Early Dutch settlers in New York probably introduced the other colonists to doughnuts, a fried bread called olie-koechken in their homeland. Later American cooks added the hole, perhaps as a way of eliminating soggy dough in the center. Cake doughnuts, unlike the original yeast-raised variety, are a baking powder-and-soda-fueled quick bread, a style that developed after those commercial leavenings appeared more than a century ago. These came from home kitchens and still taste best fresh out of the pan. You need to control the temperature of the cooking oil with a thermometer, but the rest of the preparation is a breeze. From “A Real American Breakfast,” makes 16 3-inch doughnuts.
Ingredients
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap — it’s too strong)
Peanut oil for deep-frying
Sugar
Directions
Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs and yolk, sugar and molasses. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix with a minimum of strokes until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Lightly flour a work surface. Turn dough out onto it and gently pat to about an inch-thick circle. Roll dough to exactly 1/2-inch thickness. (Thicker results in doughy doughnuts; thinner in too much crispy surface, too little middle.)
Use a doughnut cutter to cut out the doughnuts. (Or use a 3-inch biscuit cutter and cut the center holes with an apple corer. The center holes can also be cut freehand with a small knife. Cut the holes 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches across.) Reroll dough gently as needed to form all of it into doughnuts.
Warm 3-4 inches of oil to 370 degrees in a deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven (preferably cast iron for best heat retention). Spoon out several tablespoons of sugar onto a plate. Add 3 or 4 doughnuts to the oil, which will drop the oil temperature to 360 degrees. Adjust heat as needed to keep it at 360 degrees. The doughnuts will first sink to the bottom. As soon as they rise to the top, in seconds, turn them gently with tongs and cook 40-45 seconds, then turn again and cook for another 45 seconds or so. They will brown because of the molasses in the dough. Drain on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with sugar on the top or both sides. Serve hot.
