Fluffy donuts... fluffy

Yesterday, I didn't go to work and, having most of the ingredients at home, I made fluffy donuts. It wasn't planned, but I knew that these donuts can be made quickly if you have patience for the rising. It's the kind of recipe where you don't need to complicate yourself with special shapes, just knead and wait. The photo didn't turn out great, but the taste really matters here.

Quick info

Total time: approx. 2 hours (including rising)
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Rising time: about 1 hour
Frying time: 20-30 minutes, depending on size
Servings: about 25-30 donuts, depending on size
Difficulty: medium (kneading requires a bit of effort)
Recipe type: dessert, homemade, fried donuts

Ingredients

1 kg flour type 650
2 packets of dry yeast
150 g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
50 g margarine (or however much you have, it doesn't have to be exact)
100 ml oil
500 ml warm sweet milk
1 egg
Vanilla essence (to taste)
Grated zest of one orange
Grated zest of one lemon
Oil for frying
Vanilla sugar for dusting at the end

Preparation method

1. In a large bowl, put the flour. Add the dry yeast and sugar, mix a little. Add the salt, plus the grated orange and lemon zest.

2. Melt the margarine and mix it with the oil. Set aside.

3. Crack the egg directly over the flour. Gradually pour in the warm milk while continuously mixing with your hand or a large spoon, until the milk and flour are combined.

4. Incorporate the margarine and oil mixture little by little. Continue kneading until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough. Don't rush, it takes 10-15 minutes of kneading to turn out well.

5. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume. In my case, next to the stove, it rose in about an hour.

6. Grease the work surface with a little oil. Turn the dough out and roll it out by hand or with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 5 mm.

7. Cut out shapes. Some can be cut with the rim of a glass, the rest can be portioned with a serrated knife if you want irregular shapes.

8. Let the cut donuts sit on the table for another 20 minutes to rise.

9. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or pot. When the oil is hot enough, fry the donuts in batches, without overcrowding the pan. Turn them over once they are golden brown on one side.

10. Remove the donuts onto a paper towel or absorbent paper.

11. While still warm, dust them with vanilla sugar.

Why I make this recipe often

It's a recipe where you don't have to worry about measuring weight to the milligram, as long as you follow the basic principles. You have freedom in cutting shapes and you don't need special equipment or complicated ingredients. You can make them quickly if you have flour and milk on hand. Usually, they disappear quickly from the table.

Tips and variations

Tips

If it's cold in the house, place the bowl to rise next to a heat source.
Grease the work surface with oil, not flour, so you don't weigh down the dough.
Don't put too many donuts at once in the oil, so the temperature doesn't drop and they don't become greasy.
Substitutions

Margarine can be replaced with butter if you have it.
Vanilla sugar can be added or omitted, according to preference.
Milk can also be partially plant-based if you don't have enough sweet milk.
Variations

You can add a little rum to the dough for flavor if you like.
For shape, you can make them round or square, depending on what is easier for you.
Serving ideas

They can be served plain, with powdered sugar.
They also go well with jam or preserves on the side.
If there are leftovers, they can be cut in half and filled with cream.

Frequently asked questions

1. The dough is too soft, what should I do?
If it's too soft, add a little more flour while kneading, but not too much so that the donuts don't turn out hard.

2. How do I know if the oil is hot enough?
Throw a small piece of dough in – if it starts to sizzle immediately and browns slightly, the oil is ready.

3. How thick should the dough sheet be?
About 5 mm is sufficient; otherwise, the donuts won't cook well in the middle or will be too flat.

4. Can I freeze the dough?
I don't recommend it, as the yeast reacts differently after freezing and doesn't rise as nicely.

5. Can they be baked in the oven?
For this recipe, no. They are intended for frying.

Nutritional values

Estimate for a medium-sized donut (fried and dusted): around 200-230 kcal, with 30-35 g carbohydrates, 6-7 g fat, 4-5 g protein. Values vary depending on how much oil they absorb during frying and how much sugar you put on top.

Storage and reheating

Donuts are best on the day they are made, while they are still fluffy. If there are leftovers, keep them covered at room temperature until the next day. I don't recommend keeping them longer, as they will harden. They can be reheated slightly in the oven, but they won't retain their original texture exactly.

 Ingredients: flour 650 - 1kg 2 packets of dry yeast 150g sugar 1 teaspoon of salt margarine about 50g - I had it misplaced in the fridge 100ml oil 500ml warm sweet milk 1 egg vanilla essence zest of one orange and 1 lemon oil for frying

 Tags:  doughnuts