So for our next cookbook club dinner I have been experimenting with different flours, yeasts, eggs/no eggs, water vs milk, etc. I’ve changed the ratios, followed advice from everyone I’ve talked to (and no, I am not interested in re-creating the Krispy Kreme donut…).
So far, I’ve gone through about 5 pounds of flours (bread flour, gluten flour, cake flour, all-purpose flour), 3 kinds and brands of yeasts, AND a new KitchenAid Mixer!! This is turning into a $500 doughnut! Now I understand why desserts at restaurants are $7-12 each!
If you own an old “Classic” Professional KitchenAid, the motor is only 325 volts and the gears are nylon. Kneading dough in just not possible on this machine. I stripped the gears on it twice…fixed it the first time but the second time, I decided to upgrade and buy the Professional model with 575 Volt motor. Definitely LOOKS more hefty! Like my old one on sterioids. FYI: KitchenAid’s email customer service is fabulous and I got answers to all my questions.So on to what I’ve been trying. I’ve got the taste and the crispy exterior part finally figured out after trying 5 different ratios, ingredients, frying temperatures, etc. Now I am trying to get the air holes in the inside and working on the glaze.
• I am learning about yeast and how it depends upon what kind of weather we are having because the same recipe comes out differently on different days.
• I have found that chop sticks work best to turn the doughnuts over in the oil.
• Important not to overfry them to keep the crust thin but crispy.
• 225º-350º is the best temperature for the oil because any higher and the dough turns dark brown too fast and the interior stays goopy.
• I now know why there’s a hole in the middle of the doughnut…
Whether I will create the right recipe by the time we have our dinner is another question but you WILL get doughnuts…they just may not be the doughnut of my childhood. Maybe I just remember a doughnut that never was?
