Homemade Donuts

Make raised-yeast doughnuts for gifts or fund raisers.

If you have a deep fryer and a few minutes, you can make a batch of raised, glazed doughnuts. Whether you make the dough yourself or use frozen bread dough, you don't have to limit yourself to the traditional torus, the single-holed ring. You can also make crullers, ribbons and doughboys with the same batch of dough. Package them by the half-dozen and take them to local food banks, preschools or adult day programs.

Things You'll Need

• Instant-read thermometer
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Large and small mixing bowls
• 3.5 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup cooking oil or melted shortening
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tbsp. evaporated milk
• Bread board
• 2 to 4-qt. deep fryer
• 2 to 4-qt. cooking oil (preferably sunflower, safflower or corn)
• Deep-fry thermometer
• Slotted spoon
• Cookie sheets
• Paper towels
• 2 brown paper bags, 10-lb size
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. lemon, lime or orange juice
• 5-lb. white or colored paper bakery bags
• Optional: ribbon, trims and gift tags

Instructions

1. Test your water temperature to ensure that it is between 100 and 115 degrees. Linda Stradley of What's Cooking America recommends using an instant-read thermometer. (Reference 1) Water that is too hot will kill your yeast.

2. Mix 1 tsp. sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top of the water and allow it to mingle on its own for five to ten minutes, until the entire mixture is foamy. This is known as proofing, which ensures that you have a live yeast culture.

3. Once you have proofed your yeast, slowly sift 3 cups flour into the wet culture until all the liquid is absorbed. Crack two large eggs in a separate small bowl and add 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 2 tbsp evaporated milk, stirring until the mixture is an even, light yellow.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the dough mixture and knead until you have a dough that stretches without breaking. To knead, pull and fold the dough over on itself several times while squashing it back together. If the dough sticks to your hands, add 1 tbsp. flour at a time, kneading until the dough is smooth and stretchy again.

5. Break your dough into fist-sized chunks. Roll into balls and press the center to make a hole if you want traditional doughnuts. Lay them on a nonstick cookie sheet to rise, covered with a cloth.

6. Hold one end of the dough in each hand and twist three times before joining the ends to make crullers. Turn the dough back on itself in a closed "U" shape and cross the ends before twisting once to make ribbons. Lay each type on a separate cookie sheet, covered with a cloth, and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes.

7. Roll a dough ball into a 1-inch diameter snake and fold it into a "U" to begin making a doughboy. Pinch the round part of the "U" together about an inch from the end and twist once to make the head. Separate the ends of the "U" below the head about an inch.

8. Pinch the ends of the "U" about an inch from the head until you have an arm. The remainder of each end will form the legs. Doughboys should resemble gingerbread men. Allow doughboys to rise on a cookie sheet, covered, for 30 minutes.

9. Heat 2 to 4 qts. sunflower, safflower or corn oil to between 375 and 380 degrees F, using a deep-fry thermometer. Ree Drummond, author of "The Pioneer Woman Cooks," recommends test-frying one doughnut by itself to ensure that the oil is ready, keeping an eye on the oil temperature at all times. (Reference 2)

10. Once the first doughnut hits the oil, wait 45 seconds to one minute and flip the doughnut with a slotted spoon. Once it has browned on both sides, remove it from the oil and lay it on a cookie sheet covered with three to five layers of paper towel to drain.

11. Break apart your test doughnut to ensure that it cooked evenly throughout. Begin frying your remaining doughnuts two to four at a time, as long as they fit in the oil without touching. Too many doughnuts at once will lower the oil temperature, giving you oily, soggy results.

12. Once all doughnuts have been fried and drained, prepare your bags and glazes. In one bag, place 1 cup powdered sugar by itself. In the second bag, place 1 cup white sugar and 1 tbsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. each nutmeg and ginger and 1/2 tsp. allspice. Shake two or three doughnuts at a time in each bag until you have at least a dozen of each type.

13. In a bowl, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tsp. lemon, lime or orange juice and stir until the entire mixture is dripping wet. Do not fall into the temptation to add water. The lemon juice will form a thick glaze after it sits for a few minutes. If you add water, you will get a thin mess that will not cling to your doughnuts.

14. Dip at least two dozen doughnuts in glaze and lay them on wire racks or a broiler pan to drip and harden.

15. Package six doughnuts in each 5-lb. white or colored bag. Fold the top over and staple it shut. Attach a gift tag or trim the bags with ribbon.

Tips & Warnings

• Tint your glaze pink for breast cancer survivor ribbons, lavender for transgender remembrance, red for AIDS, yellow for active-duty or missing soldiers, white for anti-violence against women, blue for child abuse awareness or green for environmental awareness campaigns.

References

• What's Cooking America: How to Use Yeast in Bread Making
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Homemade Glazed Doughnuts