Time to Make the (Gluten-Free) Doughnuts

This will most likely be the last recipe from Gluten-Free Baking that I'll have time to make before returning it back to the library. Unless I decide to renew it, which is looking more and more likely because there are still some things in here I need to make. I bet you guys are getting tired of seeing this banner anyway. I promise the next recipe I post will be from a different book.

My kids love doughnuts. I spent some time working in a doughnut bakery years ago while I was newly pregnant with my first child, and having that sickly-sweet deep fry smell overwhelm my nostrils every morning was more than enough to put me off them for a while. Like, forever, actually. But the photo in this cookbook looks so deliciously tempting, I just had to make them.

Gluten-Free Doughnuts

1 1/3 cups (8 oz) flour blend #3
1 1/3 cup (8 oz) flour blend #4
1 1/4 tablespoon guar gum
3/4 cup (6 oz) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons instant yeast
1 1/4 ups (10 oz) milk, warmed
3/4 cup (6 oz) butter, melted
3 egg yolks
As needed for garnish: powdered sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar

Mix together the flour blends, guar gum, sugar, baking powder, and yeast. In separate bowl, mix togather milk, melted butter, and egg yolks.

 

Combine wet and dry ingredients together and blend with a mixer for 4 minutes or until completely smooth. As you can see, mine looks a bit crumbly and dry, as opposed to "completely smooth" so I was a bit concerned that I did something wrong. Again. Nevertheless, not having made these before, I wasn't sure what the dough was supposed to look like at this point, so I carried on.

Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, covered. My kitchen was rather chilly this morning, so I put mine in the oven with a dish of boiling water to add some humidity and warmth.

Place the dough in a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch opening and pipe doughnut-shaped pieces onto parchment paper. I used a disposable plastic piping bag and just cut the end off since I don't have a proper pastry tip with a 1/2-inch opening. Let me just say that the dough was really stiff (I still don't think it was supposed to be that dry) so it was hard to squeeze out of the bag. Also, it didn't want to stick together. You can see where I kind of shaped it back into one piece with my fingers.

Proof doughnuts for 20 minutes in warm, humid environment (again, stick a pan of boiling water in the oven with them and keep the door closed).

  

Fry the doughnuts, 2 or 3 at a time, in 300 degree oil for 5-6 minutes. Definitely get a thermometer for this, as the oil temperature fluctuates and needs constant watching and adjustment. Also, these wanted to fall apart on me. I usually use chopsticks to fish doughnuts out of hot oil, but for these I had to use a slotted spoon.

  

While still warm, dredge with sugar of choice. This recipe is supposed to make 20 doughnuts, but I only got 19 out of it. Well, 15 if you count the ones that made it through the frying process intact. The ones that fell apart were our "testers" so they weren't around long enough to be in the photo.

I let mine cool on a rack over a sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. The texture of these are like cake doughnuts as opposed to yeast doughnuts. Personally, I think they're a bit heavy and rather stodgy. Maybe they're not supposed to be, though. Mine don't look nearly as good as the ones in the book. Also, they're pretty bland and have an aftertaste, which isn't totally unpleasant, but I'd rather they didn't have it. The next time I make them, I think I'll add some freshly grated nutmeg to the dough. Maybe that'll help cover up the aftertaste.

Still, for gluten-free doughnuts, I don't think they came out all that bad, considering it's my first attempt. I wish they had risen more. I mean, with 3 tablespoons of yeast in there they should be raising the roof. Oh, and since these are piped instead of rolled and then cut, there are no doughnut holes, unless you pipe some.

Flour Blend #3
5.25 oz (3/4 cup) white rice flour
14.25 oz (4 cups) potato starch
1.25 oz (5 tablespoons) guar gum
3.38 oz (1/2 cup) albumen

Flour Blend #4
8 oz (1 1/2 cups) white rice flour
8 oz (1 3/4 cups) tapioca starch
8 oz (2 1/4 cups) soy flour (defatted)