Sunny Morning Doughnuts Recipes

THE BEST OLD-FASHIONED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the nutmeg in a large bowl until completely combined. Whisk together 2/3 cup of the buttermilk, the sour cream, eggs, yolks, 1 tablespoon of the vanilla paste and the oil in a medium bowl until completely combined. Fold the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients just until a soft and sticky dough comes together (do not overwork).
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and liberally dust with flour (about 1/3 cup).
• Scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Dust your hands and the top of the dough with more flour, then gently pat the dough to 3/4-inch thick.
• Working on the baking sheet, punch out as many rounds as you can with a 3 1/4-inch cutter. Then use a 1 1/4-inch cutter to punch out the center of each round. Dip the cutters in flour before each cut to avoid sticking. Gather the dough scraps and gently re-roll without overworking the dough. Repeat cutting until all the dough has been used (you should have 8 doughnuts).
• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and line a second rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Fit a large heavy pot with a deep-fry thermometer and pour in oil to a depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium-high until the thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Fry the doughnuts in batches until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the wire rack and let cool slightly. Fry the doughnut holes until deep golden brown, about 90 seconds per side. Transfer to the wire rack and let drain for 1 minute. Then transfer to the paper-towel lined baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes before glazing. (This two-step process gets a lot more oil out of the doughnuts than using only one method.) Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure the oil returns to temperature between batches.
• Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, the remaining 6 tablespoons buttermilk, the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla paste and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until the glaze is smooth and the consistency of honey; add more confectioners' sugar or buttermilk if necessary.
• Dip each doughnut into the glaze on one side (we like the craggy side, it has more texture for an appetizing appearance), letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then return it to the wire rack. Toss the doughnut holes in the glaze to coat completely and return to the wire rack. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before serving.

MY MOM'S RAISED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a small bowl, and stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Allow the yeast mixture to stand until it forms a creamy foam layer on top, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place milk and vegetable shortening into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the shortening has melted and the milk has tiny bubbles around the edge. Remove from heat.
• Place 1/4 cup of sugar and the salt into the work bowl of a large stand mixer and pour the milk and shortening into the bowl. Mix on low speed just to dissolve sugar; and allow mixture to stand until warm.
• Beat in the yeast mixture, eggs, and 1 cup of flour on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Continue beating the dough on low speed until dough leaves the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 2 or 3 more minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place into a large greased bowl. Grease the top of the dough, and cover the bowl with waxed paper. Set the bowl into a warm place; let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and roll out on a floured work surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut doughnuts out of the dough with a 3 1/2-inch round doughnut cutter with a 1-inch smaller cutter in the center. Let the doughnuts rise on the work surface until very light and fluffy, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Gently pick up and drop the doughnuts into the hot oil, working in small batches of 2 or 3 at a time, and cook until the doughnuts are light golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes.
• Drain the doughnuts on paper towels to absorb oil.
• In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of warm water and vanilla extract, and stir in the confectioners' sugar to make a glaze. Spread a thin layer of glaze over the warm doughnuts.

SUNNY'S EASY OG SUGAR DONUTS

Steps:

• Mix the wet. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, add the milk and whisk in the granulated sugar to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let rest until it dissolves and puffs up, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, egg and vanilla paste and whisk to combine.
• Mix the dry. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour and a pinch of salt and mix to combine.
• Make the dough. Starting on low speed, slowly add the wet mixture to the dry. Once all of the liquid is incorporated, remove the paddle and replace it with the dough hook. Turn the speed up and watch as the dough comes together; it will eventually release from the sides of the bowl. Let the mixer knead the dough until it looks smooth and is slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Stop and let the dough relax for about 5 minutes.
• Let the dough rise. Coat the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl with oil or cooking spray. Remove the dough and gently shape into a ball. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and turn the dough over to fully coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature until it rises by more than double, about 1 hour.
• Shape the donuts and rest. Cut parchment paper into 5- or 6-inch squares and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Gently push your fist into the center of the dough to release the air. Pick up the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. (I've even used parchment with no flour!) Cut the dough into 10 to 12 even parts and gently roll each piece into a ball. Use your hand to press down on the dough to flatten each ball into a circle about 4 inches in diameter. Punch out a hole in the center of each circle using a bottle cap (from your oil bottle, a condiment jar, etc.). Place the donuts and donut holes on the parchment squares and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Set the donuts aside to let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Fry the donuts and prepare the toppings. Pour at least 4 inches of oil into a large Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, fit a baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.
• If making sugar donuts, add granulated or cinnamon sugar to a large bowl and set aside. If glazing the donuts, have the glazes prepared in bowls.
• Fry the donuts in small batches, starting with the donut holes to gauge the oil temperature. The donut holes should fry to a golden color, flip on their own and float in about 2 minutes. For the whole donuts, working with one donut at a time, gently invert the donut into the oil so the parchment paper side is up. Gently peel the parchment paper away from the dough. Repeat with the remaining donuts, adding only a few donuts to the oil at a time. Once the donuts float and the bottoms are golden, flip and cook until the other side is golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Allow the oil to come up to room temperature between batches.
• For sugar donuts, remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, then allow the oil to drip off, and put directly into the bowl of sugar. Roll to coat, or use a clean spoon to spoon sugar onto the donut and a fork to gently flip the donut so the other side can be coated in sugar. Remove and let cool slightly on the wire rack. Serve warm.
• For glazed donuts, remove the donuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, then allow the oil to drip off and place on the wire rack to let cool enough to handle. Drizzle the glaze over the donuts on the wire rack or, working with one donut at a time, gently dip one side into the glaze, then turn right side up and return to the rack. For the Maple-Bacon glazed donuts, sprinkle bacon bits over the top right after coating and before the glaze sets.
• In a medium bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, salt, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, salt, strawberry powder, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, salt, maple extract and milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside. Save the chopped bacon as a garnish after glazing.