27. NATURE OF DOUGHNUTS AND CRULLERS.--Some kinds of doughnuts and
crullers are made of bread dough, and for this reason really belong to
breakfast breads instead of to cakes. However, most of the recipes for
these two foods include sugar, shortening, milk, eggs, and leavening,
making doughnuts and crullers so similar to cake in their composition
that they are usually regarded as cake mixtures. The shortening, which
is in smaller amounts than is required for most cakes, is supplied
largely by the method of preparation peculiar to these cakes; that is,
by their being fried in deep fat. Consequently, some of the same
conditions apply in their preparation as in the making of other foods
that are cooked in this way. As has already been learned, such foods
must either contain a sufficient amount of protein material, such as
egg, for instance, or be coated with enough material of this kind to
prevent the absorption of fat. In the case of doughnuts, this material
is supplied as an ingredient.
28. SHAPING DOUGHNUTS AND CRULLERS.--The ingredients used in the making
of doughnuts are combined in much the same way as those used in other
cake mixtures. A point to remember is that the mixture, like that for
cookies, must be stiff enough to handle and roll out, but care should be
taken not to use too much flour, for then the doughnuts are likely to be
tough. Divide the dough into amounts of a convenient size, place one of
these on a well-floured board, and roll out with a rolling pin until
about 1/4 inch thick. Then, with a doughnut cutter, as shown in Fig. 21,
cut as many doughnuts as possible from the rolled dough. If a regular
doughnut cutter is not in supply, a round cookie cutter may be used and
then a thimble or some other small round cutter applied to remove the
center of the pieces thus cut. As here shown, a plate or some other
small dish containing flour should be kept handy and the cutter dipped
into this occasionally during the cutting to prevent it from sticking to
the dough and marring the appearance of the doughnuts. Collect the
centers and scraps that remain after the doughnuts have been cut from a
piece and set these aside until all the fresh dough has been used. These
may then be rolled out again and cut into doughnuts. If desired,
however, the centers may be fried.
[Illustration: FIG. 21]
29. While doughnuts are usually round and have a hole in the center,
they may, for variety, be made in other shapes. For instance, after the
dough is rolled out, it is sometimes cut with a sharp knife Into
rectangular pieces about 4 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide and each
one of these pieces then cut lengthwise into three strips attached at
one end. When cut in this way, the strips are braided and then pinched
together at the loose end. Or, the pieces may be made 4 inches long and
2 inches wide, cut into two strips attached at one end, and the strips
then twisted around each other and pinched together at the loose end.
[Illustration: FIG. 22]
30. FRYING DOUGHNUTS AND CRULLERS.--After the doughnuts have been cut in
the desired shape, the next step is to fry them. The equipment required
for this process consists of a pan or a kettle into which the fat is
put, a long-handled frying basket into which the doughnuts are placed,
and a receptacle containing hot water into which the doughnuts can be
dipped after being fried. Put into the kettle a sufficient amount of
fat, which may be any vegetable fat or oil, to cover the doughnuts well,
allow it to become hot enough to brown an inch cube of bread in 40
seconds, place several doughnuts in the bottom of the basket, as shown
in Fig. 22, and then lower the basket into the hot fat, when it will be
found that the doughnuts will rise quickly to the top of the fat. Allow
them to brown on one side and then turn them over with a fork and let
them brown on the other side. Be careful not to let the fat become too
hot during the frying, or the doughnuts will become darker than is
desirable before the inside is cooked. If it is found that the fat is
getting too hot, turn off some of the heat or remove the deep-fat kettle
from the excessive heat.
[Illustration: FIG. 23]
31. As soon as the doughnuts have become an even brown on both sides and
have fried through thoroughly, lift the basket out of the fat and rest
it on the edge of the frying kettle. Then, as shown in Fig. 23, remove
the doughnuts one at a time from the basket with a fork and dip quickly
into the pan of boiling water and remove again at once. Dipping the
doughnuts into boiling water removes any excessive fat that may remain
on the surface. Upon taking them from the water, place them, as in Fig.
