Doughnuts

Doughnuts

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2-1 egg lightly beaten
About 1/2 cup water &/or milk mixture (warmed)
Pinch of salt
Optional: Pinch of spice (eg. cardomom, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger)
Vegetable Oil for deep frying

All pastry ingredients should be allowed to come to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and spices. Add yeast which has been mixed with a few teaspoons of warm water. Mix the water/milk, melted butter, and egg together. Add the melted butter and egg to the flour mixture then gradually add the required amount of milk/water while kneading until you achieve the right consistency.  The dough should be a little softer than pizza-dough consistency but not sticky.
Turn out onto a lightly floured bench and knead for 15-20 minutes until a smooth and elastic dough is formed.
Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place (such as an oven that has been heated to a very low temperature then turned off) for an hour or more.
Roll or press out the dough onto a lightly floured board or bench to 1.5-2cm even thickness and cut into rounds (I use a drinking glass with a 6cm diameter.)  You can let them rise a second time (I skip this step).
Pour enough oil to half fill a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Test the temperature with a piece of dough first to ensure you have the correct temperature to cook the doughnuts through without burning the outside. Fry doughnuts turning once until golden brown all over. Fry as many as can float in the oil without touching.
Drain doughnuts on newspaper or paper bags covered with absorbent towels then toss through sifted icing sugar.

Notes:
I use the dough setting on my Breville Baker’s oven to make the dough the night before and let the dough rise overnight so it’s ready in the morning to make doughnuts.

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