Fluffy, fragrant doughnuts

Name: Fluffy, fragrant doughnuts
Ingredients: 250 g white 00 flour; 12 g fresh yeast; 110 ml milk; 35 g granulated sugar; 1 egg yolk; 40 g butter; 20 ml oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 g grated lemon zest (optional); 500 ml oil for frying; 8 g vanilla sugar

Dessert - Fluffy, fragrant doughnuts by Flavia I. - Recipia

Fluffy, fragrant doughnuts are fried in a pan and have a soft centre, made from a yeasted dough with flour, milk, egg yolk and butter. Lemon zest is optional in the dough, and vanilla sugar goes on after they’ve cooled. I keep a close eye on 00 flour, because it changes the texture of the dough. Prep: 35 minutes. Cook: 17 minutes. Rest: 110 minutes. Total time: 162 minutes. Serves: 4. About 480 kcal and 8 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

250 g white 00 flour
12 g fresh yeast
110 ml milk
35 g granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
40 g butter
20 ml oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 g grated lemon zest (optional)
500 ml oil for frying
8 g vanilla sugar

Preparation

1. Dissolve the yeast in 25 ml lukewarm milk, along with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 8 g of the weighed flour. Stir and leave for 10 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface. 2. Put the remaining flour in a bowl and add the activated yeast and egg yolk. Dissolve the remaining sugar in the other 85 ml of lukewarm milk, then pour it into the bowl and mix. 3. Work in the softened butter and salt. Add 20 ml oil and knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is elastic and no longer sticks to your hands. Work in the lemon zest, if using. 4. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for about 60 minutes, until doubled in size. 5. Knead it briefly to knock out the air, then roll it out into a thin sheet, about 5 mm thick. Cut out discs and leave them on the work surface for another 30 minutes. 6. Pour 500 ml oil into a deep frying pan and heat it for 5 minutes, until it reaches about 170°C. Fry the discs in batches, for 2 minutes on each side, about 12 minutes in total, until golden brown. Take them out onto paper towels and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 7. Dust the cooled doughnuts with 8 g vanilla sugar.

Notes

In a cool kitchen, the dough may need more than an hour to double in size; temperature changes the pace of the rise. The butter should be soft, not melted; if it’s still cold, cut it into small pieces before adding it to the bowl. Don’t crowd the discs in the pan, because the oil cools and the doughnuts absorb more. After 10 minutes, the yeast mixture should have a few bubbles on the surface; if it’s still smooth, the yeast may be old. Kneading is the part I don’t rush; I like feeling the dough turn elastic as I roll it out. When zesting the lemon, grate only the yellow part, because the white layer underneath can taste bitter. I serve them with milky coffee. Once cool, I keep them in a closed container and eat them within 3 days, although the centre gradually gets firmer. The dough contains gluten, dairy and eggs.