Delicious Morning Doughnuts - A treat any time of the day!

A faraway memory of a woman who walked lightly through this world even though the world was harsh. No worries of too much fat, too much sugar or too much anything because in her world, many things were scarce.

Except her keen sense of survival for a large family with 10 children and a troubled husband. The farm produced just enough…God provided the rest. And somehow, her love and strength was transferred into every simple meal she made.

From this woman, this tradition, these doughnuts rise.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ½ to 4 cups Flour (all-purpose, unbleached)
  • ½ cup Sugar (try all-natural, raw)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 ¼ cup Milk, warm (1% fat)
  • ½ cup Butter, unsalted, melted
  • Light oil for frying (try a mix of canola and/or sunflower)
  • For Topping:
  • Sugar for dusting (about ½ cup)
  • Cinnamon for dusting (about 1 Tbsp)

Directions:

Note: Mix everything lightly by hand. You don’t want to work the flour too much.

  • Mix all dry ingredients by hand.
  • Note: I start with 3 ½ cups of flour and work in the rest as needed after the wet ingredients are added.
  • Warm the milk and butter. Put them together in a pan and heat slowly until the butter is melted. You should be able to place your finger in the liquid without burning because you don’t want to kill the yeast.
  • Pour the liquid into the flour mixture. Using your hands, toss lightly into a ball until it is no longer sticky. Add more flour as necessary.
  • Place a good amount of flour on your board. Turn dough onto the floured surface.
  • Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangular shape that is about ¾” thick.
  • Using a large knife or pastry tool, cut into squares about 3 inches by 3 inches.
  • Place dough squares on a plate, cover with a clean cotton cloth, and let rest and rise for a couple of hours.
  • Note: There is a lot of fat in the dough so it will rise very little.
  • As the dough it rising, mix together your cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl for topping and set aside.
  • Once the dough is rested, heat oil in a large pan (I used a wok), until about 350°F. The key for frying without getting the food too greasy is hot oil. The hotter it is, the less oil will be absorbed into the food.
  • Cover a plate with several layers of paper towel. This is where you will place the doughnuts once they are fried to absorb any excess oil.
  • Working in batches of about 3-4 doughnuts at a time, and being careful to stand back from the pan with the handle facing opposite you (to avoid accidently hitting the handle and spilling the grease), slide the dough into the grease.
  • As it cooks, it will puff up nicely. Turn with a slotted spoon when it’s a nice brown color (like the color of warm caramel). Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces as they are done and place on the paper covered plate to drain.
  • Each piece will take about 30-45 seconds per side, depending on the heat of your oil.
  • Roll each doughnut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to give it a sweet topping.

 

Note: Feel free to experiment with your dough by adding flavors such as orange zest, candied ginger, or ground cinnamon. This is a very lovely dough.

Did you Know? This recipe is part of our meal plans…