Grandma's secret for perfect donuts: Just add a splash of booze
Although donuts are mainly associated with Fat Thursday, they also make a frequent appearance in my house during the carnival season. Yeast ring donuts will be perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside when you add one key ingredient to the dough.
Yeast ring donuts are a recipe for a delicious dessert that the whole family will enjoy. After the dough rises and the characteristic rings with a hole in the center are cut out, the donuts are fried. This is where problems often arise—the donuts can absorb oil excessively, becoming heavy and unpleasant for the digestive system. Grandma's trick will save the day. Just add a little alcohol.
How to prevent donuts from absorbing oil?
Frying the donuts only takes a few moments but can present a challenge. First, ensure the oil is properly heated. You can check this with a special thermometer or use a simpler method—drop a piece of dough in and observe how it behaves on the surface. If it fries and sizzles, the oil is ready.
Grandma's secret to perfect donuts is adding alcohol to the dough. This helps prevent the donuts from absorbing oil during frying. Alcohol makes the donuts fluffier, more moist, and keeps them fresh longer. It accelerates the protein coagulation process, creating a barrier against the oil.
Yeast ring donut recipe
These delicious donuts are worth making more than once a year. My family loves them, and I fry them at least several times during the carnival season.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour,
- about 2 ounces of fresh yeast,
- 2 egg yolks,
- 1 cup of milk,
- 3 tablespoons of oil,
- 5 tablespoons of sugar,
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar,
- 1 tablespoon of alcohol,
- a pinch of salt,
- oil for frying.
Preparation:
- Crumble the yeast, add a tablespoon of sugar and flour, and pour warm milk over it. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 15 minutes until the starter doubles in size.
- Pour the flour into a bowl, add the yolks, sugar, alcohol, a pinch of salt, and oil. Pour in the risen starter and knead into a smooth dough.
- Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rise for an hour.
- Roll out the risen dough to a thickness of about 0.4 inches and use a glass and a shot glass to cut out the donuts.
- Place in heated oil and fry until the donuts are golden brown on both sides.
- Place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Decorate the ready donuts with powdered sugar, glaze, or chocolate coating. Enjoy!
