Thomas Keller's Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnuts

While out shopping this weekend I came across Thomas Keller's famed French Laundry cookbook and Ad Hoc At Home. While flipping through the books--to make sure they had adequate photos, which I need--I saw the doughnuts.

I was hooked.

With the French Laundry name attached, I assumed these little golden blobs of fried dough had to be good, so I grabbed the books.



Once home, I handed the recipe over to my dough machine (aka Mr. Humble) who got to work on the dough. Unfortunately for Mr. Humble, who had to work the next morning, the dough requires an overnight retardation in the refrigerator and it fell upon me to finish and eat the doughnuts the following morning.

I was not disappointed.

Pictures truly don't do the texture of these donuts justice.

Thomas Keller's doughnuts are absolutely wonderful. Probably the best homemade doughnuts I've ever had. They were gone in seconds. The busy and work bound Mr. Humble was very perturbed.

(Mother Humble ate them, it wasn't my fault none were left!)

Worse, I have another doughnut post lined up in the coming weeks. This is going to be a tough act to follow. Oh well, the perils of food blogging, right? On to the doughnuts...



Thomas Keller's Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnuts
from The French Laundry Cookbook
serves 6

Sponge
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, at room temperature
1/4 ounce compressed fresh yeast (wee little blocks of this yeast can usually be found in your grocer's cooler case)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Dough
1/4 ounce compressed fresh yeast
2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or more as needed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup egg yolks (about 3 large yolks)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Canola oil for deep-frying

Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

While this recipe calls for the use of a stand mixer, we did not use one. Mr. Humble and I rarely use our stand mixers to make yeast doughs, feeling it is best done by hand. So if you lack a mixer, don't let that stop you from making these doughnuts. I'll provide a video guide below for how best to approach a wet sticky dough such as this one.

In the bowl of your mixer, add the water and crumbled yeast. With a spoon, mix and mush the yeast into the water to dissolve. Add the flour to the bowl and using the dough hook, mix slowly until the sponge is thoroughly blended.

Transfer the sponge to a bowl and cover. Allow to proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Once it has doubled you can begin the dough.

To make the dough, add the crumbled yeast and milk to a small bowl, stirring to dissolve. Add 3/4 cup of the flour, the sugar, and salt to the bowl of your mixer. With the dough hook, mix on low speed, adding the milk and yeast mixture, followed by the egg yolks and butter. Mix for a minute to combine.

Add the proofed sponge and the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour. Continue to beat at low speed until combined. Turn up the speed slightly and knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it has formed a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems wet, it may be necessary to add 1 to 2 more tablespoons flour. Cover the bowl and let the dough proof overnight in the refrigerator.

As I mentioned above, Mr. Humble and I made this without the aid of a mixer. We hand mixed and folded the sticky dough to develop the gluten.

Richard Bertinet illustrating a french fold on a marvelously wet and sticky egg dough:


(If the embedded video isn't loading for you, try this link)

The dough will still be sticker than bertinet's after folding, so don't fret. Different dough, different hydration.

To shape the overnight-rested dough: Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out 1/2" thick. Cut out the doughnuts using a 2-inch doughnut cutter (you may also use biscuit cutters, using a smaller cutter to remove the hole). Place the doughnuts and holes onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with flour. Drape the doughnuts with a sheet of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.



At this point, the doughnuts can be frozen for several days, refrigerated, or allowed to rise at room temperature. If they're frozen, defrost them and then allow them to rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. They can be refrigerated for several hours or overnight, to rise slowly. When you remove them from the refrigerator, uncover them and let them finish proofing in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes. If they have not been refrigerated or frozen, they should rise at room temperature in about 15 minutes. Once proofed, they will have risen to approximately 3/4 inch.

To cook the doughnuts: In a deep heavy saucepan heat the canola oil for deep-frying to 325°F. Use a frying thermometer to check the temperature and be sure to bring the oil back to 325°F after frying each batch. Add the doughnuts and holes to the oil and cook for approximately 30 seconds on the first side. Flip the doughnuts and fry for 1 minute on the second side, then turn back to the first side to cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until a deep golden brown. Remove the doughnuts, drain them briefly on paper towels, and toss them in a bowl with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.



Now, when I post recipes for well-hydrated doughs I sometimes get worried emails. So I've decided to post a "helpful" guide, in web comic form, for emphasis on how to approach this particular dough. (And because drawing with a laptop touch pad entertains me. )









Until tomorrow, folks!

Birthday Giveaway Winner & Steak!

Why yes, I did recycle this image.

Afternoon folks!

Wrapping up the giveaway today. I opted not to cut out hundreds paper slips this time, deciding instead to use Random.org's number generator. I hope folks will forgive me and my lack of pretty photos to accompany the drawing.

However, I do have pretty photos of what I've been doing with my birthday gift, the SousVide. The results where a bit better than the EasyBake oven (which is now the property of the Little Humble). Up until this week I had never tried a SousVide steak, but I had heard many amazing things about it.

So, is the hype true?

Being able to make steaks like this fills me with a sense of tremendous power.
As though I could make hungry, carnivorous men do anything I wanted... anything.
Even fold laundry.


Yes.

So good, that while I was having my lunch of SousVide test-steak, I was sending text messages. Knife in one hand, phone in the other, telling folks I was eating the most amazing steak and maybe using one or two choice curse words for emphasis.

Coarse Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper & Butter
The basics, ready to be dropped into the warm water bath.

Who would of thought a steak cooked in a pot of 130°F water in a plastic bag could be so uncannily tender and good? Quickly sear the steak in a hot cast iron skillet with a little butter and... nom.

No doubt, this machine being offered up to home cooks strikes terror in the heart of steak house restaurants everywhere.



