Yeasted Vanilla Bean Doughnuts

I love post.  I am always excited to get parcels and letters.  My first question when I come home from work is always, "Any post today?".  Anyway, towards the end of last year I discovered something wonderful!  Let me tell you about the Lucky Dip Club.  This is a subscription service and every month you receive a beautiful little package in the post filled with adorable kitschy stationary, stickers, jewellery and other vintage style goodies, all based around a theme.  I love it. I received January's box on Wednesday.  The theme is Donut Dinnerette, and is the inspiration for this month's last blog entry: doughnuts!

Isn't the box (below) so cute?! I got a cute pin and patch (with a donut pun!), as well as a doughnut necklace (something every baker needs) and also a mini magnetic white board, which I promptly stuck on my fridge.  The club has also started it's own mini magazine, a new issue of which is included every month.

So yeah, this glorious little box inspired me to make doughnuts.  However, rather than the baked kind I've made before I thought I would try my hand at fried doughnuts.  And not just fried but also yeasted (I did say it has been a month for yeast last week).

Given my past encounters with doughnuts, I was a bit apprehensive about using yeast.  The last few times I had tried out a recipe like that resulted in very bread-roll-like doughnuts.  Not pleasant.  I've found a number of baked doughnut recipes that don't use yeast, my particular favourite being this one.  But I figured, these were going to be different anyway, since I was frying, not baking.  And the blog the recipe comes from was singing it's praises.  So I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. 

I could see a difference in the dough from the start.  Much softer than previous attempts.  It also didn't smell so yeasty.  I still decided to add the vanilla seeds for an additional taste though.  I love vanilla and the baked vanilla bean doughnuts I made last year were scrummy.  Whilst the dough was certainly lighter, it was easily rolled out and cut to shape.  I admit I thought they looked a bit flat at this point but after their second rise, they looked much better.  'Puffy' is definitely a good description.  They look very light and airy and you'll be scared to pick them up for fear of deflating them.  Hence why you grease the tray to reduce this problem.

Now, aside from the use of yeast, I was nervous about the frying.  I've said before I've not attempted frying doughnuts because it requires a lot of oil that I don't know what to do with after.  However I just ended up pouring it into a jar after it cooled and I'll use it again next time I make doughnuts.  Not such a big deal.  Clearly I worry about the silliest things.  Such things as what to do with the oil should NOT prevent you from trying this recipe.  It is worth all the hassle!  The actual frying is easy.  I just did it in a frying pan and didn't use anywhere near as much oil as I thought - just enough for half the doughnut to float in without touching the base of the pan.

If you saw my twitter post a couple of weeks ago, you know I enjoyed these.  They were unbelievably good.  Definitely the best doughnuts I have ever made!  They're just so easy to pick up and eat and keep eating until there's none left.  I made a mix of glazed and sugared doughnuts.  However, whilst the glaze was nice both the Hubby and I vastly preferred the sugar, so that's what I'm suggesting in the recipe.  I will certainly be using this dough again.  Next I will need to try filled doughnuts!  Just need to find a decent sized syringe...    

Recipe - adapted from The Pioneer Woman via Bless This Mess 
Makes a dozen doughnuts
 

There is a long resting period for these doughnuts.  I suggest making the dough the night before and resting overnight to be finished the next day.

• 140ml/5fl.oz milk
• 30g/1oz caster sugar (plus extra for coating the doughnuts)
• 1/2 packet of instant dry yeast (about 4g)
• 1 large egg
• 85g/3oz butter
• 300g/10.5oz plain flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 vanilla pod
• Oil for frying

1. Heat the milk until it feels warm when you dip your finger in it.  Put it in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the sugar and allow it to dissolve.
2. Add in the yeast and stir.  Allow to rest for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the butter.
3. Beat the egg and add it and the melted butter to the mixture.  Stir to combine.
4. Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod and mix in to the batter.
5. Keep the mixer beating and gradually add the flour and salt.  Continue to stir the mixer until a dough forms then for another 5 minutes after that to really work the dough.  Turn off the mixture and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.   
6. Turn dough out into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and then place in the fridge to rest for at least 8 hours or overnight.
7. To make the doughnuts, lightly grease a baking tray and then roll out the rested dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1cm/0.5inches thick.  Use a 6cm/3inch cutter to cut out the doughnuts and then a 2cm/1inch cutter to make the holes in the middle. 
8. Place the doughnuts and holes on the tray.  Bring remaining dough together and repeat until you have used up most of the dough (you should get 12-13 doughnuts).
9. Cover the doughnuts and leave them to rise in a warm place until they are puffy and doubled in size (at least an hour). 
10. Prepare another tray covered in layers of kitchen towel.  We'll use it to soak up excess oil from the doughnuts
11. Put a couple of inches of oil into a frying pan and place over a medium heat until it reaches 190C/375F (use a thermometer) then reduce the heat to prevent oil from getting any hotter.
12. Add the doughnuts to the hot oil a couple at a time.  Fry in the oil until they are golden brown on the underside with a thin pale strip running around the centre.  Turn the doughnuts over and do the same on the other side.
13. Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared tray.  Allow them to cool slightly.
14. Put sugar into a bowl and dip the doughnuts in it to coat.  Eat straight away as these taste best fresh! 

