Donuts

Harry got his wish for chocolate donuts

Making fresh donuts is easy and fun, especially for kids. I saw Giada De Laurentiis do this on one of her cooking shows and I thought it was a really clever idea. Since I usually have leftover pizza dough sitting in the fridge on Sunday mornings I decided to try frying it up. 

Brad's Pizza Dough

1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1) To make the dough by hand, whisk the yeast and oil into the warm water until it is foamy.
2) Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together.
3) Work the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and not lumpy.
4) Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning so the dough is completely coated with olive oil.
5) Cover and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. You can divide again if you wish and let it rise further.

For donuts, I usually use dough that has sat overnight in the refrigerator. This gives the dough a great consistency as the yeast has had extra time to work on the flour. Just remember to let it come back up to room temperature before using it.

Stretch the dough out on a floured surface without working it too much. Cut into shapes or roll into balls as pictured above. Using a slotted spoon or very quick fingers, place the donuts into an inch of vegetable oil. The oil should be at 300 degrees or higher. I normally use one ball of dough as a test, and if it's started sizzling, we're ready to go.

Fry until golden on both sides. It takes about a minute per side. Remove and allow to cool. Roll in cinnamon and sugar or dip into icing.