My Grandma’s Doughnuts

My son’s favourite doughnuts are the ones I make. He doesn’t like the ones bought from the bakery or other shops. He only eats the doughnuts my mum and I make. There are doughnuts and my doughnuts. I grew up eating these and I still cannot resist them. Who can say ‘No’ to a fresh fried doughnut? They are and will always be my weak spot! I will share my secret recipe for fluffy, airy and light doughnuts that everyone in the family will love and ask for more. I made two large bowls today (about 45 doughnuts) and I already had 3 doughnuts before I finish baking them, My kids had a lot more than that, just because they are so light and fluffy. I could eat an entire bowl of them and feel so happy because I am eating something truly delicious. The recipe is quite easy and my secret ingredient is the sparkling water! With sparkling water, you won’t need to knead for hours to make them fluffy.

The doughnuts can be served coated with melted chocolate My Grandma’s Doughnuts — The doughnuts can be served coated with melted chocolate

With the ingredients listed below, I made about 45 doughnuts – it was difficult to keep the count as they were disappearing too quickly.
One simple doughnut only has 55 calories and 8 grams of carbs. For a low carb version, you could make Blackberry Jelly Sauce to top them while they are hot.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups White Flour
2 eggs – room temperature – beaten
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest – Fresh
1/2 cup Sparkling Water – room temperature (my secret ingredient)
1 tablespoon White Flour (for the yeast mixture)
1 packet Dried Active Yeast (7 g)
2 tablespoon brown sugar (used to use 3 tablespoons, but we have reduced sugar)
1 cup Semi Skimmed Milk (lukewarm)

Method

1. In a medium bowl, pour 1 cup warm milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and mix them together until the sugar dissolves. Add in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of white flour. Mix them gently to dissolve the yeast and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place. Leave it to rise for 10 minutes. The mixture will soon become bubbly and would double its size.

Activated yeast with milk, sugar and a tbsp of flour My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Activated yeast with milk, sugar and a tbsp of flour

2. In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Stir in the salt, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat the eggs until all ingredients are well combined. Pour in 1/2 cup of sparkling water (at room temperature) and stir in the yeast mixture. Gently mix together.

Eggs, vanilla extract, salt, sparkling water, lemon zest, melted butter My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Eggs, vanilla extract, salt, sparkling water, lemon zest, melted butter

3. Gradually, add 3 1/2 cups of white flour and continue to mix together until well combined. You can use an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment or a spatula.

Egg mixture with yeast mixture and flour My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Egg mixture with yeast mixture and flour

4. Mix the flour in for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and it will no longer stick on the bowl.

Doughnuts dough My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Doughnuts dough

5. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it for about an hour to rise and double its size. Make sure the dough stays in a warm place where there are no drifts of cold air.

Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it for about an hour to rise My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it for about an hour to rise

6. When the dough has risen, flip the dough onto a well floured working surface. I usually cover the wooden working surface with cling film and then add a thin layer of flour.

Flip the dough onto a well floured working surface My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Flip the dough onto a well floured working surface

7. Knead the dough until is soft and smooth.

Knead the dough until is soft and smooth My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Knead the dough until is soft and smooth

8. Divide the dough in three parts. Place 2 of them back in the bowl and keep just one on the working surface.

Divide the dough in three parts My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Divide the dough in three parts

9. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick layer.

Roll the dough out into a half inch thick layer My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Roll the dough out into a 1/2 inch thick layer

10. Cut the dough into round shapes using either a doughnut cutter or a glass. Place the doughnuts on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into round shapes using either a doughnut cutter or a glass My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Cut the dough into round shapes using either a doughnut cutter or a glass

11. Roll the other two parts of dough and cut round doughnuts with a round shape. Knead the irregular cuts into anther dough ball and roll out the dough to make more doughnuts. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.

Roll the other two parts of dough and cut round doughnuts with a round shape My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Roll the other two parts of dough and cut round doughnuts with a round shape

Knead the irregular cuts into anther dough ball and roll out the dough to make more doughnuts My Grandma’s Doughnuts — Roll the other two parts of dough and cut round doughnuts with a round shape

12. Add cooking oil into a large frying pan, just enough for the doughnuts to sink in. Heat the oil to 190 C (375 F) and then reduce the heat to medium, about 150 C / 300 F – the equivalent of no. 4 for the knob.

13. In the heated oil, place one doughnut and if it makes bubbles around it, you can add the rest of the doughnuts in to fry them. They will fry fairly quickly (40-45 seconds for each side).

In the heated oil, place one doughnut and if it makes bubbles around it My Grandma’s Doughnuts — In the heated oil, place one doughnut and if it makes bubbles around it

14. When golden brown on one side, flip the doughnuts over to cook on the other side. The doughnuts are frying really quickly and quicker & quicker after the first batch so make sure you flip them on time.

When golden brown on one side, flip the doughnuts over to cook on the other side My Grandma’s Doughnuts — When golden brown on one side, flip the doughnuts over to cook on the other side

14. In a bowl, add folded paper towels that will absorb the excess of oil, and then start placing the doughnuts in.

In a bowl, add folded paper towels that will absorb the excess of oil, and then start placing the doughnuts in My Grandma’s Doughnuts — In a bowl, add folded paper towels that will absorb the excess of oil, and then start placing the doughnuts in

15. The doughnuts can be served simple, sprinkled with vanilla icing sugar, coated with melted chocolate, filled in with jam, glazed with icing, rolled into cinnamon sugar, endless options!