Making Ring Doughnuts: Frying Without The Fryer

Making ring doughnuts without a deep fryer is a less messy, healthier alternative to the traditional method. There are several ways to make ring doughnuts without deep frying them, including baking, air frying, and shallow frying in a pan. These methods require less oil, resulting in a reduced-calorie treat. While deep-fried doughnuts are cooked by being fully submerged in hot oil, these alternative methods use other means to achieve a similar result.

Preparing the dough

To make ring doughnuts without a deep fryer, you'll first need to make the dough. In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar and salt. You can also add spices like nutmeg and cinnamon at this stage for extra flavour. The exact quantities of each ingredient will vary depending on your recipe, but a good rule of thumb is to use around 250g of flour and 7g of yeast for a standard batch of doughnuts.

Once your dry ingredients are combined, you can start adding the wet ingredients. Mix in milk, egg and vanilla extract with your hands or a wooden spoon until you have a rough dough. If you're using active dry yeast, you'll need to dissolve it in warm water before adding the other wet ingredients. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp cloth and set it aside for about 30 minutes to let the dough rest.

After the dough has rested, it's time to knead it. You can do this by hand on a lightly floured surface or using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes by hand or 5-8 minutes in a stand mixer until it becomes springy and glossy. This process develops the gluten in the dough, which gives the doughnuts their characteristic chewy texture.

Next, work softened butter into the dough. This will take about 5 minutes, and at first, the dough may seem like it's not coming together. Keep working it through your fingers, and it will eventually become smooth and glossy again. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl.

Now it's time for the first proof. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until it has nearly doubled in size. The warmth encourages the yeast to feed on the sugars in the dough, producing air bubbles that give the doughnuts their light texture.

Once the dough has risen, you can start shaping it. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 2cm. Use circular cutters or the top of a drinking glass to cut out circles in the dough, and then use a smaller cutter or the lid of a bottle to cut out the centres, creating the classic ring shape. Re-roll any scraps to get as many doughnuts as possible.

Shaping the doughnuts

Start by gently kneading the dough again after it has risen. This step is important to remove any air bubbles that may have formed during the rising process. A gentle knead of just a few seconds will suffice.

Next, you will need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Lightly flour your work surface and the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/2 inch (or 2 cm). This thickness will ensure that your doughnuts are light and fluffy.

Now it's time to cut out the doughnuts. Using a circular cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass, cut out circles from the rolled-out dough. For the classic ring doughnut shape, you will need two different-sized cutters or glasses. The larger one should be about 3-4 inches (7.5-9 cm) in diameter, and the smaller one for the centre holes should be about 1.5 inches (4 cm) in diameter. Place the cutters close together to ensure a wide ring.

Remove the centres of the circles with the smaller cutter to create the rings. You can also use the small cutter to stamp out the middles from the larger cutter to ensure uniformity. Re-roll any scraps to cut out more doughnuts.

Arrange the rings on a lightly oiled tray or baking sheet, leaving some space between them to allow for rising. Cover the rings with cling film or a clean tea towel to prevent them from drying out.

At this stage, you can also form balls instead of rings if you want to make jam-, chocolate-, or custard-filled doughnuts. These will take a little longer to cook, and you can tell they are done when they sound hollow when tapped and feel lighter in weight.

Now, let the doughnuts rise again in a warm place. This second rise is essential to ensure light and airy doughnuts. Cover them loosely and allow them to rise for about 40 minutes to an hour, or until nearly doubled in size.

Once the doughnuts have risen, they are ready to be fried or baked, depending on your preferred method.

Proving the doughnuts

After kneading the dough, it's time to let it rise. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil and place the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or cling film, and let the dough rise in a warm, draught-free place. This first rise should take around an hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen, and the dough should almost double in size. A good indicator of whether the dough has risen enough is if you can gently press your finger into it and the indentation remains.

Once the dough has risen, it's time to shape and prove it again. Gently deflate the dough by kneading it just a few times to get the air out. Then, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness (usually around 1/2-inch to 2 cm). Use cutters or a cookie cutter to stamp out the doughnut shapes and create the rings. Re-roll any remaining dough trimmings to get as many doughnuts as possible.

Arrange the shaped doughnuts on a lightly oiled or greased baking tray, leaving some space between them to allow for expansion. Cover them again with a clean tea towel or cling film. Now, for the second proving, leave the doughnuts in a warm place for another 2-3 hours, or even in the fridge overnight. This second proving is essential for the lightness of the doughnuts, and a longer prove will also give them more flavour. You'll know they're ready when they've nearly doubled in size again.

After the second rise, your doughnuts are almost ready to be fried. The proving process is crucial in doughnut-making as it allows the yeast in the dough to work, producing air pockets that give the doughnuts their characteristic light and airy texture. By allowing enough time for the dough to rise and prove, you'll ensure your doughnuts turn out fluffy and delicious.

Frying the doughnuts

Now for the fun part: frying! You'll want to fill a large, deep saucepan halfway with sunflower oil and heat it to 180°C/380°F. You can also use a deep fat fryer if you have one. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for filling and heating the oil.

While the oil is heating, grab a slotted metal spoon or fish slice. You'll use this to carefully place your doughnuts into the hot oil. Once the oil is hot, it's time to start frying! Place two doughnuts into the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until they're golden brown. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove them from the oil, and place them on a sheet of kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Repeat this process with the remaining doughnuts.

It's important to maintain the right oil temperature while frying. If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will brown too quickly. If it's not hot enough, they may absorb too much oil and become greasy. So keep an eye on the temperature and adjust the heat as needed.

Once all your doughnuts are fried, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. This will help keep them crisp as they cool.

Glazing the doughnuts

The glaze is the crowning glory of a ring doughnut, and you can get creative with colours and toppings. For a basic glaze, you will need icing sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. You can also add food colouring to create a unique look.

First, mix the vanilla extract into the icing sugar. Then, slowly add milk and mix until you have a thin, runny icing. If you prefer a thicker glaze, simply add less milk. You can also add food colouring to the glaze at this stage. Once you have achieved the desired consistency, spoon the glaze over the doughnuts, coating them evenly.

For an extra special touch, decorate the glazed doughnuts with toppings of your choice. Freeze-dried raspberries or chocolate curls are great options, but you can also experiment with other toppings like crushed nuts, sprinkles, or desiccated coconut. Be sure to add the toppings while the glaze is still wet so they stick properly.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can also try different glaze flavours. For example, mix cocoa powder with the icing sugar for a chocolate glaze, or add a squeeze of lemon juice for a tangy citrus glaze. The possibilities are endless, so feel free to experiment and find your favourite combinations!

Frequently asked questions