Homemade doughnuts

People, let’s be real. If someone would have told me half a year ago that I would be making doughnuts in my kitchen soon, I would not have believed them. I know homemade doughnuts are a regular thing in the blogosphere, but it still blows my mind how easy they were to make and how majorly delicious they were to eat. My boyfriend definitely broke the record by eating five big ones and several doughnut balls that Sunday and let me assure you, he is not a big fella. Seriously, they were like fried heaven. If there is such a thing. Well, than it would be a homemade doughnut. 

 

Ingredients

400g all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. warm water
240ml milk
60g vegetable shortening
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
orange zest
vanilla extract

Allright, first let’s be clear that all ingredients should be at room temperature. Dunno? Good. Now, mix together the flour and yeast and give the egg yolks a little whisk. Essential if you are using orange zest (but could be using any other flavor you like, cinnamon, lemon, …), rub the zest into the sugar so it can release all its flavor boosting oil. Smell it, it’s crazy good. Right. If you have done all that hassle just mix everything together with a dough hook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until well combined. Let sit covered with a clean dish towel at a warm spot for an hour (really smart, put in an off oven on a rack and underneath put a baking tray with hot water, works perfect and quick!).

Roll out about 2cm thick on a surface well covered with flour. Now cut out your doughnuts. If you don’t have any fancy equipment, use a big tea cup and a shot glass like me. Keeping it real. Leave the doughnuts for another 20 minutes.
Fill a high pan up to two thirds with regular sunflower oil. Put on high heat and STAY WITH THE PAN. Now, I mean that, do not multitask here. You know when your oil is ready for frying, when you can put a bread cube in and it fries evenly in 10 seconds. Keep it at that temperature (which is about 180°C if you have a fancy candy thermometer unlike me, but I do have bread), do not let it get lower or higher.  The doughnuts will take about 12 seconds from the first side and 10 from the second side when turned. I found its best to use a perforated ladle (rather flat) to fry the doughnuts. But a barbecue tong would work too. 

To round the whole thing off, dip them straight from the pan in powdered sugar and cinnamon, or make an icing with blood orange juice and powdered sugar (no food coloring necessary). Like I said. Fried heaven.