Freshly fried doughnuts might be one of life’s greatest food pleasures. They’re definitely worth the trouble of making a dough from scratch and frying at home. For the filling, any type of jam will do.
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour, for Rolling
- 1 recipe Brioche Dough
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread (stale is best)
- 1 recipe Simple Sugar Glaze
- 1 quart (944 ml) grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
- 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons (315 ml) strawberry jam, pureed until smooth
How to Make It
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust the paper with flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- After the overnight rest in the fridge, turn the brioche dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and dust the top of each piece with flour.
- Pick up a piece of dough and quickly use your thumbs to stretch the surface of the dough downward. Tuck the dough underneath to create a smooth, taut surface. Rotate the piece of dough a quarter turn and repeat the tucking motion so that you have created a smooth-shaped ball of dough. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it with your hand. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Pick up a piece of dough and quickly use your thumbs to stretch the surface of the dough downward. Tuck the dough underneath to create a smooth, taut surface. Rotate the piece of dough a quarter turn and repeat the tucking motion so that you have created a smooth-shaped ball of dough. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it with your hand. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- While the dough rises, make the sourdough crumbs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear the bread into chunks and put it in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the bread until golden brown and dried out, about 25 minutes. Let the bread cool completely.
- Transfer the chunks of dried bread to a plastic zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl and set aside. Transfer the simple sugar glaze to a large bowl.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In another baking sheet, place a wire rack. When the dough has risen, pour the oil into a heavy pot to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 375°F. Test the temperature of the oil with an instant-read thermometer. Fry 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time, dropping them gently into the oil and letting them fry on one side until the rapid bubbling subsides, about 1 minute.
- Carefully flip each doughnut over with a slotted spoon, chopsticks, or tongs. Continue frying until the doughnuts are golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Well-risen doughnuts will have a pale band around the middle. This is called the fry line.
- Transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel–lined baking sheet to absorb any excess oil. While still hot, roll the doughnuts in the sugar glaze, then toss them immediately in the sourdough crumbs. Transfer the crumb-coated doughnuts to the prepared wire rack and let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining uncooked doughnuts, working in small batches, and letting the oil reheat to 375°F before frying.
- Fit a pastry bag with a small, round tip (about ½-inch) and fill it with the strawberry jam. Insert the tip into the top of each doughnut and pipe in a scant 2 tablespoons jam. Serve the doughnuts immediately; they are best eaten the same day.
