Yeasted Doughnuts

Necessity is the mother of invention or doing it yourself,so I'm now looking for a great doughnut recipe and this is the first of many from Cook's Illustrated! A Krispy Creme Shop might as well be on another planet it is so far from our house and I have a 5 gallon container of Canola oil in my cold room for frying. So here is a doughnut recipe if you don’t have a doughnut cutter, you can improvise with 2 biscuit cutters: a standard size cutter (about 2½ inches) for cutting out the doughnuts and a smaller one (about 1¼ inches) for cutting out the holes. For those adept with chopsticks, long-handled cooking chopsticks are the best tool for removing the doughnuts with holes from the hot fat. Otherwise, use a slotted spoon, tongs, or Chinese skimmer. Don’t try to make this dough by hand or in a food processor; your hands or the metal blade will heat the butter too much and make the dough greasy. These doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 41 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 doughnuts

Ingredients

• 3 -3 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 - 16 1/4 ounces)
• 1  instant yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons envelope)
• 6  tablespoons sugar (plus 1 cup for rolling about 2 1/2 ounces)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup  whole milk (at room temperature)
• 2  large eggs (beaten lightly)
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool)
• 6  cups vegetable shortening (such as Crisco, for frying 40 ounces)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, 6 tablespoons sugar, and the salt. Set aside.
2. Place the milk and eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a ball of dough forms. Add the softened butter one piece at a time, waiting about 15 seconds after each addition. Continue mixing for about 3 minutes longer, adding the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the dough forms a soft ball.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 2 to 2½ hours. Place the dough onto a floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut the dough using a 2½- or 3-inch doughnut cutter, gathering the scraps and rerolling them as necessary. Place the doughnut rings and holes onto a floured baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until slightly puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fit a candy thermometer to the side of a large Dutch oven. Add the shortening to the pot and gradually heat the shortening over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place the rings and holes carefully into the hot fat 4 or 5 at a time. Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side for the holes and 45 to 60 seconds per side for the doughnuts. Remove the doughnuts from the hot oil and drain on a paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet or wire rack. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts, returning the fat to temperature between batches. Cool the doughnuts for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Roll the warm doughnuts in the remaining 1 cup sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.