Bara Brith

After last year's distinct lack of activity I am trying to take advantage of the fact I work part time to get baking fitted in.  Kudos to you if you are someone who can juggle a full-time job with your baking.  I envy you.  I just can't do it.  Not yet anyway.  Working on it.  The point is I'm aiming to get something baked (and ideally up on the blog) each week.  This week I was in a bread mood.  Actually, I've been in a bit of a bread mood for a while now but this week was extra bread-y since I made two different loaves.  Sadly, you're not getting the one of them quite yet because after doing a really good job the first time, the subsequent attempts have been a bit...flat.  The dough won't hold it's shape so rises sideways rather than up.  I think I may be over-proving.

But the other bread turned out well!  Having been obsessing over Bake Off the last couple of weeks (applications for the next series were due last Sunday) I have found myself reading lots of articles about the show and past contestants.  In amongst those I stumbled across one on Beca, who made it to the semi-finals in Series 4.  This article was specifically about her yeasted tea-loaf she made during the Sweet Dough week (and received high praise from both Paul and Mary): a Welsh bara brith.  Literally meaning 'speckled bread' it is a sweet loaf filled with mixed fruit.  And being a tea-loaf, it's obviously got a healthy amount of tea in there too.  

Aside from the fact I wanted to try something new and different, what really motivated me to make bara brith this week was the bag of mixed fruit sitting in the cupboard, as I still have loads to use up from making mince pies and panetonne over Christmas.  Even after baking this I have leftovers so mixed fruit may crop up again in the next few posts.

I did end up making a slight tweak to the recipe: I used instant yeast, not fresh.  According to my newest bread book (which I will gush about properly when I post a recipe from it) there's not much difference between them.  Instant yeast is more convenient (and what I had in my cupboard).  I just halved the amount required.

I sent this along to the lovely ladies at Markinch with my mother-in-law on Monday.  They are always so nice about my baking and appreciate what I send.  They've been enjoying this over the week and plan to make toast with any leftovers that may have gone a little stale.
 

Recipe - adapted from Beca Lyne-Pirkis via Wales Online
Makes 1 x 2lb loaf 


Tea-Loaf:

• 450g/1lb strong white flour
• 7g/0.25oz salt
• 10g/0.35oz instant yeast
• 75g/2.5oz butter 
• 50g/1.75g brown sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 350g/12oz mixed dried fruit
• 1 egg
•  225ml/8fl.oz strong warm tea (I used two Twinnings Breakfast Tea teabags steeped for 5 minutes in 225ml boiling water, then let it cool slightly)

Sugar Syrup Glaze:

• 50g/1.75oz caster sugar
• 50ml/1.75fl.oz water 

1. Put the flour into a large bowl.  Add the salt on one side and the yeast on the other and rub into the flour to combine.
2. Rub in the butter using your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
3. Mix in the sugar, mixed spice and dried fruits until evenly distributed.
4. Add the egg and tea and bring everything together to form a dough.
5. Knead the dough until it is smooth (I stretch the dough away from me then fold it back on itself before giving it a quarter turn and repeating for about 10 minutes).
6. Place back in your bowl and cover with an oil piece of clingfilm.  Leave to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour).
7. Grease a 900g/lb loaf tin.
8. Knock back the dough, shape and fit into the loaf tin.  Cover with the oiled clingfilm and prove for another 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
9. Once proved, remove the clingfilm from the dough and back in the oven for 20 minutes.
10. Cover the bara brith with foil and leave to bake for another 25-30 minutes.
11. Remove from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.
12. Make the sugar syrup by bringing the water and caster sugar to a boil in a small saucepan.
13. Cook the mixture until it takes on a syrupy consistency.
14. Remove and use a pastry loaf to cover the loaf in the glaze.
15. Allow to set and cool before serving.

Red, White and Blue Mini Panettones

Hello all, I hope you have had a nice Christmas or a general happy holidays if that's not your thing.  Mine was quite lovely except for the fact that I have been ill since I came off from school!  I was bed-ridden for 3 days, where I did nothing but watch movies on Netflix and sleep.  The Hubby did a wonderful job taking care of me (bringing me food and drinks and sitting with me for a bit) and has ended up being sick himself for his troubles.  It doesn't quite seem to be the same thing: he's really stuffed up whereas I was hurting and suffering an annoying and painful cough.  I've still got the latter.  Curse my weak lungs and the sensitivity to the weather.  It's worse this year though as it is far too easy for me to get out of breath.  I was almost done in by a walk to the train station yesterday (which is 3 minutes away).  

