Stop By For A Doughnut

Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? For the most part I try to stay away from them, but for some reason making them has become another fall ritual for me. I only prepare them once a year and it’s usually right around Halloween.

The dough for these doughnuts is best prepared the night before and let sit in the fridge overnight. Next morning you roll out the dough, let it rise on more time and you’re set to go. My one piece of advice for preparing the doughnuts is to let the oil get good and hot. Use a thermometer to ensure that it’s around 350 degrees. Do not crowd the pan. Doing so will decrease the temperature of the oil and your doughnuts will be greasy. Trust me, I have learned this the hard way.

I rolled mine in cinnamon sugar, but I had a request for “glazed” and did a few that way too. I gently heated 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and then stirred in 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Keep this warm over a bowl of hot water and dip your doughnuts in, one at a time.

Rich Refrigerator Doughnuts

1 package (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
3-1/4 cups flour, plus more for rolling and shaping
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
Vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (95-100 degrees). Add 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar and salt. Beat for 2 minutes with mixer or wooden spoon. Add egg and butter and gradually beat in remaining flour by hand until the batter is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Turn dough onto well-floured board and roll 1/2″ thick. Cut with doughnut cutter (2″-3″) or round cookie cutter and then cut out centers with a 1″ cutter. Place rounds and centers on a well-floured cookie sheet (this is important, not enough flour and they’ll stick) about 1″ apart. Let rise in a warm spot until slightly puffed, about 2 hours.

Put wire cooling rack over 2 empty baking sheets near the stove. Pour oil in a large pot to a depth of 2 ” and heat to 325-350 degrees. Start by frying the holes in batches of 6-8 and then do 3-4 doughnuts. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 1 minute on each side. Taste one of the holes, if they’re greasy, the oil isn’t hot enough. (Doughnuts should sink before floating to the top-if they don’t sink, oil is too hot and adjust. If they take much more than a minute per side, oil isn’t hot enough). As doughnuts brown, transfer with slotted spoon to racks. While slightly warm, dip in sugar, or cinnamon sugar. You could also spread with a butter frosting.

Put on a pot of coffee, serve the doughnuts and watch them quickly disappear!
Recipe was from Sunset magazine. Yield: about 14-18 doughnuts, plus holes.