03/02/2024
Polish donuts.
This recipe I developed by trying adding different elements to improve there texture, taste and freshness.
I always use good quality flour, free range or organic eggs.
I beat eggs and egg yolks with sugar above the steam. I put eggs and sugar to heat proof bowl and put it on the top of pot with boiling water, water can't touch the bowl. Eggs become fluffy and double in size. It make donuts lighter.
I boil pure cream and mix with 2 tablespoons of flour. When cream and flour is cool, I am adding it to the dough. It keep the donuts fresh longer.
Ingredients for about 25 donuts.
500g flour sieved, 50g fresh yeast, you can use 25g instant yeast which you mix with flour, 100g sugar, 5ml vanilla essence, 10ml vodka or rum, 1 egg, 4 large egg yolks, 125g butter, 225 ml full fat milk, 75 ml pure cream, small jar of your favourite jam, I like rose hip jam or blackcurrant jam, 1300ml rice brain oil, icing sugar about 150g for icing, juice from lemon.
All ingredients need to be at room temperature. If you use fresh yeast, crumble them in the medium bowl, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk in room temperature, 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and mix to get mixture which has slightly thick consistency. Cover and leave in warm place for 20 minutes. Yeast mixture will rise. Boil cream, put 2 tablespoons of flour to small bowl and pour boiling cream over it. Mix well and leave to cool down. Mix egg and egg yolks with sugar and beat it above the steam until fluffy.
Now put the risen yeast into flour, add flour with boiled cream, pinch of salt, rest of milk, add beaten eggs with sugar, vanilla essence and mix everything well. Knead in your electric mixer using bread hooks.
I stop kneading and leave the dough for 10 minutes rest. In the meantime I melt butter and leave it to cool down.
After 10 minutes I start to add melted, cool down butter in small portions kneading the dough all the time. If the dough is to runny add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour, if the dough is too thick add more milk. The dough for donuts has to be soft, not too thick. Add vodka or rum. Mix the dough well and transfer into clean bowl, brushed wit a little bit of oil, cover with clean film and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Prepare jam, the big, wide pot with oil. When dough is ready transfer it into the kitchen counter sprinkle with flour. Flatten dough into a small cake 2 cm high and cut out circles with a sharp glass. 1 donut will weigh about 50 g. I always cut small pieces of baking paper and put each donut on 1 piece of paper. Now I put donuts on flat tray, leave a little bit of space between them and cover with tea towel. Leave your donuts in warm place for 30 minutes.
Now you can slowly warm up oil in wide and large pot. You need to heat it to 170 degrees C.
Now lift the paper with donut, turn upside down and flip the donut safely into the oil without the paper. You can fry 4 to 5 donuts at the time. Cover the pot and fry for 2 minutes, next uncover the pot, flip your donuts and fry uncover for 2 minutes. Remove donuts with a slotted spoon and put them on a plate cover with paper towel. Fry rest of your donuts. Remember to check oil temperature.
Prepare jam in a pastry bag fitted with a sharp, long tip. When fried donuts cool slightly stuff them with jam by pressing the tip of the piping bag deep and squeezing out the desired amount of filling.
Prepare icing for donuts by mixing sift icing sugar with a little lemon juice and boiled water gradually until you get right consistency, not too liquid. When donuts are still warm dip them in the icing. This way icing will spread better. You can also sprinkle them with icing sugar instead of using icing when they cool down.
If you never made donuts before I recommend you to do it with another person. You can find some video on You tube how to make donuts. It could give you better idea what the process is like.
If you have any questions please contact me, I am happy to help.
Good luck, and don't feel overwhelmed, homemade donuts are the best. You can always try to make smaller portion first using 250g flour.
