Preparation time: 1 hour Total time needed: at least 3 hours Yield: 40 donuts
Ingredients:
1/2 kg flour (17.64 oz - about 4.5 cups of flour)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk or water
4 eggs
175 grams butter (6.17 oz - about 3/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon)
20 grams dry yeast (0.7 oz - about 4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon brandy
Jam, custard or dulce de leche, for filling, according to taste
Cottonseed, peanut or sunflower oil, for frying
Preparation:
- Using a mixer with a dough hook, knead the flour together with the yeast, sugar and milk*.
- Add the eggs, brandy, and salt and mix for 7 minutes on a slow-medium speed.
- Add the butter gradually during the kneading, until the dough is smooth and consistent, without lumps**.
- Take out the dough and wrap it in glad-wrap dusted with flour. Set the dough aside and leave at room temperature for an hour and a half, until the dough is doubled in size***.
- Punch the air out of the dough, cover it a second time in glad-wrap, and put it in the fridge for two hours.
- Divide the dough into about 40 pieces, and roll into balls. Let the balls rise at room temperature until they double in volume.
- Heat up the oil until very hot****.
- Fry the balls on one side for 3 minutes, until the lower halves get a golden 'shell'. Turn the balls onto the other side and fry for another 3 minutes.
- Using a pastry bag, fill each donut with jam, custard, or whatever filling you fancy.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar and serve.
Tips:
Dough preparation:
*It is very important to stick to the time specified for kneading, as well as the speed specified for kneading.
**The butter should be cut into cubes and should be at room temperature, at the time of adding it to the dough.
During rising:
***Heat the oven up to 50 degrees Celsius and switch it off. Place a tray with water in the oven, and add the wrapped dough, leaving it to rise until doubled in size. This ensures that the donuts do not receive a tough outer shell and roll over as soon as they are placed in hot oil.
***Alternatively, you can cover the dough with a clean tea-towel.
The oil:
****It is preferable to use cottonseed oil, which doesn't burn and does not give off odors. This type of oil can also be used again over Hanukkah for additional fryings.