Doughnuts, check!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

JustJoel

Executive Chef
Joined
Sep 6, 2017
Messages
3,665
Location
Las Vegas
I made doughnuts for the first time today. Not cake doughnuts, yeast doughnuts. I used one of KAF’s standard donut recipes, and Alton Brown’s chocolate glaze recipe.

The doughnuts themselves came out perfectly; well-formed, paper-thin crust, just a little crackly, and soft but slightly chewy crumb. The frying went fine.

I was unimpressed with the chocolate glaze. Perhaps it was my fault; the only chocolate I had in the house was store-brand, semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Does anyone have a much-loved recipe for doughnut glaze? And it doesn’t have to be chocolate!
 
When I managed the apartment complex in Spanaway, WA, I rented to active servicemen and women from Fort Lewis and McCord AFB. About twice a month I would make the dough for cake doughnuts, use just the center of the doughnut cutter for the cutouts and sprinkle some with regular sugar and the rest with 10X sugar. I always did this on the first and third weekend of each month. A BIG hit with the tenants. then I was asked to make a huge amount as the folks were going over to Yakima for maneuvers. They all pitched in for the ingredients. One of the wives even babysat Poo so I wouldn't get interrupted. I finally took some time and taught a couple of the wives the recipe and how to make them.

I probably could have made some raised glazed doughnuts. But it was more work than I was willing to put into the project. Poo is now in his mid 40's. I am diabetic and no one in this family needs all those extra calories.

For a very short while we had a Krispy Kreme shop open in this area. WAY too sweet. It closed after just a few months. Then at the end of the street where I presently live, was Betty's Doughnut Shop Those doughnuts were so heavy, but so tasty. Greasy, lots of flavor, etc. Unfortunately, she died and her son wasn't interested in keeping the shop open. He as the baker, made loaves of bread every morning along with the heavy doughnuts. But the flavor in them was sooooo good. Come Sunday morning, the line made its way down the street. All for jelly and plain cake doughnuts. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
 
I made doughnuts for the first time today. Not cake doughnuts, yeast doughnuts. I used one of KAF’s standard donut recipes, and Alton Brown’s chocolate glaze recipe.

The doughnuts themselves came out perfectly; well-formed, paper-thin crust, just a little crackly, and soft but slightly chewy crumb. The frying went fine.

I was unimpressed with the chocolate glaze. Perhaps it was my fault; the only chocolate I had in the house was store-brand, semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Does anyone have a much-loved recipe for doughnut glaze? And it doesn’t have to be chocolate!

I don't, have never made them. But I'm glad yours turned out well, Joel...other than the chocolate glaze. You are much braver than I as far as baking....!
 
In the small town I grew up in, there was a doughnut shop (independent, not a chain) that made absolutely delicious plain glazed doughnuts. After I moved away, I would make doughnuts from time to time but, whlle they were great within a few hours of frying and glazing, they would get soggy and stale really quickly. I complained about them to my dad, who still lived in the small town, so 1 day when he was in the doughnut shop, he talked to the owner/baker and told him about my efforts. Red, the guy's name, told him he never used water or milk products in his glazes, but used something similar to a light (clear) corn syrup, like Karo that anybody can buy in the grocery. That helped a lot. The doughnuts would at least stay fresh testing until the next morning.
 
Here you go, GGdigital proof of my donuts! Sorry, I didn’t get around to taking pics until after I’d put them to bed. In plastic. I know, I know, that’s donut abuse!

B2CD7EAE-F068-458C-94DF-22489DE7927D.jpg

I don’t know how the other pic got into the post, but those are my sunflower cookies (lemon and raisin.)
 

Attachments

  • 6BCCB926-39C2-427F-9579-B413115C5FF9.jpg
    6BCCB926-39C2-427F-9579-B413115C5FF9.jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 203
Last edited:
I was tempted once to get a donut pan and bake donuts, but I never have. I wonder how they'd taste compared to frying them in oil.

A few years back, I bought a mini donut pan.. I baked a half dozen different recipes and the best thing I could say was, "They are OK."
Didn't make any after that experience..

Ross
 
Can I freeze ‘em?

Thanks, all! I must say that I was so pleased with these donuts that I’m making another batch this weekend, with a different glaze, of course.

Can I freeze ‘em? And if I can, should I freeze them after they’re fried, or would freezing the cut dough raw be better? I’m thinking after they’re fried (in-iced, of course), then I could just pop one or two in the oven to heat up, and ice the warm donuts. I’d really rather not putz around with deep frying before breakfast!
 
Thanks, all! I must say that I was so pleased with these donuts that I’m making another batch this weekend, with a different glaze, of course.

Can I freeze ‘em? And if I can, should I freeze them after they’re fried, or would freezing the cut dough raw be better? I’m thinking after they’re fried (in-iced, of course), then I could just pop one or two in the oven to heat up, and ice the warm donuts. I’d really rather not putz around with deep frying before breakfast!

If you had some doughnuts left over from Sunday morning breakfast and were going a little stale. What would you do? Make your doughnuts now, glaze them and toss in the freezer. Come morning, you want those doughnuts. Place what you want in a paper bag, put two or three drops of water in the bag, close tightly and reheat in your oven. Will taste like they just came out of the fryer.

Every Sunday morning my mother would send me over to Quality Bakery to get a dozen of mixed doughnuts. By Wednesday morning, what was left over was going stale. She always was able to revive them. I had my regular two pieces of toast with cocoa and a couple of leftover doughnuts. To me they tasted like they had just been made fresh. I ate a couple of doughnuts on the way to school.
 
Did you Google a chocolate glaze for doughnuts? There are so many five star recipes on the internet. Some are quick and easy, others not so much.
 
Can I freeze ‘em? And if I can, should I freeze them after they’re fried, or would freezing the cut dough raw be better? I’m thinking after they’re fried (in-iced, of course), then I could just pop one or two in the oven to heat up, and ice the warm donuts. I’d really rather not putz around with deep frying before breakfast!

Breads freeze really well. I would freeze them individually, without glaze, on a baking sheet, then move them to a plastic bag. Then I would thaw and reheat them and glaze them after they cool completely. You don't want the glaze to melt into the doughnuts.
 
Back
Top Bottom