Yields 14-18 doughnuts
🖤 You'll want to begin this recipe the night before– allowing the dough to rest in the fridge will allow the flavours to develop. An hour or two of rest will be just fine, if you're in a pinch.
🖤 This will yield 14-18 doughnuts, depending on your size preference. You can roll out the dough to an inch thick, on a floured work surface, and use a cookie or doughnut cutter 2-3 inches in diameter, or roll them into balls (my preference) – use a scale, to ensure evenly sized doughnuts. Use
this guide for rolling and shaping.
🖤 You'll need a kitchen thermometer, for frying/ maintaining the temperature of the oil.
Espresso Chai Custard:- 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 tablespoons expresso
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 42 grams cornstarch, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of cloves and allspice
- Pinch of sea salt
i) In a medium sized saucepan whisk together all the ingredients and heat on medium-high until you reach a simmer– it should just start bubbling on the sides; you don't want it to come to a full boil. Lower the temperature to medium-low and stir continuously, using a rubber spatula, until the mixture is very thickened and the spatula leaves a trail when stirred through. Immediately remove from the heat and run the custard through a fine mesh sieve, into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap (this will prevent a film from forming) and place in the fridge to cool completely.
ii) Once cooled and you're ready to fill your doughnuts, give the custard a good whisk, to loosen and smooth out. If it's still lumpy, you can give the whole thing a quick blend, for an entirely silky custard.
Doughnuts:- 1 cup (240ml) plant based milk
- 4 teaspoons (12 grams) dry active yeast
- 515 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 60 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 115 g (8 tablespoons) vegan butter (very soft at room temperature, cubed)
To make the dough:
i) In a small saucepan, heat the plant-based milk on low, until just lukewarm to the touch. Add the yeast and stir. Set aside to proof for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
ii) In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt. Once the yeast is proofed (it should be foamy at the surface), whisk in the vanilla and yogurt. Add this to the bowl of the stand mixer, with the dry ingredients, and knead on low/medium– 1-2 on a KitchenAid– until a shaggy dough comes together (~1-2 minutes). Add in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Continue to knead, on medium, until a smooth, elastic dough forms (another 11-14 minutes).
iv) Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest for 60-90 minutes– it should be almost doubled in size.
v) Once this first rise is done, punch down the dough to deflate it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour (preferably overnight).
Frying & Assembly:- 2.5 x 2.5 inch parchment squares (14-18), for the dough balls
- 1 L neutral/vegetable oil, for frying – the oil should be about 2 inches deep in the pot
- Spiced sugar, for coating the finished doughnuts (recipe below
For the Espress-Spiced Sugar Coating:- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cardamom, espresso or instant coffee powder
- 1/2 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, ground ginger
- Pinch of cloves and allspice
Fry & Fill the Doughnuts:i) On 2 large cookie sheets/ baking trays, line up and grease the parchment squares. This will make it easier to put the dough into oil, when ready to fry. Take the dough out from the fridge, divide it into 14-18 evenly sized portions (use a scale if you have one). Roll the portions into smooth, taut balls, pinching together any openings– again,
use this as a guide, if you need!
ii) Place each dough ball onto a piece of greased parchment, lay a towel or piece of plastic wrap over the top, and allow to rise for 60-75 minutes. If your kitchen is cold or you live in a cooler climate, I'd recommend putting the baking trays into your oven (not turned on!) with a bowl, or two, of just-boiled water. You'll know the dough is proofed and ready when it's about doubled in size, and bounces back when poked, while still leaving a slight indent.
iii) Meanwhile (when your dough is approx. 20 minutes away from being finished proofing), heat your oil in a large pot, set over medium heat. Once the oil reaches 350F on your thermometer, it's ready for frying. Keep the thermometer attached, to ensure temperature consistency. You'll likely need to increase or decrease the heat as you're frying– anywhere between 340-365ish is good. Prepare and line a cooling rack, or two, with paper towels, for the just-fried doughnuts.
iv) Lifting with the parchment, gently flip the proofed doughnuts in (2-3 at a time only; don't overcrowd) and fry for 1 ½ - 2 minutes before flipping and frying for another 1 ½ - 2 minutes. They should be golden, puffed, with a "tan line". Lift each doughnut out using a mesh or slotted spoon (or tongs), and place them on the cooling rack lined with paper towel. Repeat this with the rest of the doughnuts, rolling each doughnut in the spiced sugar, after 1-2 minutes of cooling. Allow the doughnuts to cool completely before filling.
v) Using a small, sharp knife, poke a deep hole into the side of each doughnut– you'll want the opening to be big enough to fit a large piping tip. Fill a piping bag, with a large round tip, with the custard (after whisking or blending). Pipe a generous amount into each doughnut– not overflowing, but just starting to ooze from the top. Enjoy soon after. Xx
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