Classic doughnuts

Classic donuts are one of my favorite things in the world. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love affair with donuts. I really like desserts of all types, but I’m just as happy, if not more, with a simple donut. I like desserts like these, desserts that are cozy and simple, a piece of glorious bread with glaze. They are soft, fluffy and so cute. My favorite are classic donuts, glazed with the white glaze.

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Now, donuts are fried, that’s it. There are recipes that make for baked donuts, but the truth is those are not donuts, those are more like cakes in donut shape. For it to be a donut, it must be fried. The result is not the same if you bake them. Of course, they probably taste great as well, they are just a different thing.

Donuts, like the picture below shows, have to be very airy and fluffy on the inside, and they must have that texture similar to bread, elastic and with air pockets. A good donut should be like a small matress, it should go bak to its original form when pressed. YUM!

Now, when it comes to donuts there are different recipes, in fact many people make them using potatoes, and that must be so good! The flavor to them is quite different and they end up having a more yellowish color. Our recipe doesn’t call for potatoes, but it does call for tangzhong, which is a cooked mixture of flour and water. It makes a whole world of differnce. Using tangzhong makes the dough incredibly soft and elastic.

The only thing is that you have to eat these almost right after making them, or a few hours later, because there is no way to store them to keep them crisp. The next day they will be a bit “soggy” and not entirely firm. This is because they are fried, and that’s what happens to anything and everything fried, it happens with french fries for example, and it is something to take into account. So when you make them, make sure you’re surrounded by people that will eat them straight away.

If, just like me, you’re a fan of donuts, don’t forget to check out our other donut recipes, our berliners or our boston cream donuts.

Clasic donuts

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 15

Ingredients
  

For the dough:

  • 1/2 C milk lukewarm
  • 1/3 C white sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 C all purpouse flour
  • 1/2 C tangzhong (to make it, combine 1/3 C flour and 1 C water in a medium heat pan and cook until the mixture thickens)

For the glaze:

  • Vegetable oil needed amount
  • 2 C confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • In a big bowl, mix the milk with the sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 20 min.
  • Then add in the butter, the salt, the egg and the 1/2 C of tanzhong already cooled and mix with a wooden spoon.
  • Add in the flour and salt and start kneading until it´s all incorporated.
  • Place the dough on the work surface and keep kneading for about 15 min. until you get a soft elastic dough. (this whole kneading process can also be done in a standing mixer with the kneading hook attached)
  • Form a ball with this dough, spread some oil on it and place it in a bowl which we will cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
  • Now let it rest for 1 hour or until it doubles its size.
  • Pinch the dough and let it rest again, this time for 30 min.
  • On the working surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick and cut it out with a donut shape cutter (you can knead and roll out again the leftover dough but the resulting donuts won´t have the same consistency).
  • Place the donuts (the small bits of the holes can also be used) on a previously greased baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise 1 more hour.
  • In a medium size pot heat enough oil. Once the temperature is right deel fry them until they turn golden brown.
  • Once they are done, place them on a plate with some absorbing paper underneath.
  • For the glaze, mix all the ingredients, and once the donuts are cool glaze them. And you´re done!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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