St. Brigid's Yeast Doughnuts
Submitted by PaddyL on February 24, 2008 at 1:07 pm

I've made these into jelly doughnuts and regular round hole-y doughnuts. Both are marvelous. If you make them into jelly doughnuts, cut out circles of dough, fill with jam, top with another circle of dough and seal well, then fry.

Sponge: Mix 1 tbsp. yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
Set aside, covered, for up to 30 minutes.

Beat 6 egg yolks, 5 tbsp. sugar until creamy. Add 2/3 cup scalded milk cooled to lukewarm, and 6 tbsp. softened butter.

Add the risen sponge. Beat in 2 to 3 cups flour and 1 tsp. salt. Cover and let rise about 1 hour.

Stir down, roll out to between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thick, cut into rounds or hole-y doughnuts, place on parchment-lined and well-floured baking sheets, cover, and let rise till puffy.

Fry the doughnuts in fat (I use peanut oil) about 360F. until done. Break one open to test for doneness.

Glaze while still warm, but not hot.

This dough can be refrigerated after the first rise, for about 2 days. It can also be made into brioches.

Chocolate Glaze
Melt 2 oz. semisweet chocolate with 2 tbsp. butter. Add 2 cups sifted icing sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in 1/4 cup boiling water till smooth. Dip warm doughnuts in the glaze.

Honey Glaze
Mix 1-1/2 Tbsp. honey, 1 cup sifted icing sugar. Add 3 tbsp. boiling water, approx. You might need a bit more, or less. Dip warm doughnuts in the glaze. This is especially good on doughnut twists.

To keep the risen doughnuts from deflating, you can put them onto squares of parchment, then slip the doughnut and the parchment square into the fat together. The parchment will rise to the surface and you can take it out of the fat, letting the doughnut cook till done.