Soufganyot (Berliners)
====================== 2018-12-08


Comment: The last time I used a glass of 7.8 cm (3") diameter to cut the dough patties. It's just the right size. It made me just 15 donuts. Use a pastry bag to stuff the donuts. Be careful that the jam does NOT contain CHUNKS, WHOLE FRUIT, ETC. Arrange the donuts to rise on a plate covered with parchment paper with enough flour! No more than 12 donuts on a standard plate otherwise they stick to each other.

For ~15 donuts

Ingredients:
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500 g flour
2 large eggs + 1 yolk
60 g of sugar
1 sachet of vanilla sugar (opt)
2 sachets of dry yeast (14 g total) or 1/2 cude of fresh yeast (21 g)
200 ml warm milk (~40C)
1 large pinch of salt
1 schlook brandy (cognac or rum)
1 lemon zest
Jam (without pieces) for stuffing donuts



Preparation:
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Start by preparing the yeast. In a bowl, put the warm milk (~40C), a good spoonful of the sugar and the yeast. Mix well and place in a temperate and calm place, for example the oven or the microwave, for about ten minutes (the surface of the milk must show bubbles).

In a small bowl, combine egg, zest and brandy.

In the bowl of the mixer or another bowl, put the flour, salt, sugar and vanilla sugar. Make a dip in the middle, and when the yeast is ready, pour it into the dip with the eggs mixture.

Mix and knead for a few minutes by hand or mixer until the dough is (almost) no longer sticky.

Leave it to rest in a temperate place, covered with a cloth for 1 to 2 hours until it has doubled in volume.

Spread the dough onto the worktop to approx. 1.5- cm thickness and cut discs 6 to 8 cm in diameter using a punch or a glass. Reassemble the leftover dough and cut a few more donuts.

Let dough rounds rise again (eg. in the cold or warm oven) for ~1h, the donuts should double in thickness.

Fry them over medium heat for 40 to 50 s on each side, checking that the oil is at 170/180C.

Let them stand for a few minutes on absorbent paper.

Fill them with the jam and a piping bag. I prefer to make a small notch on the side, with a sharp knife, and push inside with a finger to better inject the jam.

Finally place them on a tray and sprinkle with fine sugar using a sieve.