Winter warmers: Doughnuts

Popular around the world, doughnuts are made from balls or rings of fried dough. They can be dusted with cinnamon and sugar, covered with icing, or filled with jam, cream or custard.

Makes: 15
Prep time: 95 minutes
Cook time: 10 – 15 minutes
Special equipment: small saucepan or microwave, sieve, deep-frying pan, rolling pin, 3cm and 7cm cookie cutters (or 6cm double ring cookie cutter), baking tray, slotted spoon
Nutrition: high in carbohydrate and saturated fat
Skills: sifting, rubbing in, kneading, rolling out, deep frying

INGREDIENTS

1 ¾ teaspoons (9g) dried yeast
2 tablespoons (40g) castor sugar
1/3 cup (95ml) milk
1 ½ cups (225g) flour
¼ teaspoon lemon rind
1 ½ tablespoons (30g) butter
1 egg
5 cups (1L) oil
Cinnamon and caster sugar to serve  

METHOD

1. Place yeast and 2 teaspoons (10g) caster sugar in a bowl.
2. Warm milk in small saucepan or microwave until lukewarm.
3. Stir milk into yeast mixture to form a smooth paste. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
4. Sift flour into large mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons (30g) sugar and finely grated lemon rind.
5. Rub butter into dry ingredients.
6. Beat egg lightly in another small bowl. Add egg and yeast mixture to dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon or your hands to form soft dough.
7. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with oiled cling wrap, and set aside in a warm place to prove for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
8. When mixture has nearly doubled, start to warm oil for deep frying. It should be 190°C.
9. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to expel air. Roll out to 1cm thick. Cut out doughnuts with a 7cm cutter and a 3 cm cutter for the hole, or use a 6cm double ring cookie cutter.
10. Place doughnuts on a lightly floured tray and allow to rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
11. Fry doughnuts in batches of 3 for about 1 minute each side until golden brown. Lift doughnuts out of the oil carefully with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.
12. To serve, roll doughnuts in cinnamon and sugar while hot and serve immediately.

This recipe is taken from Oxford’s The Food Book.
9780195570403
AU$51.95