Déise Dishes : Homemade Dinky Donuts

Today I made Homemade Dinky Donuts

I discovered Dinky Donuts a number of years ago during Spraoi, a Summer festival in Waterford. Ever since that magical day I try to get them as often as possible, which unfortunately is only about two or three times a year. Occasionally while walking through town I get that donutty scent and all those Summer memories come flooding back. Due to the small number of times a year they are available I had to start looking at making them myself. I was never a big fan of donuts before, all I was ever faced with was the American glazed ring donuts so beloved of Homer Simpson or the Italian zeppole along with others different assortments and peoples take on the deep-fried joy so beloved of people around the world.

I played around with a number of different recipes while coming up with perfect one. After a lot of experimenting I decided to use strong white flour as it allows for a lighter crumb. I include sugar in the dough itself so they are sweetened from within. I melt the butter in the warm milk and water which allows for a smooth and light dough. Keeping Dinky Donuts in mind I keep the donuts quite small so they are bite size rather than the regular doughnut shape. Temperature-wise I was faced with a number problems, I wanted to get a deep golden brown colour while making sure the inside remained soft and fluffy and light. As if the oil is too hot they brown too fast and don't allow the inside to cook. I found that cooking at 160C works best.

Ingredients:

60g Strong White Flour - plus dusting flour
7g dried yeast
15g Caster Sugar - plus extra for dusting
20g Butter - at room temperature
65mls Milk - warm
45mls Water - warm
1 Egg - beaten
1 Liter Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the sifted flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl and mix well with a spatula. Place the butter into a jug with the warm Milk and Water and stir until the Butter is melted. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry along with the beaten Egg and stir till in comes together and forms a ball of dough.

2. Place out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it feels smooth and elastic. This normally takes me 5-7 minutes. Put into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with some cling film or a damp towel and leave in a warm dry place until it has doubled in size - normally 40-60 minutes.

3.Shape into a log and cut into 8-10 equal pieces.

4. Take each portion, fatten it slightly then begin to work into a ball. Place all balls onto a lightly floured baking tray spacing them well apart as they will expand again during the second proofing. Cover and prove again for 30-40 minutes.

5. Heat the Oil in a large pan to 160C. I normally cook these donuts in a small pan and cook at two at a time so you can monitor how long they are cooked for and won't forget about any of them as they need to be turned. When they have reached a golden brown colour, place them out on to kitchen paper for a few seconds then place them straight into a bowel of caster sugar.