Light fluffy doughnuts

[Wolfgang4711]

I'm a pro at making old world breads but can someone please share with me the secret for making light fluffy doughnuts that don't chew like rubber the following day?

I'm guessing it's a flour secret. I have always used recipes that call for regular unbleached flour. From the texture I imagine regular flour must have too high a gluten content.

Suggestions please? I have thought about using cake flour, but am not certain if the measured quantity would be the same or even if this IS the problem.

[thebighat]

I think most donut shops are using a mix for cake donuts. I have a formula for yeast raised that's pretty good, but donuts can be tricky. This particular dough is very touchy about temperature and proofing times. I looked forward to learning how to make donuts in school, but when the day came I just walked around the lab and rubbernecked. Thing about donut making is that I think you can always get a job doing it.

[Wolfgang4711]

I just want to make some doughnuts for friends and family. I'm disabled and can't get one of those doughnut making jobs

[W.DeBord]

Making doughnuts....first their always best fresh and no matter what you do they'll be kind of stale the next day but they are do able.

For a yeast doughnuts look for a recipe from an Amish cookbook that uses potatos in the dough. Potato dough slows down the staling process and they taste great. Leave them on the counter over night. Do not refridgerate, that stales them quickly.

I prefer applesauce based cake dougnuts for keeping. At least the recipe I use does hold longer than a plain cake doughnut.... I make mine using a small ice cream scooper to portion them out into the fat. They turn over all my themselfs when the first side is done cooking.

Flour doesn't have any effect on tenderness in this item. For any doughnut you need to have a light hand. If your making cake doughnuts you mix them JUST until combined any more than that will build the gluten and give you a tough doughnut. Similarly if yu add too much flour to your yeast doughnut it will be heavy. the best yeast doughnuts are very moist hard to handle doughs. Where you must use a spatula to tranfer them to the oil.

I hope this helped?

P.S. you can make a yeast potato dough the first day, hold them in the cooler over night and fry them the second day, if that helps you time wise.

[Wolfgang4711]

Thanks for the info. I will look for an Amish cookbook with potato doughnuts in it

[m brown]

potato starch added to your dough could work. I have never been able to hold them over night. (they get eaten too fast!)
try also Bernard Clayton's "Small Breads" or "Beard on Bread"


Also, I find using malt syrup in place of or in addition to the batter makes it lighter, better to feed the yeast.

[Wolfgang4711]

That's one of the problems with being a "compliant" Diabetic. Everyone eats every last one of the darn things and if I don't hide a couple away for the next day I lose out

Thanks for your suggestion!