Donuts
Breakfast • Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm water (56g)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk warm (375g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (55g)
- 2 tablespoons honey (42g)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour (900g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
- canola oil for frying
- sugar to coat doughnuts
- 1 (18-ounce) jar Raspberry preserves or jelly (seedless jam
- 8 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (57 grams) corn starch
- 2 and 3/4 cup (624 grams) whole milk (full-fat)
- 5 Tablespoons (67 grams) unsalted butter cut into tiny pieces
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt fine sea salt, if possible
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water and warm milk. Add sugar, honey and eggs. Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough. This dough is going to be sticky when you turn it out. After kneading, shape into a round ball and place back into the greased mixing bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. Turn back into the greased bowl (spray with cooking spray again if needed) and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough to about ¾-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Then cut out doughnuts with a 3 ½-inch round doughnut cutter. Rub the doughnut cutter in plenty of flour for each cut you make. Twist the doughnut cutter back and forth a bit and gently bang out the doughnut onto the counter.
- Place the doughnuts evenly onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You’ll want to give them a little room to rise on the sheet pan. (I generally put 3 doughnuts in each row and you’ll fit about a dozen on each half sheet pan) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and plop in the refrigerator overnight. This way, they’ll proof in the fridge and you’ll have most of the work done in the morning. Just get to frying them up fresh.
- OR To make doughnuts immediately, let the doughnuts rise on the counter for about 30 minutes. (Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap or with a clean kitchen cloth)
- Place about 3-4 inches deep of canola oil in a 12-inch or 13.5-inch cast iron skillet. Heat up the oil over medium heat to 375 degree F canola oil. Use a digital thermometer to maintain 375 degrees at all times while frying doughnuts.
- Cook a few doughnuts at a time for about 1-2 minutes per side. Flip carefully. Once fried, place them on a sheet pan lined with plenty of paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil. While they are still warm, gently toss in granulated sugar.
- Place preserves or jelly into a pastry bag with a pastry tip and insert the tip into the side of a doughnut. Squeeze in preserves or jelly to fill.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aide.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the milk over medium-heat until it comes to a gentle boil.
- Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the pan containing the remaining milk.
- Place over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, or until very thick.
- Remove from heat. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula, then whisk smooth.
- Whisk in the butter, whisking until completely melted. Then whisk in the vanilla and salt.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and into a medium-sized glass bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to avoid a skin forming.
- Cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until well chilled.
- Boston cream filling will keep, stored in the fridge, for up to 4 days!