Doughtnuts

Ever gone on a food binge? The fried and naughty kind? A binge that would win the popularity contest of food binges is "The Grand Doughnut Binge" the fried ring shaped dough over powers you like a true ring master, the fiercest of healthy diet lions cant stop at just one. 

Frying dough has been a part of traditional cooking all over the world. However this harmless looking fluffy cushion of taste bud grazing sweetness took the world by storm. If you go through the history of fried dough it comes in different shapes and sizes, sweet and savoury and then we have the doughnut to add colour to the catalogue. Fried dough filled with cream, custard, icing or jam with a coating of chocolate, sprinkles or spicy cinnamon sugar an instant pick me up. What blends inside like sugar and cinnamon is sprinkled on top and what usually goes on top or under is stuffed inside a topsy turvy world of sugar rush. 

Have it when its hot! Doughnuts are honestly best enjoyed when they are fresh out of the fryer. They do not go stale so easy, but the flavour and fun slightly diminishes over time and quickly so. If you want to grab every bit of goodness a piece of doughnut can give you, you may have to stand next to the fryer as the chef tosses doughnuts straight into your mouth. Extremely exciting as it sounds its not really possible to have access to the kitchens of fast food restaurants that sell doughnuts and the chefs will not take too kindly to such behaviour.  

Dough-NOT fret, here is a recipe that will get you flipping and tossing perfect doughnuts in no time. 

P.S. Here is an interesting article about the history of doughnuts

Doughnuts

Yield- 16 to 20  large

Flour 500 g

Sugar 30 g

Salt 10 g

Yeast 15 g

Evaporated milk 20 g

Milk 250 g to 350 g

Eggs 2 

Zest of an orange

Butter 60 g

Oil for Deep frying

Method

In a big wide mixing bowl weigh the dry ingredients, rub the zest of orange into the dry 
ingredients 

In another mixing bowl beat the milk, vanilla and eggs till homogenous

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the entire milk and egg mixture in the centre

Using a wooden spatula or your hand combine the ingredients to form a shaggy mass of dough

Use additional milk a tbsp at a time or an extra dusting of flour if required to make a soft ball of dough

Knead for 2 mins and empty the dough onto a clean kitchen counter

The dough at this point will be very sticky and tacky.

Continue kneading the dough for another 8 minutes to 10 minutes, giving a break for 2 minutes to 3 minutes in between kneading to allow the gluten to relax and absord the liquid

Knead the soft butter into the dough till the butter coats the dough well and the dough acquires a little shine

Shape the dough into a ball on the platform. 

Cover the dough with a damp kitchen cloth allow to proof for 1 hour or double in size

Degas the dough by tapping on the surface and place the dough on a well floured platform

Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick circle or a rectangle and cut rounds using a doughnut cutter

In a deep pot heat oil to 190 deg celsius, on a low to medium flame fry the doughnuts for two minutes on each side

Toss the hot doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and EAT!