Doughnuts

Light, pillowy yeast doughnuts with a soft, buttery crumb, fried until deep golden and best eaten warm on the day they're made.

Total time: 3 hr
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups milk
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
2 eggs
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 quarts neutral oil, for frying, plus more for the bowl

Directions

Proof the yeast.
Warm the milk to about 90°F (30°C), warm but not hot, and stir in the yeast in a large bowl. Leave for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
Make the dough.
Beat in the eggs, butter, sugar and salt with a mixer or dough hook. Mix in half the flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), then the rest, until the dough pulls away from the bowl, adding 2 tablespoons more at a time if it's too wet. If a hand mixer struggles, finish by kneading on a floured surface until smooth.
Let it rise.
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
Roll and cut.
Roll the dough ½ inch thick on a well-floured surface and cut 3-inch rounds with a floured doughnut cutter or two glasses, keeping the holes (leave the centres in for filled doughnuts). Gently re-knead the scraps, rest them a few minutes and cut again.
Rise again.
Space the doughnuts on two floured baking sheets, cover with a towel and leave somewhere warm until puffy and delicate, about 45 minutes. In a cool kitchen, heat the oven to 200°F (95°C), switch it off and let them rise inside with the door ajar.
Heat the oil.
About 15 minutes before the rise is done, heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat to 375°F (190°C). Line racks or plates with paper towels.
Fry.
Fry a few at a time, sliding delicate ones in with a metal spatula, until deep golden underneath, 45 seconds to 1 minute, then flip and fry the other side; the holes cook faster. Drain, keep the oil at 375°F (190°C) between batches, and serve as soon as possible.

Before you indulge

Use Miracle Berry

Just before eating, take 2–3 freeze-dried halves. Chew gently and let them linger for about 30 seconds.

Discard any pit if necessary.

Calorie savings

50 g sugar = 172 calories

Good to know

Miraculin, the natural protein in miracle berry, can make sour foods like lemon taste sweet without adding sugar. For the best results, take 1–2 halves and follow the directions on your pack.

Tangy turns sweet. More possibilities.