Doughnut masterclass: Secret ingredient for perfect frying
While doughnuts are mainly associated with Fat Thursday, they also feature prominently in my house during the carnival season. When you add one special ingredient to the dough, yeast ring doughnuts will be delightfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Yeast ring doughnuts are a recipe for a scrumptious dessert that the whole family can enjoy. After the dough rises and the characteristic rings with a hole in the centre are cut out, the doughnuts are fried. This is where problems often arise - the doughnuts absorb oil excessively, becoming heavy and unpleasant for the digestive system. Grandma's trick will save the day. Reach for some alcohol.
How to prevent doughnuts from absorbing oil?
Frying the doughnuts only takes a few moments but can cause several issues. First, it's worth ensuring that the oil is adequately heated. You can check this with a special thermometer or use an even more straightforward method - drop a piece of dough and observe how it behaves on the surface. If it fries and sizzles, the oil is ready.
Grandma's secret to the perfect doughnuts is also alcohol. I always add it to the dough to prevent it from absorbing oil during frying. Alcohol makes the dough fluffier and more moist and keeps it fresh longer. It also speeds up the protein coagulation process, creating a barrier against the oil.
Yeast Ring Doughnut Recipe
These delicious doughnuts deserve to be made more than once a year. My family loves them, and I fry them at least several times during the carnival season.
Ingredients:
- 240g of plain flour,
- about 60g of fresh yeast,
- 2 egg yolks,
- 240ml of milk,
- 3 tablespoons of oil,
- 5 tablespoons of sugar,
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar,
- 1 tablespoon of alcohol,
- a pinch of salt,
- oil for frying.
Preparation:
- Crumble the yeast, add a tablespoon of sugar and flour, and pour warm milk. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 15 minutes until the starter doubles in size.
- Pour the flour into a bowl, add the yolks, sugar, alcohol, a pinch of salt, and oil. Pour in the risen starter and knead into a smooth dough.
- Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rise for an hour.
- Roll out the risen dough to a thickness of about 1 cm and use a glass and a shot glass to cut out the doughnuts.
- Place in heated oil and fry until the doughnuts are golden brown on both sides.
- Place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Decorate the ready doughnuts with icing sugar, glaze, or chocolate coating. Enjoy!
