Light fluffy doughnuts

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.

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.

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"
:bounce:

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

Mother's Recipe

Wolfgang, I was looking for a place to get good donuts and found your blog. My mother (Virginia) made donuts when I was young. I'm not much of a cook, but I remember them being delicious. Mom was a fabulous cook. I hope you enjoy. Maybe I'll get motivated and give them a go.:)

Here is a copy of my mother's recipe:

1 c. scalded milk 1 pkg. yeast 2 T. Crisco 2 T. sugar 1 t. salt
3 1/2 c. flour 1/4 c. lukewarm water 1 egg (well beaten)

Combine milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast softened in water. Add egg. Gradually stir in flour to make soft dough. Beat vigorously. cover and let rise until double in bulk. Turn out on floured board, knead and shape. Cut, let rise. Deep fry and dip into glaze while hot.

I found another recipe in her box:

Glazed Potato Doughnuts (Lee Sickles)

1 pkg. active dry yeast 1/4 c. warm water
1 c. milk, scalded 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening 1 t. salt
3/4 cup mashed potatoes 2 eggs beaten
5-6 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Combine milk, shortening, sugar and salt and cook until lukewarm. Stir in yeast, potatoes, and eggs. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny (approximately 7 minutes, adding flour to keep from sticking) Place in a lightly greased bowl, turn over to grease top. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size 1-1 1/2 hours. Roll to 1.2 inch thickness. Cut with 3 inch donut cutter. cover let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes).

Deep fry at 375 degrees and dip into glaze while hot.

Glaze 1 pound powdered sugar
6 T. water
1 T. vanilla

Mix together. It will look like thick cream.

Hi Wolfgang,

If by Old World breads, you mean those great German ryes I want to know what you know!

OK, for potato doughnuts, here's a recipe I got from an Amish baker, but never tried it.

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup lard or shortening
3 eggs beaten
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 - 2 packages yeast
1 cup warm water
5 cups flour (altered as necessary depending on your flour).

On this recipe, you might also want to change the water to scalded milk, as in the other recipe given here.

Now, since you mentioned you're a diabetic, here's a link to a site which is a very special bread site, for Baked donuts, not fried, if that helps any.


Yeasted Baked Doughnuts Recipe | Wild Yeast

Now there's also cake donuts and yeast donuts, I'm assuming you're after yeast donuts. but maybe you're after a cake donut, they're always tender, but generally more dense and not as light as a good yeast donut.

oakrockcat79 have you got any pictures of your final product ?

I think ill give your recipe a go this weekend

This recipe was posted in the Chicago Tribune, January 15, 1997

Servings: 20
1 cup apple cider
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Vegetable Oil
or shortening (for frying)
Glaze:
2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
Boil apple cider in small saucpan until it is reduced to 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes; cool.
Beat sugar with shortening until smooth. Add eggs and mix well, then add buttermilk and reduced cider. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in another bowl. Add to liquid ingredients; mix just enough to combine.
Transfer dough to lightly floured board and pat to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2- to 3-inch doughnut cutter; reserve doughnut holes and re-roll and cut scraps.
Add enough oil or shortening to fill a deep pan 3 inches; heat to 375 degrees F. Fry several doughnuts at a time, turning once or twice, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to paper towels with slotted spoon
For glaze, mix confectioners' sugar and cider. Dip doughnuts while warm; serve warm.

The Bomboloni recipe from Jacques Torres is the lightest and fluffiest doughnut I have ever made, or eaten. Not too difficult to make and so delicious.

You say that everyone is going with packaged donut mix? Where can I find these at? I have the same problem, If I make them one day, they are kinda chewy the next. It puzzles me. Hope you can help. Thanks

I have been experimenting with donuts too as to how to keep them soft even just for 8hrs in the open. If you would notice donuts from Dunkin Donuts that they stay soft even for 24 hrs in the open. I found out they use additional ingredients to the basic donut recipe but I dont know exactly what these ingredients are. What we have here in this forum are basic recipes. Maybe someone out there could share his knowledge as to what ingredients or chemicals we should add that would keep our donuts soft for some time. For those who would want to open a donut shop like me its important to find this out because freshly fried donuts turns stale after just an hour and you would have a very high overhead expenses if you keep frying donuts the whole day.