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Lockdown Baking Series: 1. Doughnuts

My friend has a YouTube channel (CaitlingGodfrey) and she said in a recent video that she and the rest of her family are trying to bake as much as they can so they've got lots of treats during lockdown, which tickled me because in my family, we're trying to stop baking as much. Moving back home has meant I've got access to all my baking equipment again -plus my beloved Kitchenaid-, and having extra time too means it's all I want to do!


I thought I'd start a series sharing my favourite recipes I've found during lockdown, and first up we've got a recipe for homemade doughnuts. This was my first time making doughnuts, and I can definitely recommend giving it a go. They're very naughty so I'll only be making them as a treat, and they're best on the day you make them so make sure you've got lots of people to share them with. If you're on your own at the moment or have the will-power to only eat one a day, then 1. please can you give me some, and 2. you can refresh them in the microwave for 10 seconds if they've gone a bit stale.


I based the doughnut dough off of Sorted Food's Fruit Doughnut Sliders dough, but I used plain flour to give a softer doughnut, and added some vanilla bean paste for extra flavour. I also switched up the fillings and made some ring doughnuts too. 

Ingredients-

500g plain flour
7g dried active yeast
50g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract, or bean paste
250ml milk (I used soya milk, but anything will work fine)
50g melted butter/ margarine
1 egg
1.5l vegetable oil
200g caster sugar (+ 2tsp ground cinnamon for cinnamon sugar)

150g of whatever fillings you fancy! I went for Nutella and strawberry jam, with cinnamon sugar on the ring doughnuts. 

Method-

1. Mix together all of the dry ingredients, and then add the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix together and knead for 10 minutes. If you don't, use a knife to initially mix in the wet ingredients, and then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes by hand. Leave to prove in a warm place for an hour, covered with a damp tea towel.

2. Turn out the dough unto a lightly floured surface. Roll into 50g balls, tucking the seams of the dough onto the bottom so you have a smooth surface on top. Place each ball onto small squares of baking parchment so they're easier to put into the oil later. If you're making rings, roll the dough until about 1 inch thick and cut out rings. If you don't have the right size cutters, use a large glass and a piping nozzle to cut out the middle. Leave to prove, covered, for another hour.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan until it reaches 165C. If you don't have a thermometer, put the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if a gentle stream of bubbles appear around it, it's ready. If there are no bubbles, the oil needs to heat for longer. If the bubbles are quite fierce, turn the temperature down and then test again in a couple of minutes. Gently lower a couple of doughnuts into the oil at a time, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. For the first batch, cut one in half to check it is cooked in the middle so you know if you've got the temperature and timing right.

4. Leave the doughnuts on some kitchen roll to allow the excess oil to drain off, making sure you turn them over. When they're cool enough to handle, coat in the sugar. When they're cool, inject the doughnuts with the filling of your choice with a piping bag. Use a long thin nozzle so you can get as much filling in right in the middle.

Next week- the best banana choc chip muffins
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