For some reason doughnuts have always daunted me. I don’t know why, I made them at college! I think it is the combination of an enriched dough, making them dairy free and frying them that has always made me dread them a little bit. However, these easy dairy free doughnuts are what they say on the tin. They’re easy, the dough comes together beautifully with limited kneading. They’re dairy free, with a base of soya milk and df butter, and frying them isn’t as daunting as you might think.
The basics of the dough are simple. Add warmed milk, yeast and sugar into a bowl and steep for a couple of minutes. Add in the egg and butter and stir, not being alarmed by the almost sick like consistency! The stir in the flour and salt and any spices you want to add (hello cinnamon!). Prove, split into 8, stick a hole in with a floured wooden spoon end, prove again and fry. It’s as simple as that!
You will need to use either a proper chip fryer (with fresh oil) or a frying safe pan. I use a heavy based half skillet/ half pan for all of my frying, which works well. You need to be using equipment that can control the heat! I only ever fill the pan 1/3 up to help prevent splashing. You can eyeball when the oil is ready, as the surface will start shimmering and shaking, and holding your hand above the oil is difficult because it is so hot!
Now for some obvious health and safety points. Put your extractor fan on. Use tools to lower the doughnuts into the hot oil, whether it’s a spatula or using the fryer cage. Keep your heat on medium (or in a fryer on 180°C) to prevent the doughnuts from burning.
Easy Dairy Free Doughnuts Top Tips:
- Knead the dough on a little flour until any stickiness is removed- you don’t need to knead it like bread!
- Flour the end of a wooden spoon to make your holes, and then go back over after the second prove to really make those holes stay.
- Press the doughnuts down to make sure they have the same colour all over!
Equipment for Easy Dairy Free Doughnuts:
- Wooden spoon
- Butter Knife
- Bowl
- Baking tray
- Fryer/ frying safe pan
- Spatula
- Tongs
Easyand delicious dairy free doughnuts
- 150 ml Warm milk
- 1 sachet Yeast
- 3 tsp Caster sugar
- 1 Egg
- 40 g Butter or margarine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 g Strong bread flour
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 40 g Caster sugar and cinnamon blend
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In a bowl, add in your warm milk, yeast and sugar and leave to ferment for a few minutes.
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Add in the egg and butter and stir to combine.
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Sieve in the flour, cinnamon and salt and stir with the knife to combine.
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Prove in a greased bowl until doubled in size.
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Divide the doughnuts into 8, shape into a ball and then stick a floured wooden spoon handle through the middle to form the hole in the middle.
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Prove again until doubled in size. Again, stick the floured spoon handle through the hole to make wider and keep the shape.
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With a spatula, add your doughnuts to the hot oil. Fry for 30-60 seconds on each side until golden brown. Roll in sugar and cinnamon.