Description
These soft, long South African doughnuts are fried until lightly golden, dipped in cinnamon sugar syrup, then finished with a generous swirl of buttercream/fresh cream and a sprinkle of Flake. They’re a little messy, a little indulgent and exactly the sort of homemade treat that makes you reach for just one more.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough
- 375 ml milk, lukewarm
- 40 g butter, softened
- 10 g instant yeast, 1 packet
- 1 large egg
- 40 g white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 5 ml - 1 tsp nutmeg
- 500 g cake flour, approximately 4 cups
- 1 litre vegetable oil, approximately, for frying
- For an eggless version: Replace the egg with 3 tbsp melted butter, cooled slightly before adding. The dough may feel a little richer, so add it gradually and adjust the texture with a small splash of milk if needed.
Cinnamon sugar syrup
- 750 ml - 3 cups water
- 750 ml - 3 cups white sugar
- 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
Buttercream
- 250 g salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 500 ml - 2 cups icing sugar
- 25 ml - 2 tbsp milk
- 1 Flake chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Warm 375 ml milk until lukewarm, not hot. Stir in 40 g white sugar until dissolved, then add 10 g yeast. Cover and leave it for 5 to 7 minutes. It should become foamy on top. If nothing happens, check that the milk wasn’t too hot or too cold and make sure the yeast is still within its best before date.
- In a large bowl, sift 500 g cake flour, 1 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Add 40 g softened butter and rub it through the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- Add 1 large egg, then pour in the foamy milk and yeast mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms. If you’re making the dough eggless, add 3 tbsp melted butter instead of the egg, making sure the butter has cooled slightly first.
- Knead the dough in an electric mixer for about 7 minutes, or knead by hand for about 15 minutes. You’re looking for a smooth, soft dough that feels slightly tacky but isn’t wet or impossible to handle. If it feels very sticky, add a little flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Don’t add too much, or the doughnuts can turn out heavy.
- Cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm, draught free place for about 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down gently to release the excess air. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough for another 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 10 to 12 portions. Roll each portion into a long, even piece, keeping them roughly the same thickness so they cook evenly. Place them on a lightly floured tray, leaving a little room between each one. Cover loosely and leave them to rest for another 30 minutes, or until noticeably puffed.
- While the dough is resting, make the cinnamon sugar syrup. Add 3 cups water, 3 cups white sugar and 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside. You want the syrup ready before the doughnuts are fried.
- Heat approximately 1 litre vegetable oil in a deep, heavy saucepan to about 175⁰C (350⁰F). The oil needs to be hot enough to cook the doughnuts without making them greasy, but not so hot that they brown before the centre is cooked.
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit lengthwise down the centre of each doughnut, cutting about one quarter of the way through the dough. Don’t cut all the way through. This gives you the familiar long doughnut shape and leaves a little space for the topping later.
- Carefully fry 3 doughnuts at a time, turning them frequently with tongs or a slotted spoon. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they’re evenly light brown and cooked through. Don’t overcrowd the pot because adding too many at once will drop the oil temperature.
- Remove the cooked doughnuts with a slotted spoon and let the excess oil drain briefly.
- While they’re still warm, dip each doughnut into the cinnamon sugar syrup, turning it so the outside gets lightly coated. Don’t leave them sitting in the syrup, as they can become soggy. A quick dip is enough to give you that slightly crisp outside with a soft centre.
- Place the syrup dipped doughnuts on a rack or tray and allow them to cool completely before decorating.
- For the buttercream, beat 250 g softened salted butter with an electric beater until smooth and creamy. Gradually add 2 cups icing sugar, then beat in 2 tbsp milk. Continue beating for about 8 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice, until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- Pipe the buttercream into the slit in each cooled doughnut. Scatter the broken pieces from 1 Flake chocolate bar over the buttercream.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Thilleshni
