Old Fashioned Yeast Donuts

 

Ingredients:

DOUGH

3-1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 c lukewarm water (105 degrees F)

1/2 c whole milk

12 Tbsp vegetable shortening

1/4 c granulated sugar

2 lg eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp salt

4 - 5 c all-purpose flour (humidity affects amount)

2 c vegetable oil, canola oil, or lard for frying ( don't use olive oil or an oil that has a flavor, neutral fats only)

GLAZE

1 c powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp hot water

1 dash vanilla extract

Directions

1. Add dry yeast to 1/4 cup warm water in large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Meanwhile, scald milk. Cool to lukewarm (about 105 F).                **Note @ Bottom of recipe of why

3. With a flat beater in place (if using stand mixer) or spoon ready, add lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, shortening, and eggs to yeast in the mixer bowl. Mix on low or vigorously stir until ingredients are blended.

4. Switch to a dough hook and or knead by hand and add in flour 1 cup at a time.

5. Beat or knead until the mixture forms a ball of dough which follows the dough hook around the bowl. Let the mixer knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. You are aiming for a very slightly slack dough because one that is too dry will make a heavy end product.

6. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 to 60 minutes.

7. Punch dough down to exhaust air. Place onto an oiled piece of waxed paper. Roll 1/2 inch thick and cut with a doughnut cutter. You can use a biscuit cutter, glass or cup then something smaller for center.

8. Re-cover doughnuts with clean tea towels or plastic and allow them to rise until doubled in bulk. (45 minutes to 1 hour)

9. Using caution, heat oil to 350 F. in a deep skillet or Dutch oven or deep fryer until a speck of dough dropped into hot fat dances on the surface. Fry doughnuts, three or four at a time, until golden brown (about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 minutes per side), turning as necessary. Two chop sticks work well for turning.

10. Drain on an inverted cooling rack placed over a paper towel-lined sheet pan.

11. TO PREPARE GLAZE: 

Make glaze before frying.

Mix boiling or very hot tap water with powdered sugar. Beat well until smooth. Beat in vanilla.

12. Glaze doughnuts while still warm. (NOT HOT)

You can also make Long Johns or Bismark donuts with same dough.

Long Johns

For long johns just cut the dough into rectangles and let rise as instructed above. 

Long John white fluffy filling recipe:

1 container Vanilla Frosting

1 container Cool Whip thawed

Mix both together well and put into icing bag or zip lock bag to pipe filling in holes. Fill a little in each end of long john.

Make holes in each end of Long Johns with big end of chop stick or wooden spoon handle. Anything round will work.

Bismark

For the Bismarks just don't make a center hole in the dough when cutting 

Bismark fillings

Vanilla Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

Jams or Jellies

White Fluff (recipe above)

TOPPINGS

for Donuts, Long Johns and Bismarks

Powdered sugar 

Cinnamon Sugar

Glaze

Chocolate,Strawberry, etc Frosting 

(1 container Chocolate frosting or whatever flavor frosting you want)

 Melt frosting for a fifteen seconds in microwave until it's thin and lose. 

Stir well and dip top of donuts while it's still thin. Let donuts dry.

**NOTE

** Scalding milk is a process of heating milk to a temperature just below boiling (around 180°F or 82°C). This process serves several purposes: 

Denaturation of Proteins:

Scalding milk denatures certain proteins in the milk, such as whey proteins. This denaturation improves the texture and stability of baked goods, such as breads and custards. 

Activation of Yeast:

In recipes that use yeast, scalding milk helps to activate the yeast by providing a warm environment for its growth. This leads to a fluffier and more flavorful dough. 

Killing Bacteria:

Although most commercially available milk is pasteurized, scalding can further kill any remaining bacteria that may be present. 

Infusing Flavor:

Scalding milk can help to infuse flavors from ingredients like vanilla beans or spices into the milk. 

Improving Rise Time:

In bread recipes, scalding milk can help to reduce the rise time by denaturing the proteins that inhibit gluten development. 

Overall, scalding milk is a useful technique in many recipes to improve texture, flavor, and stability.