the good fortune possible, I ate 12 grapes per the Spanish tradition and made Hoppin' John (containing lucky black eyed peas) for dinner. So, come on, 2017, please don't suck.
Per usual, I had a hard time committing, so this year the take was:
- cinnamon sugar
- chocolate glazed
- strawberry jelly filled
- Nutella filled with chocolate glaze.
Dough
6 Tbsp (100 ml) water
5 oz buttermilk (150 ml), room temperature
1 egg, beaten, at room temperature
2 oz (57g) butter, melted
16 oz (454g) all-purpose flour
2 oz (57g) salt
1 1/2 tsp (3.5g) quick-rise instant yeast
Oil for frying (I use sunflower or canola oil)
Optional:
Cinnamon sugar for coating
Chocolate glaze
Jam or Nutella for filling
What to do
- Put 6 Tbsp of lukewarm water into a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast of top, and set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast begins to bubble.
- Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and yeast mixture. Mix with the dough hook until a dough forms, then run for another 5 minutes. (If mixing by hand, knead for about 10 minutes). Cover and set aside until at least doubled in size. It's ok to let rise about 1 hour, then store overnight in the fridge.
- Once the dough has doubled, place it on a floured surface and knead lightly (or pull out from the fridge and let sit for 10 minutes, then knead lightly) . Divide it in half, keeping half the dough covered, so it doesn’t form a skin. With a rolling pin, roll out half of the dough to about ½″ thickness. Cut with a round, sharp cookie cutter (about 3″ diameter) then make the holes with a smaller cookie cutter (about 1″ diameter), saving the holes - or use a donut cutter if you have one.
- Place each doughnut on a small piece of parchment or waxed paper, then place on a cookie sheet. Put the tray in the oven (turn it on to 300ºFfor 1 minute, SET A TIMER, then turn it off again, just to make it barely warm).
- Next, boil some water and pour it into a measuring jug. Place the jug of water in the oven with the tray of doughnuts (this will create steam will keep a skin from forming). With the remaining dough, divide into quarters, then divide each piece in half to make 8 equal amounts. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball, and place on parchment or waxed paper pieces and place on a cookie sheet; place in the oven with the other doughnuts to rise until doubled in size.
- Heat the oil to 350ºF. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a doughnut hole: if it doesn’t start frying immediately, the oil is too cold, if the hole turns brown right away, the oil is too hot. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil using the paper to carefully lower them into the oil. Turn them over as soon as they become golden brown on the underside, and remove them and place on a paper towel lined platter once they are ready.
- When the doughnuts have cooled, roll them in sugar to coat evenly. If you choose to fill the large doughnuts, push a skewer into the center of the doughnut to make a hole, then place some room temperature jam, or slightly warmed Nutella into a piping bag and pipe the filling into the doughnut.
- EAT!
the 'gram
