How To Make Doughnuts

 in Demos

Let’s be real. What about doughnuts isn’t absolutely amazing? Between the soft fried dough, the sugary coatings, delicious assortment of fillings and plethora of topping option, we think it’s safe to say that this pastry is as close to perfect as it gets. Whether you like yours plain, filled with jam and covered in sugar or dipped in chocolate and adorned with sprinkles, we are all donut lovers in some way or another. But what if we told you that instead of having to fetch yours from the local store, you can actually make them at home? If you follow along with this online pastry class, you’ll be a doughnut making pro in no time!

So watch this video tutorial with our online pastry school chef as she shows you how to make the perfect breakfast indulgence, doughnuts! Once you have the actual dough part down, you can start dreaming off all the possibilities that lay ahead for delicious concoctions!

Classic Doughnuts

Ingredients
1 lb flour
3 tsp dry yeast
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
2 1/2 oz caster sugar
1/2 cup butter

Directions
1. Heat the milk to 98.6°F
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and form a well. Add the yeast to the well, add a small amount of
milk and stir to form a pre-dough. Cover and proof
3. Add the salt, remaining milk, water, eggs and sugar and combine. Add the butter and work
through to develop the gluten. Place in a bowl, cover and proof.
4. Punch down and form into a ball. Roll the dough to ½ inch thick. Make doughnuts in desired shapes and sizes, proof at room temperature until the doughnuts double in size. Deep fry in 375 degree oil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown in color.

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

Recipe
1 ½ oz shortening
4 oz sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ oz powdered milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ oz whole eggs
½ oz egg yolks
11 oz cake flour
6 oz bread flour
2 oz cocoa powder
¼ oz baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
8 ½ oz water

Directions
1. Sift together the dry ingredients.
2. Cream together the shortening, sugar, powdered milk, salt and vanilla. Add the eggs.
3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the water adding 1/3 at a time. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Roll to ½ inch thick and make into desired shapes. Allow the doughnuts to rest and then deep fry for 1 ½ – 2 minutes in 375 degree oil.

French Doughnuts

Recipe
9 fl oz water
4 oz butter
5 oz bread flour
4 eggs

Directions
1. Boil the water and butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat.
2. Sift the flour and add to the liquid. Ensure the flour is added all at once or it will form lumps. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and stir until a white layer is formed on the bottom of the pot. Cool to room temperature. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between until a dropping consistency is achieved.
3. Fill a piping bag and pipe the choux paste into 2 inch rings. Freeze. Allow the rings to thaw about half way where they can still be lifted off the cookie sheet. Fry in 365 degree oil until golden brown in color. If the rings do not puff up in cooking they may be too cold, leave at room temperature just a little bit longer.

Doughnut Glaze

Recipe
1 oz gelatin
8 oz water
2 oz corn syrup
2 tsp clear vanilla extract
2 lb 8 oz powdered sugar

Directions
1. Soften the gelatin in the water and dissolve over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and add the corn syrup and vanilla.
2. Add the liquid mixture to the powdered sugar. Use to cover doughnuts while still warm and place doughnuts on a wire rack.

Finishing Doughnuts

Once the doughnuts have cooled they can be glazed and dipped in a variety of flavored icings such as fudge icing. The doughnuts can be dipped in or sprinkled with a variety of toppings such as chopped nuts, sprinkles and coconut. Doughnuts can also be coated with powdered sugar. To help the powdered sugar from melting, add 2 teaspoons of corn starch to every 1 lb of powdered sugar.

Escoffier live chef cooking demonstration

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