Doable Homemade Doughnuts

Doable Homemade Doughnuts

 

Don't let a fear of frying stand between you and warm, freshly made doughnuts. They're easier than you think

 

By Sarah Karnasiewicz in the Wall Street Journal

 

 

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the power of doughnuts—to comfort, to tempt, even to time travel. Proust can keep his madeleine. One bite of just-fried, cinnamon-dusted dough and—presto—it's three decades ago, and I'm curled in the rear seat of my parent's Jeep Wagoneer, bouncing down some Vermont back road, clutching a paper bag of old-fashioned fritters still hot from the fryer.

Trendy versions (Bacon-flavored! Pac-Man-shaped!) may have novelty appeal, but they're not exactly fodder for nostalgia. And while America may run on Dunkin, the rounds of my reveries are rustic affairs, not factory-made. The tender crumb of a classic doughnut has a life span shorter than a mayfly's and so, whenever possible, should be consumed a la minute. That's why it's impossible to trump homemade.

Consider this a call to arms: For one morning, forget your calorie counting and your fear of hot oil, and give DIY doughnuts a try. The process isn't nearly as scary or laborious as you might think. Generally speaking, doughnuts fall into two camps: yeast-raised and cake. The former (which includes jelly doughnuts and Boston cremes) use a yeast-leavened dough that rises twice before frying, yielding a pastry that's at once rich and airy. The latter (like old-fashioneds, with their distinctive ridged shape, and most chocolate doughnuts) get a quicker lift from a chemical leavener like baking powder—which means if you start heating a few inches of oil while you're mixing your dough, you can be tearing into a plate of freshly made doughnuts within an hour.

From there, doughnuts can go in a million directions. But at this time of year, when market stalls are still stacked high with apples and jugs of their fresh-pressed juice, I want a cider doughnut. Moist and golden, sturdy yet delicately sweet, they are possessed of a plainness that in no way diminishes their deliciousness. I've sampled versions from orchards all around the Northeast, but at home my go-to recipe is a ruthlessly simple one adapted from Judith and Evan Jones's definitive Yankee cookbook "The L.L. Bean Book of New New England Cookery."

Besides the cider, a batch of these cake-style beauties requires little but pantry staples and can be mixed and patted in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee. Don't have a doughnut cutter? No worries. Using a bottle cap and a drinking glass will get you the shape you want. Then, simply fry the rounds and holes in a few inches of oil and transfer the lot onto paper towels to drain. Pop them in your mouth plain, or give them a quick toss with cinnamon and sugar.

If, however, you're a cook for whom the prospect of tangling with a pot of hot oil early in the day is just too much to contemplate, take heart. There is another way: baking in muffin-tin-like ring molds that yield doughnut-shaped cakes without any cutting or frying. I won't lie—for a long time I scoffed at baked doughnuts, dismissing them as mere cupcakes in drag. But recently, thanks in large part to "Glazed, Filled, Sugared & Dipped," an inspired collection of recipes by pastry chef Stephen Collucci and co-author Elizabeth Gunnison Dunn (a contributor to The Wall Street Journal), my skepticism has softened.

A platter of miniature blueberry-buttermilk doughnuts? Sign me up. "Morning Glory" doughnuts moistened with crème fraîche and pineapple? Yes, please! My favorites, barely sweet baked gingerbread doughnuts that Mr. Collucci created for his mom, couldn't be more ideal for the season: a traditional, Christmassy flavor in updated form. I've made a few adaptations to suit my cravings, amping up some of the spices, adding a simple glaze for a pop of sweetness and a bit of chocolate and cayenne for extra bite.

Are they dead ringers for fried doughnuts? No. But they are eminently dunk-worthy in their own right.

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Total Time: 45 minutes Makes: 18 doughnuts and holes

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 cup unfiltered apple cider

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons canola oil plus more for frying

1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and yolk. Stir in cider, brown sugar and ⅓ cup granulated sugar until combined. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt, nutmeg and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Working in batches, add dry ingredients to egg-sugar mixture. Add 2 tablespoons oil, stirring just until dough comes together. Place dough on a generously floured surface. Working the dough as little as possible, use a rolling pin or the palms of your hands to roll or pat it out to a ½-inch thickness. Using a well-floured 2- or 3-inch doughnut cutter, cut dough into circles. Transfer doughnuts and holes to parchment-lined baking sheets and chill in freezer 10 minutes.

3. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine remaining granulated sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Place a Dutch oven over moderate heat and fill with 2-3 inches oil. When a thermometer inserted in oil reads 375 degrees, place 3-4 doughnuts in oil, taking care not to crowd. When doughnuts float to the top and begin to turn golden brown, flip and fry until golden all over, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and holes, testing oil periodically to maintain an even temperature. While doughnuts are still warm, toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Shake off excess and serve.

Adapted from "The L.L. Bean Book of New New England Cookery," by Judith Jones and Evan Jones

Baked Gingerbread Doughnuts With Vanilla Glaze

Total Time: 45 minutes Makes: 8-10 doughnuts

For the doughnuts:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup dark brown sugar

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons espresso powder

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons whole milk

For the glaze:

1½ cups confectioners' sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons whole milk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a (6-doughnut) doughnut pan and set aside.

2. Make doughnuts: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder and cayenne. In another large bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, honey, molasses, 2 tablespoons oil and milk. Working in batches, stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.

3. Using a small spoon, drizzle batter into doughnut pan, filling each doughnut mold halfway. Place in oven and bake until springy to the touch, 10-12 minutes. Transfer finished doughnuts to a baking rack to cool slightly. Repeat process with remaining batter.

4. Make glaze: In a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. While doughnuts are still warm, place them, smooth-side down, in glaze, then turn over quickly and transfer to a rack to dry.

Adapted from "Glazed, Filled, Sugared & Dipped," by Stephen Collucci with Elizabeth Gunnison Dunn

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