24, on a piece of paper that will absorb as much of the remaining fat as
possible. When these precautions are taken, the doughnuts will be found
to be less greasy and not so likely to disagree with the persons who eat
them. After the surface has become dried, the doughnuts may be improved
by sprinkling them with pulverized or granulated sugar.
[Illustration: FIG. 24]
32. If a large number of doughnuts are made and the hot-water method of
drying them is adopted, it will be found that considerable fat will
remain in the water. It will therefore pay to allow the fat to become
cool and remove it from the surface of the water. Fat in which doughnuts
and crullers are fried, after being poured from the dregs that collect
in the bottom and reheated, may be clarified by adding several slices of
raw potato to it and allowing these to become brown in it. This
treatment will remove any foreign taste that the fat may have and make
it possible to use the fat again for frying purposes. Fat in which
croquettes have been fried may be treated in the same way and used the
second time.
33. RECIPES FOR DOUGHNUTS.--A variety of doughnuts that are made light
by means of chemical leavening can be prepared, as the following recipes
indicate. Sometimes yeast doughnuts are preferred, so a recipe for
doughnuts of this kind is also given. If the directions previously given
are carefully applied in carrying out any of these recipes, excellent
results may be expected. Some persons are prejudiced against the use of
doughnuts, claiming that they are indigestible. While this may be true
of doughnuts improperly made, those made of good materials and by
correct methods are always a favorite and justly so.
DOUGHNUTS
(Sufficient for 2 Dozen Doughnuts)
3 Tb. butter
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. milk
4-1/2 c. flour
6 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Cream the butter, add the sugar and then the eggs, and beat thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and sift the dry ingredients into this mixture. Divide
into amounts that can be handled conveniently, roll out, cut, and fry
in deep fat.
POTATO-AND-BARLEY DOUGHNUTS
(Sufficient for 2 Dozen Doughnuts)
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. mashed potatoes
1 Tb. fat
1/3 c. sour milk
1/2 c. barley flour
1-1/2 c. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
Beat the eggs and add the sugar and mashed potatoes. If solid shortening
is used, melt it and add to the other ingredients. Pour in the sour
milk, mix and sift the barley and wheat flour, salt, mace, soda, and
baking powder, and add these to the mixture. Turn the dough out on a
board in a quantity that can be handled at one time and knead for a
little before rolling it for cutting. Cut and fry in deep fat.
SOUR-MILK DOUGHNUTS
(Sufficient for 3 Dozen Doughnuts)
4 c. flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1 Tb. butter
1 egg
1-1/4 c. sour milk
Mix and sift the dry ingredients and chop in the butter. Beat the egg,
add the milk, and stir these into the dry ingredients. After mixing
thoroughly, roll about 1/4 inch thick on a board, cut in the desired
shape, and fry in deep fat.
DROP DOUGHNUTS
(Sufficient for 2 Dozen Doughnuts)
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 Tb. melted fat
Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Beat the egg, add the milk to it, and
pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Add the melted fat. Drop by
teaspoonfuls into hot fat and fry the same as for doughnuts.
YEAST DOUGHNUTS
(Sufficient for 3 Dozen Doughnuts)
1 c. milk
1 yeast cake
5 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mace
Scald the milk and cool to lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast cake and add it
to the milk and a sufficient amount of the flour to make a sponge. Allow
this to rise until double in bulk. Then add the eggs, sugar, melted
butter, salt, and mace. Beat thoroughly and add enough flour to make a
dough. Knead this until it is smooth and elastic and let it rise until
double in bulk. Roll out on a board into a sheet about 3/4 inch thick.
Cut into long strips about 3/4 inch wide, twist, stretch, and shape like
a figure 8. Let these stand on the board or in a pan until they are
light and then fry in deep fat.
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