But enough about that.  As I was saying, my Christmas has been lovely.  There were some lovely presents under my  beautiful (if I say so myself since I made all the decorations) Christmas tree and it was nice having dinner with the Dunion side of the Hubby's family, as well as skyping mine.  I even spent a chunk of the day making mince pies because the mother-in-law had requested them.  I made a batch for taking to Christmas dinner and then sent another batch along to Falkirk with the in-laws on Boxing Day when they visited the McGinlay side of the family.  The Hubby and I didn't go.  We took the day to recover.

Now with the Dunion side of the family, one of the siblings hosts Christmas Dinner.  This year it was the Hubby's Aunt Linda.  We all go for our tea and then we all exchange presents with each other.  We didn't go last year since we were down in England visiting my family.  I try and make my presents for extended family.  The year before last it was orange shortbread.  This year, I made panettone since the Dunion side has Italian roots.

I'll say right off the bat, this is not a proper, traditional panettone.  You can probably see that from the photos since they are quite tall and skinny panettone and baked in tin cans.  True panettone would also require a sourdough starter, which I do not have the patience to cultivate or maintain, and several days for proving.  Admittedly, I did have that latter bit but it was slightly scuppered by the being ill thing.  Hence they are not as beautifully fluffy as a real panettone should be.  Finally, I'm not using the most traditional of ingredients.  No mixed fruit or Fiori di Sicilia.  This has cranberries, blueberries, white chocolate and candied peel.  Hence the red, white and blue in the title.  That being said, these are still very yummy and went down well as gifts.

I wanted the panettone to be as fresh as possible so I made them on Christmas Eve.  I just about managed to stay upright whilst doing it.  It gave me a fair bit of trouble.  The dough is ridiculously sticky for a start.  However, I may have added slightly more egg that I was meant to because a bag of sugar fell out the cupboard and upended my jug of beaten egg onto the floor.  There was still some left and I just mixed up 3 new eggs.  The recipe said it is meant to be sticky, but I'm also supposed to be able to knead it into a ball, which was a bit of a hassle and very messy.   It also did not want to rise so I was constantly worried that I had killed the yeast.  I ended up leaving it whilst we went for Christmas Eve tea and board games with the Hubby's parents, sister and sister's boyfriend.  I was praying they had risen by the time I got back so I could cook them before bed.  Otherwise I was going to have to start over again.  I stole eggs from my mother-in-law's kitchen just in case.   Thankfully though, I came home and they had risen.  I'd put them in the oven since I figured it would be a bit warmer in there and that seemed to do the trick.  Baking took forever as I was wanting that golden brown finish on the top and it was pretty late by the time I finally got to go to bed but the blasted things were done.  I would just need to spruce them up and package them the next morning, as well as grab a few photos (what a shame most of them blurred because I forgot to correct the ISO...).

Recipe - adapted from Good Food: Delicious Gifts

Makes 5 


There is a lot of waiting around and a lot of rising to be done with these.  At the least add in 2.5 hours for rising time but may take longer if it is cold.  Mine did.  Along with the prep and cooking time, you're looking at at least 4 hours from start to finish.

Panettone:

•  500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
• 14g/0.5oz easy blend, dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 100g/3.5oz golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml/7fl.oz milk
• 200g/7oz butter
• 75g/3oz dried cranberries
• 75g/3oz dried blueberries
• 100g/3.5oz white chocolate chips
• 100g/3.5oz mixed candied peel

To finish:

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, yeast and salt together briefly before adding the sugar and mixing again.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is hand hot.
3. Beat the eggs with vanilla extract and add to the dry ingredients along with the warmed milk.  Mix to make a soft, sticky dough.
4. Work the dough for a few minutes in the mixer then remove the hook and allow to rest until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour but maybe more if it is cold).
5. Put the hook back in, add the butter to the dough in small pieces and mix to incorporate.  Leave to rise for another hour.
6. Add the cranberries, blueberries, white chocolate chips and mixed peel to the dough and mix in until just incorporated.
7. Grease the bottom of 5 clean 400g soup tins and add a circle of baking parchment.  Cut a strip of baking parchment that is just over double the height of the tin.  Fold in half and place inside the tin to form a collar.  Make sure the parchment sticks out over the top of the tin.
8. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball (the dough is very sticky so this is quite tricky and messy, I recommend using a dough cutter to help).  Divide the ball into 5 pieces and put one in each of the tins.  Leave to rise for about 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
10. Beat the egg and brush over the tops of the panettones and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
11. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the panettones are a deep golden colour.  
12. Cool in the tins on a wire rack.  You should then be able to remove the parchment collar and decorate your tins with a bit of wrapping paper to present as a gift.