Next week I’m running a week-long Cookery School for 6-11 year olds and for the last week I’ve been busy finalising arrangements and testing recipes. Each day is themed and one of the days is America. We couldn’t do an American themed day without making doughnuts and the fact I have a slight fear of frying, especially around children, this had to be a baked recipe. You can buy doughnut tins but part of my business ethos is about making cookery accessible for all. Having to buy a special tin doesn’t make it accessible.
The doughnut base is a rich, sweetened, yeasted dough. To begin with it is quite rough and sticky, but the more you knead the dough the smoother and silkier it becomes. For children it’s a lovely dough to work with because it’s almost like soft Play-Doh. The dough could be shaped in different ways. Who says you can’t have a heart or hedgehog shaped doughnut? I did attempt some ring doughnuts but they closed up during baking. If you wanted ring shapes just make the rings thin and spread them out to give the dough sufficient space to rise.
These doughnuts are baked with the jam already inside them. You can pipe the jam (or custard if your that way inclined) into the middle after they have been baked but it can be quite tricky unless you have a scary looking Bismark piping tube that is long enough to get to the centre. You have to admit, an asymmetrically filled doughnut is a disappointing doughnut.
If you like doughnuts you should really try this recipe. I was surprised how good they tasted and because they have been baked rather then fried surely they have to be better for you. I’m sure my pupils next week will really enjoy this recipe.
Baked Jam Doughnuts
Makes 12
Based on BBC Good Food recipe
200g strong white bread flour
1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
25g butter
1 tsp fast action yeast
1 egg
75ml (5 tbsp) milk
4 tbsp jam
for the coating
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp cold water
85g caster sugar
1) In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar and salt then rub in the butter.
2) Heat the milk for 20 seconds in the microwave so it is hand hot. Add the yeast, beaten egg and heated milk to the flour and mix until you have a soft dough.
3) Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 mins, or until you have a soft dough. Place back in bowl, cover bowl with clingfilm and allow to rise for 1 hour.
4) Knock the dough back then split into 12 equal sized balls.
5) Flatten out each ball until it is a disk approximately 9cm in diameter. Place 1 tsp of jam in the centre then fold over the edges of the dough to encase the jam. If need be use a small amount of water to help seal the dough. Place well spaced on a lined baking tray.
6) Cover and allow to rise again for 30 min.
7) Bake at 180oc for 10 minutes or until the doughnuts are risen and golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes while you sort out the topping.
8 ) In a bowl mix together the icing sugar and water. Dip the doughnuts in this sugary mix first then coat in the caster sugar. Allow to dry and cool before trying to eat them without licking your lips.
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deepa / lazy giraffe
August 2, 2011 at 4:19 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
They look *just* like proper doughnuts. I’ve seen a few for baked doughnuts around, definitely something to investigate, I’m not a big fan of deep frying.
Chele
August 2, 2011 at 4:57 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
You and I are on the same wave length!! I made baked doughnuts at the weekend too, not the same recipe though I am now keen to give this one a try … purely for research purposes of course ;0)
purelyfood
August 2, 2011 at 5:46 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Such a great idea. Like you I can not bring myself to deep fry anything but I’d never looked in to baked doughnuts. Great to hear they taste good too.
Holly @ Recipes from a normal mum
August 2, 2011 at 7:21 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I too am scared of deep frying, with or without toddlers! Great idea. Must try these. x
Anne
August 2, 2011 at 11:41 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Oooh they look fabulous! And yes must surely be healthy being baked….!
Linda
August 3, 2011 at 1:54 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
these look delish; could you say a bit more about the folding over business? like an envelope maybe? and then nudge them back into a round shape?
Jules
August 3, 2011 at 6:37 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hi Linda,
Fold over the edges to the middle so they are overlapping and hiding the jam. Then shape the dough back in to a ball.
Hope this helps
Jules
thingswemake.co.uk
August 4, 2011 at 9:50 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I do love a doughnut, yet hate bought ones…so perhaps I should give these a try. They look delicious!
Tor
August 10, 2011 at 11:10 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m not usually a doughnut fan, but these look beautiful! They look nice and simple too, should be a good use for some of the strong flour we have knocking about in the cupboard.
Elaine Livingstone
March 9, 2012 at 9:28 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
mmmmmm you have made me go search for egg/dairy/gluten free recipes fr doughnuts – and I found them, project for tuesday
Jules
March 13, 2012 at 7:30 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Good luck, let me know how you get on.
Teewai
June 6, 2012 at 9:53 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Whoaw, sounds and looks good to me, I should try this soonest, could u pls emphasis a little more on the icing sugar and water aspect, that I didn’t get a better understanding of!!
Jules
June 6, 2012 at 10:08 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Ok, mix together the water and icing (powdered) sugar so you have a sweet, sticky water. Dunk the doughnuts in this sweet water then roll in the caster sugar ( you could also use granulated sugar). I hope this helps.
kit
August 7, 2012 at 2:33 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
mine exploded of sorts when baking & the jam leaked out. i did pinch the dough well after putting in the jam. any tips on what i did wrong??
they are soooo yummy though and fantastic that dont have to deep fry so thank you for the recipe
Jules
August 7, 2012 at 6:46 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
The best thing I can suggest is try putting a little less jam in next time.
Karen
October 13, 2012 at 3:56 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Could you make them plain without jam and then coat with chocolate. If so what chocolate topping would you recommend.
Jules
October 13, 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Karen, yes you could make them plain and coat with chocolate. I think the best type of topping would be like what you put on éclairs/profiteroles. Follow Mary’srecipe here http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/mary-berry/chocolate-profiteroles-recipe
Dreams « Butcher, Baker
August 15, 2011 at 1:43 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] along with Cake & Biscuit decorating. Over the 4 days we cooked from over 18 recipes including baked doughnuts, pasta, pizza, homemade lemonaid, jelly boats, bean burgers and the intrigingly named freezer bag [...]
Celebrate This: Cream-filled Donut Day | Life of the Party
September 14, 2011 at 2:03 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] kids are going to go do-nuts for this next recipe for Baked Jam Donuts. The clever cook behind Butcher, Baker bakes more than just love into these bite-size bits of [...]
Pasta for beginners « Butcher, Baker
January 3, 2012 at 7:11 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] boats we were going to make are not suitable for vegetarians (thank goodness for vege-gel). The baked jam doughnutsI tested earlier on in the week are for the American day and the pasta is for the Italian day. [...]
Dreams » Butcher, Baker
January 21, 2012 at 8:50 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] along with Cake & Biscuit decorating. Over the 4 days we cooked from over 18 recipes including baked doughnuts, pasta, pizza, homemade lemonaid, jelly boats, bean burgers and the intrigingly named freezer bag [...]
Pasta for beginners » Butcher, Baker
January 21, 2012 at 8:51 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
[...] boats we were going to make are not suitable for vegetarians (thank goodness for vege-gel). The baked jam doughnutsI tested earlier on in the week are for the American day and the pasta is for the Italian day. [...]