Sundays Are For Making Donuts

Sundays are donut days. We usually try to take things a little bit easy on Sundays, and I try to make us all a treat.

Donuts are easy to do and well loved by everyone in the family. Although we are from back East where cake donuts are the norm, it is fun to make yeast donuts once in a while to shake things up a bit.

Donuts are super simple. The recipe:

1 3/4 cups warm milk

5 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil or lard (shortening can be substituted)

4 3/4 to 5 1/8 cups all purpose flour

Add yeast to warm milk, and allow it to proof (become foamy) for 5 minutes. Then add sugar and salt, stirring gently.

In a mixing bowl, pour warm milk and yeast mixture, the eggs and attach the dough hook. Turn on the mixer and add flour, 1/2 cup at time. You are looking for a super soft dough, that pulls away cleanly from the sides. I have used between 4 3/4 to 51/8 cups flour-depending on the humidity

Place soft dough into greased bowl and allow it to rise in a warm place for 1 hour

Punch down and pat out dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. It is important to never re-roll yeast donut dough or it will be tough.

Cut out donuts with a donut cutter and gently move them to a floured baking sheet to rise again until doubled (30 minutes on the warm stove)

Heat your oil in a fryer to 350 degrees and gently place your donuts in. I can fit 2 but 3 donuts would be too close and they would stick.

Fry for about 3 minutes or less-they should be lightly browned. Flip and fry for a minute more and remove to a rack to drain.

If you want to glaze them, Combine the following in a saucepan:

1/2 stick of butter (no substitutes)

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 cup of water-use your judgement. 

Melt butter over medium heat, being careful not to brown it. Add sugar and stir. Once sugar has absorbed the butter, drizzle in some water and stir to make a thin glaze.

Dip the donuts in this glaze (I find that it must stay on low heat or it becomes grainy)

Immediately drain glazed donuts on a rack and enjoy!

I cut out holes in some of my donuts and fry both pieces, or add no hole and fill these with jelly. Simply jab each donut with a cake decorating bag and fat tip, filled with jelly. Squeeze in a tablespoon of jelly and you are done! I glaze these on one side and serve.