Brioche Donuts
Yeasted doughs are surely not my thing. The kneading part is not something I enjoy, especially since my stand mixer broke. Yet, I love brioche and its texture and richness are sure worth the effort! Mind you, these brioche donuts sure worth the effort! They rise so much and are so fluffy! Like unbelievably fluffy! These golden brown, sugary brioche donuts are a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. They surely made it to my top recipes and I just can’t wait for a new chance to make them.
Brioche is a type of French pastry that has a high content of egg and butter which give it richness and a tender crumb. Brioche dough is basically a bread dough to which we add sugar, flavorings and great amount of eggs and butter for both a better taste and a better texture. So brioche is a basic dough in French pastry, one that is versatile and can be made with dried fruits or chocolate chips inside or simply baked or fried as it is. I love the fact that you can be very creative once you’ve made the dough. It can be served as a dessert, but chefs have paired it with savory foods as well. It makes a great pair with foie gras or sausages for instance, but also a great support for sandwiches.
The first use of the word Brioche dates back to the XVth century when it was described as a spiced bread and it was considered a bread that was improved by generations of pastry chefs. In time however, by adding more and more eggs, butter or fruits, brioche became more of a dessert and less a bread for day-to-day use. Pate a brioche became a basic dough in French pastry and many products were developed having it as a base. Brioche became famous in 1782 when Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s autobiography was published. Between its pages, the writer states that a great princess is said to have advised, with regard to peasants not having bread to eat, „Let them eat brioche” which then became „let them eat cake”. The saying made sense back then however, because brioche was common in parishes across United Kingdom as blessed bread.
Brioche Donuts
Ingredients
- 20 g fresh yeast
- 110 ml lukewarm milk
- 150 g whole eggs
- 40 g egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 70 g white sugar
- 500 g bread flour (sifted)
- 3 g salt
- 100 g butter (softened)
- Granulated or powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Combine the milk and yeast and mix well. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes until bubbly.
- In another bowl, mix the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, orange zest and sugar until creamy.
- Add the milk and yeast and mix well then add the butter and give it a good mix.
- Stir in the flour and salt and knead for 10 minutes on a stand mixer or 20 minutes by hand.
- Transfer the dough in a bowl slightly greased with oil and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Transfer the dough on a floured working surface and roll it into a sheet that has between 0,5 and 1cm thickness.
- Cut out round shapes using a cookie cutter.
- Cover the cut shapes with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for another hour until double in volume.
- Heat 2 cups of oil in a deep saucepan over medium to high flame.
- Carefully drop the cut out donuts into the hot oil, making sure that the top of each donut comes in contact with the hot oil first.
- Fry the donuts briefly on each side until they become golden brown.
- Remove the donuts on paper towels then while still warm, dust them with powdered sugar or roll them through granulated sugar.
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