Twisted Doughnuts

Twisted doughnuts are a yummy and easy-to-make dessert. These twisted doughnuts fry up crispy on the outside. While the outside has a nice crunch, the interior of the doughnut is light, fluffy, and pillowy.

The twisted doughnuts will slightly deflate with each bite, but they’ll bounce back to their original shape in a few seconds. Add half a cup of sugar to a bowl of melted butter, then add milk. Crack an egg and mix the ingredients well.

Add yeast to the ingredients, then mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and begin to work on them to form a dough. Once your dough is ready, cover it and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl after it has risen and start working on it on the baking surface. Lightly coat the surface and begin to knead the dough for a few minutes.

Cut the dough into halves, producing approximately 16 doughnuts, and shape them into dough balls. Roll the dough one by one and roll it out a bit, starting from the centre, then roll it out. Take one piece and form a rope with it.

Then, using both hands, roll both ends of the rope in opposite directions until it creates some tension. Then you hold up and keep twisting with both hands in opposite directions until it forms 3-4 twists.

Press the ends to seal them together. After forming the twists, you let them rise for a few more minutes, then you fry them. The frying is the easiest part. And then comes the coating with granulated sugar and the eating of these amazing twisted doughnuts.

Ingredients;

Doughnuts:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed to 110°F
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast, or instant yeast
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 6 Tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, softened, room temperature
• vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions;

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, yeast, and sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg until incorporated.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Attach the dough hook attachment to the stand mixer. With the mixer running on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture.
3. Once the dough starts to come together, add another 1/3 of the flour mixture.
4. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. At this point, the dough will be sticky.
5. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture.
6. Once the dough starts to form, increase the mixer speed to medium. Knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
7. Dough may still stick to the sides of the bowl, but it should be easy to scrape using a spatula or dough scraper.
8. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 30-45 minutes at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume.
9. Gently deflate the risen dough. Working on a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
10. Loosely cover the dough with a kitchen towel. Working with one piece at a time, stretch and roll the dough into a 14-inch strip.
11. To form a twist, place your hands on the ends of the rope. Roll one hand upward while simultaneously rolling another hand downward. This will cause the dough to twist.
12. Pick up the twisted dough in the centre of the rope. The tension in the twisted dough will naturally braid together.
13. Pinch the end seam together and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel and repeat with the remaining dough.
14. Allow the dough to rest for 8-10 minutes while the oil heats up. Attach the kitchen thermometer to a heavy-bottomed sauce pot.
15. Fill the pot with 2 to 3 inches of oil. Set over medium heat until oil reaches 350°F.
16. Carefully place two or three doughnut twists into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot.
17. Cook for 95 seconds on each side, until golden brown. Transfer cooked doughnuts to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
18. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Set aside until ready to coat cooked doughnuts.
19. Toss warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar coating.