Little Pittsburgh Doughnuts
My husband is still suffering with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. We are going on 4 weeks now. During this time he has been home from work, but I feel like we have hardly seen each other- I have been taking care of the kids and he’s been quietly suffering in bed. Yesterday my parents (the wonderful grandparents that they are) swooped in and took my four year old for a Grandmommy/Grandaddy/Cameron fun time that included a sleepover. That gave me and my husband some much needed time to relax together. We put baby Wesley down for a nap, I made us some coffee, and I began to make these doughnuts while my husband kept me company. Next to being with my children this is one of my most favorite things to do- I love working in the kitchen with Aron right near by. I love our conversations. Sometimes they are poignant and sometimes they border on the ridiculous. I also love our silences. It’s quiet and relaxing but I know that he is there. He will get better… it may not be soon, but he will get better. In the meantime, maybe we can share a few more of these lovely moments.
Okay, so I made Little Pittsburgh Doughnuts. This is a historical recipe dating back to the mining days of Colorado around 1894. I chose this recipe because I wanted to work on an enriched bread using the straight dough method. Oh, and I also wanted to try my hand at deep frying. It was fun! And who doesn’t love a doughnut. Am I right? Let’s do this thing…
Mix together the yeast, warmed milk, a portion of the flour, salt and vegetable oil
Add the two eggs, brown sugar and melted butter, and mix with a wooden spoon
Pour the remaining flour in and mix by hand
Then knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is less sticky and more smooth
Ready for the final rise
Hello! Look how voluminous… this was after the final rise
Pat or roll out dough to about 1/3 inch thick and then cut out those little devils (I used a large and small biscuit cutter)
Deep fry each side four about 2 to 3 minutes at 365 degrees F
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
- 5 1/2 cups (687 g) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. (10 g) Salt
- 2 packets (14 g) Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) Milk, warmed 105 - 115 degrees F
- 2 TBS Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup (200 g) Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 2 Large Eggs
- 6 TBS Unsalted Butter (170 g), melted and cooled slightly
- 3 quarts Vegetable Oil for deepfrying
- Stir together 3 1/2 cups (312 g) of the flour, the salt, yeast, milk, and oil in a large bowl.
- Beat the ingredients together with a wooden spoon to make a firm dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it briefly on an unfloured surface until smooth and supple. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and replace the dough.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
- After the first rise, add the brown sugar, eggs, and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth. Gradually stir in the remaining 2 cups (250 g) of flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, or spray with cooking spray. Put the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all surfaces. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
- Line two large baking sheets with silicone liners. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and pat out to a thickness of about 1/3 inch. Dip a 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter into flour and cut out the doughnuts. Place the doughnuts on the prepared sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart and put the holes in the spaces between. Form the scraps into a ball; cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll and cut doughnuts as before and place them on the baking sheets. Cover loosely with kitchen towels, and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the oil into a 5 to 7 quart wide deep pot, such as a cast iron Dutch oven. Attach a digital probe thermometer or deep-fat thermometer to the side and heat the oil to 365 degrees F. over medium heat, about 30 minutes. Place a large cooling rack over a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- Carefully slip 4 doughnuts into the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until they are a rich brown. Remove them from the fat with a slotted spoon, and set them on the rack to drain further. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, returning the temperature of the oil to 365 degrees F. each time. Eat the doughnuts warm with any coating you wish, or even plain... they are that good!