Granted, the machine is really expensive as far as kitchen appliances go (serious $$$). Had it not been given to me, I'm not certain that I would have bought one, as it seems like an extravagance for someone who eats meat rather infrequently (though, I'm sure it's usefulness isn't limited just to perfect steaks).

For folks who wish to try cooking SousVide style without the price tag, I'm almost certain that you could do the exact same thing with some patience, a Foodsaver, and a good digital probe thermometer. In fact I see it being done here, here and here.

Sous vide for the steak hungry masses!
(and for those who need their laundry folded for them)

---

Okay, let's get down to the birthday Giveaway! Sorry to keep the anxious folks waiting while I talked about steak.

So, last week I collected all of the entrant's IDs/Email addresses and added them to a rather lengthy spread sheet. With one quick click at Random.org, I selected the my Birthday Giveaway's winner...



Number 145! Come on down!

Let's see... the lucky person occupying the 145th cell on my spreadsheet was...

Jamie! Congratulations.

Hello again, and happy birthday!

The one thing I really need is a new knife set. My boyfriend and I recently moved, and as we no longer have roommates, we no longer have their fantastic knife set. My mom has offered me her old knife set, but I think that thing is older than I am, and the years have not been kind to it.

I'm currently a student (studying molecular and cellular biology! and my boyfriend is on the job search, so we don't have much money to drop on a nice set. I follow you here and on facebook. Thanks!

Jamie

Jamie, as someone who has gone through her fair share of decent quality knives (sets of J. A. Henckels, Global, Wüsthof and Shun) I'm a big fan of my Globals and the ridiculously sharp edges I can keep on them. They cut far better than some of the more expensive chef knives I've worked with. They have great balance, they're light weight so my hand doesn't tire out and with maintenance, they're sharp as a scalpel. A bit dangerous, actually. They glide through food so easily that I actually cut myself a few times when I first started working with them.

Cooking for engineer's has a great writeup on knives for folks shopping around.

Happy shopping Jamie! I'll be in contact via email soon.

To everyone else, thanks for taking the time to read my blog and enter. I really enjoy seeing folks come out of the woodwork to talk about kitchen gear and things they want to make (am I weird?). Jerry, get that Chef's Choice sharpener, I have it and it rocks. Dimi, the set of copper canelé molds is exactly what I would have spent the certificate on. They're just not the same when made in silicone (sigh).


To CSN, thanks again for letting me host a giveaway from your site.

I'll see everyone tomorrow. I have something yummy prepared.

-- Ms. H

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Happy Monday All!

August is here! (Thank goodness) Hopefully this signals an end to the craziness that was July and I can get back into my blogging groove. It has been hard to hole up indoors when there are so few sunny days in this part of the world. Mr Humble and the Little Humble have been demanding a few less desserts and a few more hours of sunshine.

The throwing of river rocks is best done
outside of the Humble Kitchen

However the mornings are beginning to be foggy and chilly once again and we've been spending more and more time indoors. This has resulted in some real time in the kitchen and I have plenty lined up for this week.

Mother Humble is in town visiting as well, helping herself to all my butter and whatever I'm currently turning out, be it gelato, pastries or today's cheesecake. The rapidly disappearing butter has been made up for by her trip to the local farmers market and I am flush with oodles of local fresh fruit.



The plan was to make jams but since that hasn't materialized, I'm stealing some for this week's cooking and today's desert: Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake



Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
serves 8-10
adapted from Martha Stewart Living May 2004
(cupcake version can be found in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)
1 cup (5oz) finely ground graham crackers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 packages (32 ounces total) cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

pot boiling water, for the roasting pan

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

Place a 9" spring form pan onto a double layer of wide aluminum foil. Wrap up the sides of the pan to make it water tight. You don't want any foil seams or edges on the bottom or low on the sides of the pan, or water may creep in while it is baking.

Combine the graham crackers, 2 tablespoons sugar and the melted butter in a large bowl and mix. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of your spring form pan. I find that a flat bottomed ramekin or coffee cup is useful for pressing the crumbs evenly and tightly into the pan.

Bake the crust until set, roughly 10 minutes and then allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Reduce your oven's temperature to 325°F.

Purée the raspberries and then strain out the seeds and any solids. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the strained puree. Pour into a small sauce pan and bring the raspberry sauce to a bare simmer over medium low heat. Reduce the sauce for 1-2 minutes until it has thickened slightly and then set aside to cool.

In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy (roughly 3 minutes). Reduce the mixer's speed to low and add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a slow steady stream. Beat in the salt and vanilla and then on low speed, beat in the eggs, one at at time. Adding the next after the first has been incorporated. Take care not to over mix as the eggs can trap air in the batter and this leads to all sorts of cheesecake trouble.

Once you've mixed in the last egg, pour the batter into your prepared crust. Dot the top of the batter with drops of the raspberry sauce and with a knife or wooden skewer, swirl the surface of the batter to create the marbled effect. Reserve the remaining sauce for garnishing later.







Set the cake into a large roasting pan and place into the oven. Carefully ladle the boiling water into the roasting pan. Fill the pan no higher than the lowest edge of the foil, or you run the risk of baking a cheesecake soup.

Bake until the cake is puffy and set but the center is still has a slight wobble. This will take approximately 65 minutes.

If your oven tends to brown your cheesecake, lightly tent the pan with foil.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and allow to chill overnight (or a minimum of 6 hours).

To serve, run a knife around the edge of the cake to release from the pan and remove the spring form collar.

Slice with a damp clean knife

Serve slices with a little (or a lot) of the remaining raspberry sauce.



Enjoy!

Note on the giveaway: I mentioned I would do the drawing sometime last week, however I'm still waiting to have the gift certificate in hand. To all of you eagerly awaiting to see if you're $150 richer in CSN kitchen swag, patience. Once I have the certificate, will do the final announcement.