Doughnuts (Donuts) – A Step by Step Guide

I promised I would attempt a ‘step-by-step’ guide to some of the recipes I put on here, so please forgive any shoddy photography, but here goes.  Yesterday was ‘Dusk of the Doughnuts’.  This morning has been ‘Dawn of the Doughnuts’.  Between us, we’ve eaten the lot and I can tell you – they were even nicer the day after!  Really, they were gorgeous with a cup of coffee, sat looking out over the North Sea on a bright and sunny (if windy day).
The recipe was really easy to follow, thanks to clear instructions from BrownEyedBaker.

Doughnuts

First things first.  Ingredients.

Doughnuts
420g (3 1/2 cups) plain flour
150g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
186 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk
62 ml (1/4 cup) sour cream
60g (1/4 cup) cooled, melted butter, unsalted
Vegetable oil, for frying
Icing sugar, water, toppings for dipping!

* Line 1 baking sheet with baking parchment and another with kitchen towel.
* In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

* Weigh out your butter and melt it in 10 second bursts in the microwave. Leave it to cool.

Weigh out butter, then melt gently in the microwave.

*  Whilst waiting for your butter to cool, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. (I don’t use bought buttermilk.  I use milk/lemon juice.  The recipe calls for 186 ml of buttermilk, so I use 170 ml of milk and add 16 ml of lemon juice, leaving it to stand for 10 minutes.  Then it will be as good as bought buttermilk).

Whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and eggs.

*  Add in the cooled, melted butter.

Whisk the melted butter into your buttermilk and egg mixture.

* Whisk together the buttermilk mixture and the cooled, melted butter.

Whisk well, using a hand mixer, electric mixer or a free-standing mixer.

* Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the liquid ingredients into the well.  With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the flour into the liquid centre until the mixture forms a sticky dough.  This bit is tricky, as it really does become quite sticky!

Fold in the flour.

* Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.  Dust the top with flour and, using your hand, pat it down until it is about 1cm – 2 cm thick.  It’s tricky to judge, experimenting will help!

Pat out the dough.

* Take a medium round cutter, dip it in flour (to prevent sticking) and cut a round out.  Then, using a much smaller cutter (I used a clean pop bottle top), cut out the centres.  Arrange the doughnuts onto the baking parchment.  Pat the scraps back together and repeat until all of your mixture is used up.

Press out your doughnuts.

*  In a large pan or a deep fryer, heat your vegetable oil.  Let the doughnuts chill whilst doing this.  When the oil is hot (drop a little piece of mixture in to check – it will turn golden quickly when the oil is ready), use a spatula to lift the doughnuts and drop them in the oil.  Only fry 3 at a time otherwise they stick to each other.  They cook quickly, so be careful!  Turn them with tongs after a minute or two to cook on the other side.  Place them onto the kitchen towel.

Fry gently. They cook quickly!

*  When they are ready, either sprinkle with sugar OR make bowls of different dipping sauces (we used chocolate ganache, simple icing and various sprinkles!) and ENJOY!

Excuse the unusual shapes - not bad for a first attempt!

Please share any of your own attempts by adding a link to comments.  I’d love to see them!