Mini Sugar Doughnuts

By á-25138

Yields approximately 3 dozen mini doughnuts using a 1-inch round cutter

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus a little more for sprinkling and rolling out dough
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Granulated sugar, to roll cooked doughnuts

Preparation

Step 1

Method:
Stir together the yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, and yeast mixture at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.

Scrape the dough down side of bowl into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour to keep a crust from forming. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 1-inch round cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps. (I really didn’t have much scraps since I cut the rounds as close together as possible.)

Heat 2 1/2 inches of oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on a deep fat thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 4-5 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper bag or container with sugar and toss or roll the doughnuts to cover.

Return oil to 350°F between batches. (Perhaps since I was frying mini doughnuts, I found that 350°F was too hot and browned the doughnuts too fast, so I cooled the oil to about 300°F and it worked better for me. Test the oil with one and adjust the temperature accordingly.)