Small Batch Vanilla Scented Yeast Doughnuts

I always think about fried doughnut as a kind of comfort food (or you can say that I love all fried food, haha, and they all give me a comfort feeling). Fried yeast doughnuts are childhood favorite, but the purchased one is not good enough to satisfy me, so I have to make it by myself, I don’t say that this is the best recipe but it’s easiest both to make and to eat. I follow the recipe from ................... but I adjust the recipe a little bit because I want my doughnut to be special. So, I use vanilla scented sugar instead of the plain sugar to give the doughnut a lovely fragrance and increase the amount of the sugar (this is very strange for me, usually I reduce it, but a little bit sweeter is great for this one). You can use plain sugar and add 1 tsp of the vanilla extract to the dough instead if you don’t have vanilla scented sugar.

The doughnut is great while still warm, and beware you may need more than one.

Small Batch Vanilla Scented Yeast Doughnuts

Makes about 6-8 pieces (use 6.5cm doughnut cutter)

150 g	Bread flour
30 g	Cake flour
15 g	Unsalted butter
1	Egg
70 ml	Milk
2 tbsp	VANILLA-SCENTED SUPERFINE SUGAR
1 tbsp	Dried milk powder
¾ tsp	Instant Yeast
¼ tsp	Salt
	Oil for frying
	VANILLA-SCENTED SUPERFINE SUGAR For coating the donut

Mix together egg, and milk, set aside.

Put both of kinds of the flour, the sugar, dried milk powder and yeast in a bowl, whisk to combine, add and salt whisk again. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl.

Use large spoon (or pastry scraper) to mix everything together, and knead briefly to bring all the ingredients together.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead, you will see the dough will be elastic after about 2 minutes.

Add the butter and knead (see the picture in Hand knead bread making - How to) by using the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a little turn and repeat. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm. Keep folding over and compressing the dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is soft, pliable, smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny.

Put the dough into a light buttered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size (can be 1 hour or 1 hour and a half check often depend on the temperature).

Take the dough out of the bowl, deflate by touch it lightly.

Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1.5 cm thick on a floured surface. Cut out dough using a 6.5 cm doughnut cutter. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer to 170°C. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil. Cook until golden on both sides, then remove to drain on paper towels. Place the doughnut in the bowl of sugar, turn to coat the doughnut with the sugar, transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan.