Recipe of the week: doughnuts by Al and Kitty Tait
Wrap the dough around a chunk of chocolate, giving it a gorgeous gooey centre
Our doughnuts have a twist, say Al and Kitty Tait, of the Orange Bakery in Watlington, Oxfordshire. We wrap the dough around a chunk of chocolate, giving it a gorgeous gooey centre. There’s a whole world of possibility – Terry’s Chocolate Orange, the entire cast of Celebrations, Snickers Bites. The choice is yours.
Makes 25 doughnuts
Ingredients:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 80g caster sugar, plus extra for coating
- 7g instant dried yeast (2 tsp or a whole sachet)
- 10g fine sea salt
- zest of one lemon or orange (optional)
- 4 eggs
- 150ml water
- 125g soft unsalted butter
- chunk of your favourite chocolate bar (optional)
- vegetable or sunflower oil for deep frying
Method:
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and citrus zest, if using. Crack in the eggs and pour in the water. Give everything a good mix and then knead for 4mins until you have no visible patches of dry flour left. This is a very wet dough, so an electric stand mixer is the best option.
- Gradually incorporate the butter (a small chunk at a time) until your dough is smooth and elastic. Place a cover over the top and leave for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. Knock back the dough and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. This dough really needs to be chilled before you handle it.
- Take your dough from the fridge and cut it into 30-40g pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. If you want to add a hidden chocolate filling, simply roll the ball of dough around your chosen treat. Place the balls on a floured baking tray with plenty of room between them so they can prove without merging. Cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm, cosy place to prove for 2-3 hours.
- Fill a heavy-bottomed pan or deep-fat fryer halfway with vegetable or sunflower oil. Heat the oil to 180°C. Working in batches, deep fry the doughnuts until well browned (about 1 or 2 mins) and then flip them over with a fork to cook on the other side. Drain well on kitchen paper and roll in a bowl of caster sugar until well coated. If you want to go really fancy, you can flavour the sugar with some cinnamon or ginger.
Taken from Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives by Al Tait and Kitty Tait, published by Bloomsbury at £20. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £15.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A growing iodine deficiency could bring back America's goiter
Under the Radar Ailment is back thanks to complacency, changing diets and a lack of public-health education
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 10, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - civic duty, uncertain waters, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 ladylike cartoons about women's role in the election
Cartoons Artists take on the political gender gap, Lady Liberty, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Juror #2: Clint Eastwood's 'cleverly constructed' courtroom drama is 'rock solid'
The Week Recommends Nicholas Hoult stars in 'morally complex' film about a juror on a high-profile murder case
By The Week UK Published
-
Explore a timeless corner of Spain by bike
The Week Recommends Take a 'dawdling route through the back-country' far from the tourism hotspots
By The Week UK Published
-
Saoirse Ronan: how the actress went viral
In the Spotlight The actress dropped a 'chat-icide bomb' on Graham Norton's BBC show
By The Week UK Published
-
Edmund de Waal on this year's Booker Prize shortlist
The Week Recommends The chair of judges details works by Rachel Kushner, Percival Everett and others
By The Week UK Published
-
Griddled salmon and vegetables with miso and melted butter recipe
The Week Recommends Hokkaido comfort food classic with a delicious twist
By The Week UK Published
-
Shattered: Hanif Kureishi's 'inspirational' memoir of accident that left him paralysed
The Week Recommends 'Exhilarating' book is composed of diary entries dictated to his son Carlo
By The Week UK Published
-
Dr. Strangelove: is stage adaptation of iconic film a 'foolish' move?
Talking Point Steve Coogan puts on a dazzling performance in show that falls short of 'the real thing'
By The Week UK Published
-
Small Things Like These: 'stylish' Irish drama 'casts a powerful spell'
The Week Recommends 'Stylish' drama starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted father
By The Week UK Published