Prep Time : 30 Minutes | Cook Time : 10 Minutes | Total Time : 4 hours | Difficulty : Moderate
Hello my lovelies! I promised you a decadent recipe this week. I think it speaks for itself. I’ve toyed a little with chocolate breads before but have finally nailed the dough. A soft fluffy crumb with a chocolatey-ness that sneaks up on you. Perfectly balanced with some raspberry jam that we made last week and cool whipped cream. This dough comes together the same way as any other. But with more chocolate. We’re using dutch processed cocoa powder so we can control the balance of sweetness and liquid in the dough. The dough is soft and full of chocolate flavour. The dusting of icing sugar on the outside provides a lick of sweetness.
If you want to layer on more sweetness then change up the fillings to suit rather than altering the dough. Adding more sugar can affect the rise and texture. While we are going all in on the classic combo of raspberry and chocolate, any tart red jam will be delicious. As always when you fry get everything you need ready beforehand so you can work quickly and safely. Let’s get to it. Doughnuts don’t make themselves..
Measure the flour, cocoa, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix well.
Add a pinch of sugar to the milk and sprinkle over the yeast. Leave it to get foamy – about 10 minutes.
Whisk the egg into the milk with a fork and add all the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix to form a dough.
Turn the dough out onto the bench and knead until smooth and elastic – about 7 to 8 minutes. Don’t be tempted to add extra flour. It will be a sticky to begin with but will become smooth as you knead.
Once the dough is smooth add half the butter.
Knead until the butter is incorporated. It will be slimy then sticky and it will finally come together. Don’t panic when it looks broken and sticky and terrible just keep going.
When the butter is incorporated repeat with the remaining butter. It will be even stickier this time but will absorb into the dough faster. The dough will get very soft once all the butter has been added.
Pop the dough back into the bowl, cover and leave until doubled in size – about 1 hour but longer in cooler weather.
Turn the dough out and divide into 12 even pieces. Form each into a ball and place on a small piece of baking paper.
After about 10 minutes flatten them slightly with your palm then leave until they are doubled in size.
When the doughnuts are just about ready put your oil on to heat. The oil needs to be at 180C (350F). Set out paper towels on a wire rack ready to drain the doughnuts.
When you are ready to fry, cook 3 to 4 doughnuts at a time for 1 + 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. It’s pretty hard to tell by sight when they are done because of the colour but if your temperature is steady and you time them carefully they will come out perfectly.
Scoop out and drain on the paper towels while you are frying the rest. Keep an eye on your oil temperature and adjust the burners as you need to.
When the doughnuts are mostly cooled roll each doughnut in the icing sugar until it is well covered and then transfer to clean paper towels to cool completely. They need just a bit of warmth to help the sugar stick and make the thinest of glazes.
When the doughnuts are cool split them almost in half leaving it attached at the side. I like a 45 degree angle because they sit well and look nice when they’re filled. And I’m partial to a nostalgic split straight down the middle.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until just firm – be careful it doesn’t get to dry. Spread raspberry jam into each doughnut and spoon in whipped cream – you don’t need much to fill each one!
Now sit quietly and enjoy a little moment of bliss.
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Chocolate + Raspberry Doughnuts
Prep Time : 30 mins | Cook Time : 10 mins | Total Time : 4 hours | Difficulty : Moderate
Makes : 12 snackable doughs
Soft fluffy chocolate brioche doughnuts dusted with icing sugar and filled with lush raspberry jam and whipped cream.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (300 grams) bread flour
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
- 3/4 cup less 1 teaspoon (180 mls) full fat milk, warm
- 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter, softened
To fill:
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- 1/2 cup (120 mls) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Bowls and spoons
- Deep fryer or large heavy bottomed saucepan and a candy thermometer
- Wire rack lined with paper towels
Directions:
Measure the flour, cocoa, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix well.
Add a pinch of sugar to the milk and sprinkle over the yeast. Leave it to get foamy – about 10 minutes.
Whisk the egg into the milk with a fork and add all the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix to form a dough.
Turn the dough out onto the bench and knead until smooth and elastic – about 7 to 8 minutes. Don’t be tempted to add extra flour. It will be sticky to begin with but will become smooth as you knead.
Once the dough is smooth add half the butter.
Knead until the butter is incorporated. It will be slimy then sticky and it will finally come together. Don’t panic when it looks broken and sticky and terrible just keep going.
When the butter is incorporated repeat with the remaining butter. It will be even stickier this time but will absorb into the dough faster. The dough will get very soft once all the butter has been mixed in.
Pop the dough back into the bowl, cover and leave until doubled in size – about 1 hour but longer in cooler weather.
Turn the dough out and divide into 12 even pieces. Form each into a ball and place on a small piece of baking paper.
After about 10 minutes flatten them slightly with your palm then leave until they are doubled in size.
When the doughnuts are just about ready put your oil on to heat. The oil needs to be at 180C (350F). Set out paper towels on a wire rack ready to drain the doughnuts.
When you are ready to fry, cook 3 to 4 doughnuts at a time for 1 + 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. It’s pretty hard to tell by sight when they are done because of the colour but if your temperature is steady and you time them carefully they will come out perfectly.
Scoop out and drain on the paper towels while you are frying the rest. Keep an eye on your oil temperature and adjust the burners as you need to.
When the doughnuts are mostly cooled roll each doughnut in the icing sugar until it is well covered and then transfer to clean paper towels to cool completely.They need just a bit of warmth to help the sugar stick and make the thinest of glazes.
When the doughnuts are cool split them almost in half leaving it attached at the side. I like a 45 degree angle because they sit well and look nice when they’re filled. And I’m partial to a nostalgic split straight down the middle.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until just firm – be careful it doesn’t get to dry. Spread raspberry jam into each doughnut and spoon in whipped cream – you don’t need much to fill each one!
Cook’s Notes:
- You can fill these chocolate doughs with whatever you please but I strongly recommend a tart fruit or bitter (like salted caramel) element to balance the sweet richness of the dough itself.
- If you’d like to bake this dough as rolls or a loaf just shape as you like and once proved brush with beaten egg and bake at 180C. Bake rolls for around 15 minutes and a small loaf for 25 to 30 minutes. It is hard to tell by sight when this dough is baked so do a knock test and see that the loaf/rolls feel light when you handle them.
– These doughnuts are at their very best the day they are made. If you need to keep them longer than until the next day hold off dusting them with sugar and filling them until you are about the eat –
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These look so delicious!
They totally are! And I’m not even biased….