Feather Light Donuts Recipes

FEATHER-LIGHT DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add potatoes, 1/2 cup sugar, oil, salt, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and eggs; mix well. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; roll out on a floured surface to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-in. doughnut cutter. Place on greased baking sheets; cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes., Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar; set aside. Heat oil in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer to 350°; fry doughnuts until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels; roll in cinnamon-sugar while still warm.

GRANDMA'S LIGHT-AS-A-FEATHER DOUGHNUT RECIPE

Steps:

• Place water into a glass measuring cup and warm until it reaches the temperature of a baby's bottle. Add yeast and allow it to activate until it doubles in size. (You can add a pinch of sugar to help "kick start" and speed-up the activation process if you'd like.)
• In a medium saucepan heat milk, sugar, salt and butter over low heat just until butter is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
• Gently stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Add slightly beaten egg.
• Add flour (one cup at a time); incorporate well.
• Sprinkle a light dusting of flour onto dry, flat work surface. Knead dough until it resembles a soft baby's bottom.
• Place ball of dough into a large, lightly buttered mixing bowl and add a light coating of butter to the top of the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and set in a sunny warm spot in your home.
• When dough has doubled in size, gently punch it in the center with your fist; roll it onto your floured working surface.
• Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. (You may need to add additional sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking.) Cut doughnut shapes out using a doughnut cutter or two different sized biscuit cutters (3-inch and a 1 1/2-inch).
• Place doughnut on baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Cover again with tea towel and place back in sunny warm spot.
• When doughnuts have doubled in size, remove tea towel.
• Fry in oil that has been preheated to 375 degrees F. approximately 45 - 55 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Remove doughnuts from oil and immediately place them onto folded paper towels.
• Repeat the frying process for the doughnut holes but shortening the frying time to approx. 30 - 40 seconds.
• In a separarte mixing bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; mix well. Dip each doughnut into the glaze, coating as evenly as possible (dip one, or both sides). Run a long handled spoon through the center of each doughnut, hold it up and allow excess glaze to drip for a couple seconds. Place doughnuts onto cooling rack. (Now is the time to add candy sprinkle, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc...)
• When the glaze has harden, the doughnuts are ready to serve.

GLAZED YEAST DONUTS

Steps:

• Lemon Confectioners'-Sugar Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and salt. Whisk in juice until mixture is smooth and thick, and has the texture of pourable honey. Glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)
• Donuts: Whisk together flours. Combine water and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, then sprinkle yeast over top. Stir in 1 cup flour mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until bubbling and doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Add egg and yolk, granulated sugar, salt, and remaining flour mixture. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Continue beating while adding butter, a few pieces at a time, beating to combine after each addition. When all butter has been added, keep beating until a shiny, sticky dough forms around hook, about 4 minutes more. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24.
• Cut out 24 three-inch squares of parchment. Spray two baking sheets with oil; arrange parchment squares in a single layer on them. Spray parchment. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet; pat out 1/2 inch thick. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch donut cutter, cut out donuts (or use a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out rounds, then cut out holes with a 1-inch round cutter). Transfer to parchment squares. Drape with oil-sprayed plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until slightly more than doubled in bulk and very soft, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, pour oil into a large, deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, until it reaches 2 inches up side, leaving about 2 1/2 inches headroom. Clip a deep- fry thermometer to pot and heat oil over medium to 350 degrees to 360 degrees. Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd pot, carefully use parchment to transfer donuts to hot oil and cook, flipping a few times, until puffed and golden brown all over, 2 to 3 minutes total for donuts (1 1/2 to 2 minutes for holes), maintaining oil temperature between 350 degrees and 360 degrees at all times. Transfer donuts to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes.
• While still slightly warm, dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side, then place, glaze-side up, on rack. Let stand until glaze sets and donuts are cool, about 1 hour.

NO-FRY DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk and shortening; stir for 1 minute. Add sugar, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (do not knead). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; roll out to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-3/4-in. doughnut cutter; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, for glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla; cook over low heat until smooth (do not boil). Keep warm. , Dip warm doughnuts, one at a time, into glaze and turn to coat. Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

FEATHER LIGHT DONUTS

Steps:

• in a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
• add potatoes, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, salt vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and eggs. mix well.
• add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• cover and let rise in a warm place about one hour til doubled.
• punch dough down and roll out into a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• cut with 3 inch donut cutter.
• let rise another 45 minutes.
• combine cinnamon and remaning sugar.
• heat oil and fry til golden brown on each side.
• sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.