Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts - Mark Klebeck [23]
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap/cling film, for 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- While the dough chills, make the icing base: Place the confectioners’/icing sugar, cocoa powder, corn/golden syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a large mixing bowl or in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Using a whisk, or with the machine on low speed, blend until the mixture is smooth and all of the sugar has been incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.
- Next, make the caramel: Combine the sugar and water in a small, nonreactive saucepan over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cook at a high simmer, undisturbed, swirling the pan (but not stirring) occasionally, until the caramel turns an amber color, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. While whisking (or swirling the pan by its handle), very carefully add the cream in a slow, steady stream, and continue whisking until the caramel stops bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the warm caramel to the icing base, and stir to blend. If the icing seems too thick, add more hot water, a teaspoonful at a time. Set aside.
- Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, heat oil (at least 2 in/5 cm deep) in a deep fryer, large pot, or high-sided frying pan over medium heat to 370°F/185°C. (For frying tips. You may want to start heating the oil while you make the caramel.) Roll out the chilled dough on a counter or cutting board sprinkled with 2 to 3 tbsp flour to 1/2 in/12 mm thick, or about 8 in/20 cm in diameter, flouring the top of the dough and the rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking. Cut into as many doughnuts and holes as possible, dipping the cutter into flour before each cut. Fold and gently reroll the dough to make extra holes (working with floured hands makes the dough less sticky) and cut again.
- Shake any excess flour off the doughnuts before carefully adding them to the hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to crowd them. Once the doughnuts float, fry for about 60 seconds per side—you won’t be able to see when the doughnuts brown because of the chocolate, but you’ll see a change in texture. Drain on paper towels/absorbent paper.
- When the doughnuts have cooled completely, dip one side of each into the warm icing. (for icing tips.) Dry on cooling racks, iced side up, for 10 to 15 minutes.
RAISED DOUGHNUTS
Although yeast-raised doughnuts require a bit of a time commitment, because the dough rises twice, either rise can take place overnight. To refrigerate unformed, just-made dough, place it in a large, oiled bowl, lightly oil the top, cover the bowl (not just the dough) with plastic wrap/cling film, refrigerate, and roll the dough out in the morning. (The residual heat of the dough will make it rise while you’re sleeping.) You can also complete the first rise, form the doughnuts, transfer them to floured baking sheets/trays, and refrigerate them, well wrapped in plastic/film, overnight. Give them a second rise as directed in the morning.
Master Recipe:
RAISED GLAZED RING DOUGHNUTS
MAKES 1 DOZEN, more if rerolled (plus holes)
AT TOP POT, THE RAISED GLAZED DOUGHNUTS ARE CUT WITH A REGULAR doughnut cutter, then stretched and left to rise in our giant proofing oven for an eye-popping final size. At home, it’s easier to make them slightly smaller, so you can fry more than one or two at a time. Look for mace, which is the spice made from the outer layer of a nutmeg seed, in your grocery store’s spice aisle.
Since the glaze works best while the doughnuts are still very warm, make the glaze while the doughnuts are rising the second time.
* * *
3 tbsp (four 1/4 oz/7 g packets) active dry yeast
1 cup/240 ml very warm water (about 105°F/40°C)
1/2 cup/100 g sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground mace
2 tsp iodized salt
4 to 41/2 cups/550 to 620 g bread/strong flour, plus more for rolling and cutting
1/4 cup/55 g shortening/vegetable lard, trans-fat-free