Perfect Yeast Doughnuts

BY MAMS

The best recipe you'll ever find for light and fluffy yeast doughnuts. I promise.

Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 15 min Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 15 min

Ingredients

6 Tbsp water 5 oz buttermilk 1 egg, beaten (at room temperature)

2 oz butter, melted 16oz all-purpose or bread flour (Please use scale)

2 oz sugar or substitute 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp regular or quick-rise yeast

grass-fed lard for frying Toppings for doughnuts Jam or cream for filling

Instructions

For Bread machine:

1. Place the water, buttermilk, beaten egg and melted butter in the bread machine pan, then add the dry ingredients which are weighed using a scale (it's so important), except for the yeast. Make a small indentation in the dry ingredients, then add the yeast. Set the bread machine on the 'dough' setting.

For Stand Mixer with Dough Hook or by Hand:

1. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Put 6 Tbsp of lukewarm water in a cup and sprinkle in the yeast on top, set aside for about 5 minuytes, until the yeast begins to react (you can add a pinch of sugar to help it). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer, run with the dough hook until a dough forms then continue for about 5 minutes. By hand, knead for about 10 minutes. Cover and set aside until at least doubled in size (usually 1 to 2 hours, depending on the freshness of the yeast, temperature of the water and ambient temperature). **I usually put into a zip-lock baggie at night and let rise in the 'fridge overnight. I wake up early and get the dough to room-temperature and easy to work with. Then I do not have to wait until the dough has risen in the a.m.

Both Bread Machine, Stand Mixer/Hand Instructions Follow Below:

1. Once the dough has doubled place it on a floured surface and knead lightly. Divide in half, keeping half the dough covered, so it doesn't form a skin. With a rolling pin, roll , then turn it off again, cut half of the dough to about 1/2" thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter or use a large cookie cutter and a smaller one for the doughnut hole, abut 1" diameter, saving the holes for later.

2. Place each doughnut on a piece of parchment or waxed paper, then place on a cookie sheet. Put the tray in the oven (turn it on for 1 minute, SET A TIMER, then turn it off again, just to make it barely warm).

3. Next boil some water and pour it into a measuring jug. Place the jug of water in the oven with the tray of doughnuts (this will create steam with keep a skin from forming). With the remaining dough, do the same.

4. Heat the oil to about 350F. If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil with a doughnut hole: if it doesn't start frying immediately, the oil is too cold, if the hold turns brown right away, the oil is too hot. Adjust the heat accordingly.

5. I put the doughnuts on a full sheet of parchment and cut the paper under each doughnut so I can drop them in individually. Turn them over as soon as they become golden brown on the underside, and remove them and place on a paper towel lined platter once they are ready.

6. When the doughnuts have cooled, but not too much, roll them in sugar or frosting to coat evenly. You can just dab them into the frosting. If you choose to fill the large doughnuts, push a skewer into the center of the doughnut to make a hold, then place some room temperature jam, or cream into a piping bag and pipe the filling into the doughnut.

Note: This recipe requires the use of a scale. Please do not attempt to make these without one, as you'll most likely be disappointed.

*Special Equipment: A kitchen scale, parchment paper, a pot, deep fryer, or wok and candy thermometer