Donuts are one of the most delicious and classic desserts out there. Whether enjoyed as an indulgent breakfast, an evening snack or an after dinner dessert, donuts are loved and appreciated by everyone. They are essentially dough that’s been deep fried and have an almost neutral taste. So they can be topped and filled with a variety of toppings and fillings, giving them whatever flavor you prefer. From chocolate sauce or caramel sauce to whipped cream and jam or fruit compote, there’s an endless variety of options and combinations for donuts. And not eating eggs is no reason to miss out on this delectable dessert. So here’s your easy sweet dish recipe to make the perfect eggless donuts, so you can enjoy guilt free and fully.
Ingredients:
- 236 ml warm milk
- ¾ tsp instant dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 240 gm all purpose flour
- ¼ cup melted butter
- Oil, for frying
Filling:
- Pastry cream/custard filling
For the caramel top:
Directions:
- Sift the flour into a bowl.
- Add the sugar and yeast and mix well.
- Slowly add the melted butter and mix thoroughly, incorporating all of the butter and making sure that it's evenly mixed throughout, without any lumps.
- Then add the milk to the mixture, a little bit at a time, ensuring that you’re mixing the whole time and that it's mixing evenly. Knead the dough using a stand mixer or your hands till it all comes together and forms a smooth, non sticky dough.
- Do the window pane test to ensure the dough is ready. Essentially, take a small portion of the dough and start stretching it out. Keep stretching till it's thin enough that light can pass through it. If it is able to hold this stretch without tearing, that means the dough is ready.
- Line a bowl with oil and place the rolled dough into it. Cover it with a damp cloth and sit at room temperature for two hours.
- Once that time has passed, the dough will have doubled in size. Knock it down and place it on a surface that has been generously floured.
- Knead the dough for a minute and divide it into small, equal balls.
- Place the balls on parchment paper and let it sit for another hour. It will double in size again.
- Now heat the oil in a kadhai or pot for frying. Once the oil is hot, add the dough balls and gently fry them on each side until they are a golden brown color.
- Once fried, let them sit on tissue paper so the excess oil is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
- While the doughnuts cool, make the caramel. In a pan, add the water and sugar and heat on medium heat. It will simmer and the sugar should dissolve completely. Keep stirring or the mixture will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Once the caramel is ready, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Make small holes on the side of each donut and use a piping bag to fill the pastry cream or custard in. simply palace your preferred filling in a piping bag which has been fixed with a thin nozzle at the end. Press the piping bag and the filling will jut into the donut. Be mindful that you don't overfill it or it will ooze out and be messy. Fill it 80% through, so that there’s some place for pressure as you hold and bite into the donut.
- Once filled, turn the donuts over and dip the top in the caramel till it's fully coated. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Leftover donuts can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for two days and in the fridge for a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Use castor sugar or powdered sugar for the donuts, but stay away from granulated sugar. The latter has big grains that would be difficult to dissolve and lead to an unwanted crunch. However, if you want that crunch and extra texture, you can use that too.
- Use room temperature milk, since using cold milk is not a great idea. If it's cold, it will slow the proofing process and the dough will take much longer to rise.