yeast doughnuts
I am have been baking bread a few years- enough to realize how much I have yet to learn, but I also see how far I've come. My 2 children LOVE home made bread, and Emily, who is 4 loves to roll dough more than play dough. We live in the south and the closest Krispy Kreme doughnut shop where they are made fresh is 2 hours away. I feel I have a pretty fair understandingof yeast dough, but I CANNOT seem to get doughnuts to work out. They are never those light puffy pillows of goodness that we can buy. I've tried more recipes than I can count, and have still not even gotten close. The texture is off, and also after the rise when they are already cut out and ready for the hot oil,when I pick them up they go flat. They do puff somewhat in the oil, but they never regain the smooth, round, "poof" they had before. Can anyone out there help? What am I doing wrong? Are doughnut doughs THAT much different from other yeast doughs? I would love any suggestions.
I dont know if there's any truth to this...but from what I've heard Krispy Kreme uses potato flour in their donuts. Supposedly gives them that melt-in-your-mouth feeling.
Hey Thanks! It's a start! So far I've not been able to come up with diddly. Wouldn't it be cool if with your suggestion of potato flour, and the combination of several not quite right recipes, we might come up with a doughnut even Alton Brown would be happy with! Next week, after Easter is over I'll get in the kitchen armed with this new knowledge and get busy. If it turns out good I'll be sure to post it. Thank you!
Potato flour, dehydrated milk, lecithin, vitamin C, and all sorts of other things, are all various "dough conditioners" that can be used. Using any of these will help condition the dough and make it "softer" and rise higher. Potatoes in doughnuts is a classic, in fact, they are generally referred to as "spudnuts." But you see potato in all sorts of classic bread recipes where an extra soft crumb is desired. Commercial conditioners are available, and there are lots of recipes for home-made dough conditioner, but they generally end up just being a mix of the things listed above. Fats are also dough conditioners, but generally end up affecting the flavor and texture more than just adding one of the things mentioned here.
Oh yeah, and if you notice, the really light and airy donuts are often made from something much closer to a batter and dropped into the fryer from a special device made for making the shape for that particular doughtnut. Kind of like a funnel cake. The super fluffy ones are not rolled and cut like we do at home.
-Loafer
Sorry I'm just now answering; I've been out of pocket. Loose batter and special devices sure make me wonder. Every time I rise the doughnuts when I rolled them and cut them out, when it is time to take them and carefully slide them into the hot oil-------- THEY GO FLAT!!!!! They de-gass right before my eyes. It is very discouraging. Thanks for your input, I'll keep trying, and when I finally get it right you probably won't see it on here, you'll probably hear me shouting all the way around the world!
Audra
I have only made yeast donuts at baking school, so I don't know the home equivalent. What we did was this. After cutting them out, we placed the donuts on screens. The screens were slotted into a trolly, which was then rolled into a proofing cupboard (humid and about 80 degrees F). When the donuts were sufficiently risen, the trolly was wheeled out to the deep fryer and stood alongside for a few minutes so the surface of the donuts could dry off through evaporation. Then the screens were lowered one at a time into the hot oil. We gave them about 60 seconds each side, using wooden sticks to turn them over. Then you'd lift the screen out of the oil and let the donuts drain for a minute or so while you lowered the next screen into the oil.
It makes total sense to me that you'd lose all your "poof" if you handle a risen donut to transfer it to the hot oil! Perhaps you can find a home equivalent to the screens we used. A deep fry basket?
Good luck! Carol
p.s. The light and fluffy donuts that the other poster is referring to are French Crullers, I think. They're similar to a choux paste and totally yummy! No yeast. The leavening agent is ammonium carbonate though baking powder will also work.
This may work . My mind is already spinning on finding a screen-type something to use. You are a genius! My folks have a commercial deep fryer left over from their resturant days if it came down to that! (boy that would be a lot of oil) You don't know how much this really helps. With all the tips about flour and such, I was still plagued with the de-poof issue. You are a peach! Thank you a million, and happy bakin' to ya!
Audra