Dulce de leche is dangerously tasty. You can put it on just about anything. Famously used as a dip for Churros, I decided to make doughnuts and fill them with the delicious golden stuff that I had left over from another baking adventure. You can't really go wrong here, there's nothing quite like fresh doughnuts. I must admit, I do tend to back away from deep fried foods but these I just simply can't resist - we all need a bit of soul food!
Over Covid Lockdown, baking became a coping mechanism. People around the world turned to baking as a boredom buster but soon fell in love with its simple charm and stress-releasing qualities. There's never been a better time to knead out your frustrations. The sales of flours grew 49% over the first 12 weeks of Lockdown and millers were producing at full capacity, which still wasn't enough - hence the shortage in April! Cakes, biscuits, and everything in between settled the minds of those who struggled with the pressures that the pandemic lay before us. Statistics show that before Lockdown 48% of Brits had never baked and yet it was recorded that 27 million of us joined one another in the arts of baking bread! Isn't that wonderful? There's something very rewarding and relaxing about the process of making bread - and assuming that you have lots of flours and yeast left, here is a little recipe to mix things up a little!
INGREDIENTS
- 165ml warm milk
- 7g dry active yeast
- 30g caster sugar
- 50g melted butter
- 1 egg
- 300g self raising flour
- pinch of salt
- dulce de leche (see recipe on Parsnip & Apple Autumn Showstopper Cake blog)
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
You will need a saucepan filled 2/3 full with vegetable oil. You can use sunflower or rapeseed oil if preferred.
You will also need a piping bag and attached plain nozzle to fill your doughnuts. Alternatively you could use a spoon but this is not ideal.
METHOD
In a small bowl, combine your milk, yeast and sugar. Cover and set aside in a warm space for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and melted butter. Furthermore, in a large bowl (this is the last bowl, I promise) sift in your self raising flour and salt. Once the milk mixture has rested and it frothy on the surface, add all of your wet ingredients to the flour.
-if you are using a stand mixer, set to knead the dough for 5 mins.
-if you are using a hand whisk, use the knead attachment and knead for 5 mins.
-if you are combining by hand, incorporate the ingredients before tipping out onto a lightly floured surface. The dough will be light and sticky but please refrain from adding too much more flour. It is important to keep the dough light. Knead for 8-10 mins until smooth and flexible.
Set your dough aside in an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Prove your dough for 2-3 hours.
Once the dough has doubled in size, take he dough and prepare into small balls- approx 50g is a good size. Roll your dough into smooth and neat balls and set aside, covered with a damp towel for 1 hour.
Heat your pan of oil on a medium heat. It is ideal that you have a temperature probe for this. You want your oil to stay between 170-180 degrees celsius. If you don't have a temperature probe, you should look to see and notice that the oil is moving and pop a small piece of dough in - if it instantly sizzles it is ready. If it goes dark brown within a minute, it is too hot.
Drop your balls into the hot oil. I aim to have 3-4 on the go at once, seeing the space in my pan allows it. Fry for 3 minutes on each side. They are likely to bob and turn on their own so watch them and turn them to ensure even cooking.
When they are golden browned and have cooked for 6 mins, put onto a tea towel or kitchen cloth to absorb the oil. Whilst still warm, carefully pick up and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar.
Once all the doughnuts have cooled slightly and been coated, make a small hole to the centre of the doughnut. Put the dulce de leech in a piping bag and fill the doughnuts. I like to have them overflowing a little. Oozy doughnuts, yum! You're welcome, I'll let you sit in your happy place whilst you eat your doughnuts!
Thank you for reading!
Gina ~ The Noo Noo Project