Glazed Donuts – In Search of the “Real Krispy Kreme Recipe”

 

When I see a recipe on a blog or facebook, I always read the comments.  Crazy but hardly, or let’s say almost never do I see a comment from someone who has actually tried the recipe.  I see stuff like I’m gonna try this, it looks yummy, etc about 25% .  Negative comments about the recipe 50%, and negative about trying it the other 25%.  Ya know, like why the heck should I work that hard when I can just go buy it.  Ya know, I get ticked and yell at my computer.  Don’t people post recipes because they want to share with those who will try them? Geez!

 

So I think about the comments and the only question semi worthy of a response is why make it.  Several reasons come to mind.  Some people live where they can’t just go a block and buy the real deal.  Sometimes, the real deal disappears.  Take Kenny Rogers Chicken for instance. Plus, some of us just like the satisfaction of doing things.  I can think of more, but I’ve ranted enough.

 

Why am I telling you this?  It happens every time I search for a so called “copy cat recipe.”  Ok, to be fair, I have seen a few (very few) constructive comments.  Like today while looking at a “real Krispy Kreme recipe” a lady asked about cream of tarter and commented that it was an ingredient that makes a donut “melt in your mouth.”  I’ll take a look at that.

 

Copycat searches are a lesson in patience.  In my search for the Krispy Kreme, I have tried several that are touted as being “finally, the real recipe.”  Very few come even close.  One guy put the “secret ingredient” of baked potatoes in his recipe.  Really, ya think Krispy Kreme bakes a bunch of taters and has somebody back there peeling them and not one employee dimes them off to us copy cat searchers?  C’mon!  If potato was the secret, don't you think they'd just use potato flour?

 

My brother,,who was in the restaurant business most of his life, tells me “the best recipes are usually the simplest.”  I find that to be true.

 

To date, I haven’t duplicated Krispy Kremes, but today I found one that’s pretty good and I’ll share it.

 

It comes from the Yummy Recipes FaceBook page and was apparently submitted by pseudonym “.leannebakes.”  at www.leannebakes.com.  Yummy Recipes has been on FaceBook less than two months and already has close to 5000 Likes.  So thanks Yummy Recipes and .leannebakes for the recipe.

 

Here it is as given on leannebakes.com.  I use this one because it’s just a tad different from her post on Yummy and I think it’s the better of the two.  Then afterwards I’ll give you my comments and modifications.

 Glazed Doughnut Recipe

 

3 tbsp. milk

3 tbsp. boiling water

2 tsp dried active yeast

8 oz plain flour (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 oz sugar (about 3 tbsp.)

1 egg beaten

1 oz butter

1/2 tsp salt

Enough oil to cover the bottom a few inches of a wok, or a deep fryer.

Directions:

In a large measuring jug, combine the milk and boiling water.  Add a teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast.  Stir it gently, then leave it in a warm place for the yeast to activate.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the rest of the sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry blender, until it resembles crumbs.

Add the beaten egg and yeast mixture to the flour mix, and blend into a smooth dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured counter and knead for about 10 minutes- it should feel springy and little bubbles should form under the surface. Place it back in the bowl, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour until double in size.

Once risen, place the dough onto the counter and stretch into a long rectangle (about 14 in by 4 inches).  Cut strips about an inch wide, and shape them into circles (much like you would a bagel).

Cover the doughnuts with a cloth while you heat he oil to 375F.

Place the doughnuts into the oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes.

Be sure to fry only a few at a time so they don't overcrowd and stick together.

Drain on a paper towel or wire rack over a cloth, before glazing them.  Be sure to glaze them warm, or else they won't get that delicious coverage!

 

Glaze:

 

1/3 cup butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 tablespoons hot water (more added a tspn at a time as needed)

a dash of nutmeg

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.

Take the warm donuts and dip them one at a time into the glaze.  Place on a wire rack with parchment underneath.

 

You're done!

 

So, I made these babies and Krispy Kreme (or Tim Horton’s for you North of the border), maybe not.  But, I still give this recipe a big Thumbs Up because they are delicious!

 

On her website and on Yummy, leannebakes explains that she’s Canadian (explaining my Tim Horton comment) and uses a scale for measurements.  That mixed me up just a little and caused me to use a half stick of butter when I think I should have used a quarter stick.  My donuts browned a little too quick and this may be why.  Go to her website to see some nice looking pictures of what I think they should look like.

 

One commenter said that the boiling water would kill the yeast and she’s right, but if you mix it with the cold milk, it comes out warm and the yeast will still activate.

 

I measured the flour with my scale and it does come out to a little less than two cups.

 

One of the reasons I like this recipe better than the one on Yummy is that this one says ½ tspn of salt where the other says “dash”.  My dash was close to a whole tspn.

 

I used my Kitchenaid and mixed the dough for 5 minutes on 2.  Then I kneaded it for 5 minutes.  It came out to bigger than a baseball but smaller than a softball.  Now for some reason, my yeast dough doesn’t rise well.  Maybe it’s California, but I have never got the rise that I would like to see.  Maybe it's because I used the first recipe that says 1 tspn yeast and this one says 2.  Hmmm!  Happened again this time, didn't rise enough, so I let it rise about an hour, then kneaded it 5 more minutes.  Rolled it out about ¾ inch thick and cut my donuts with a coffee mug.  I skipped cutting the holes. Take the leftover, knead it some more and repeat.  I got 10 donuts out of it.  Then I let them rise another hour.  They did ok and rose to about an inch, but should have gone another half or more.  Any suggestions on how to get it to rise better, let me know.

 

The glaze recipe yielded enough to do a couple dozen so it could be cut in half (unless you can get my dough to double.)  I personally think the vanilla was a bit strong and I would cut it down to ¾ to 1 tspn.  Then I would skip the nutmeg altogether.  It wasn’t on the Yummy post.

 

I used Crisco soybean oil because all I had was that and canola on hand.  Canola has a lower burn temp at around 350, so soybean got the nod.  Probably most anything labeled vegetable oil will work.  I cooked/fried them 3 at a time and the first three at 375 browned way too quick and were just a little gooey in the center.  I dropped the temp to 325 and cooked longer.  They still got just as brown but were done all the way through.  Now, if you look at glazed donuts, you’ll see a white line around the middle on the sides.  That’s because if the dough rises right, they’ll float higher in the oil.  Mine floated but a touch lower which caused them to double cook on that center line making a dark line.  I hope that makes sense to you.  If you make a lot of donuts, you’ll see it, especially when you compare yeast raised to cake donuts.

 

So there ya go.  This is the best I’ve found so far.  It’ll stay until I find that illusive “Real Krispy Kreme.”

 

Enjoy!