ASSORTED DOUGHNUTS

Yes, it's Doughnut Day......a day that I decided to make nothing but just doughnuts ^-^  As the kids just love to eat the "Big Apple" Donuts, I decided to try and make some myself.  My MiL also suggested I try making it as she said if I can make bread or buns, doughnuts are in the same category......only difference is instead of baking, it's deep fried in oil. Well, since I just bought a new cookbook , that's all about doughnuts.....of course by flipping through the pages already it increases my urge to try it :P
OK, so the kitchen is where I'm heading to, weighed out my ingredients, kneading and proving and then frying the donuts........it sure is not much difference when compares to bread-making. The amount of time needed for proving and resting is just the same, and in fact the ingredients are pretty much the same too. oh yes, of course you have to stand-by a 'doughnut-cutter' ......another difference :)
Well, the end result is.......this doughnut's texture of the donuts are very bread-like, and with all sorts of topping that you can think of......the kids will love it...even I like it too ^-^

Here it is.......this recipe is extracted from my new cookbook - "Donuts and Bagels Up Close" by You Chun-Hsiung. Happy Doughnuts Making!

PLAIN BREAD DONUTS (yields about 19 @ 50gm donuts)
Ingredients for Dough
(A) 15gm dry yeast, 200gm water
(B) 500gm Bread flour, 100gm whole eggs, 75gm fine granulated sugar, 15gm milk powder, 7gm salt
(C) 50gm butter

Method

1. Beat ingredient (A) with egg beater until yeast dissolves completely.
2. Place ingredient (B) in stainless steel bowl, add 3/4 of ingredient (A), beat at low speed until well-blended, scrape sides constantly until it forms dough, add rest of ingredient (A).
3. Beat until there are no lumps in dough, add butter, beat until smooth and elastic.
4. Remove a small piece of the dough, pull out with fingers (stretch test) to see if the dough can stretch into a fine membrane without tearing, if there it tears, continue to knead for a few more minutes and try again until you get it (But, to tell you the truth, I didn't pass that test, but the doughnuts are fine, as I find that hand-knead method are quite hard to achieve that result, so don't despair).
5. Test again by pulling a small piece of dough out with fingers, if it is not torn and forms a thin silk-like membrane, the dough is ready.
6. Set the dough aside to rise in the mixing bowl for the first time about 40-45 minutes depends on the room temperature, normally a warmer place lets it ferment faster.(Lightly flour the bowl to avoid the dough sticking to the side)
7. The risen dough should be 2-3 times bigger than the usual dough, to test if the dough is ready, lightly dip your finger into some flour and insert it into the centre of the dough, the hole of the finger should stay there and rise up very slowly.
8. Remove dough from the bowl and lightly punch down the dough to release the air bubbles trapped inside, then let rise for another 5 minutes longer.
9. Remove dough to floured work surface, with a rolling pin, lightly roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1cm thickness.
10. Use the doughnut-cutter (any size) and cut out the doughnut pattern.
11. Flour baking paper, arrange bread donuts on it, set 2cm apart and let rise for second time for about 20 minutes.
12. Heat the oil in the frying pan in medium heat, and deep-fry the doughnuts in oil until golden on both sides.
13. Remove and drain the excess oil with kitchen towels, let cool on the rack, and decorate with as you like, for example sprinkle or dip with fine granulated sugar, dipped into chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate chips, nibbed almonds, hundreds and thousands sprinkle and other.

Happy Doughnuts Baking! ~