I am having some issues with my donuts and would appreciate any advice! This is a vegan dough and mix I’m using is -
500g flour
5g yeast
275ml soy milk
125g butter
1/2 tsp salt
I’ve attached some photos to explain. I’ve seen plenty of donut shops roll their dough as thick as I am for the first proof, but I’ve been told I may be rolling them too thick? The holes appearing on the sides of the dough is what is really confusing me. Is the dough too light? What is causing this?
I would love to achieve the ‘white ring’ around the donut, but it just isn’t happening. I have followed steps around DDT and proofed the dough overnight in the fridge.
Please help
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The white line is under-fried dough, a result when the donut evenly expands in both directions when fried. The donut’s center floats above the oil line, so doesn’t brown.
When the dough is not properly mixed, rolled and cut, and/or proofed, the donut does not expand properly, and the weight causes it to sink lower in the oil, frying the dough above the center.
Your other problem is a lack of symmetry (misshapen dough in frying). The lopsided shapes are due to slack dough; incorrect fermentation and proofing temperatures; too much bench flour; improper rolling and cutting.
Rolling and cutting: too much bench flour is the main culprit. Most bakers, especially home bakers use too much bench flour. Use only a pinch of flour on the work surface. When your dough is properly rested, it will roll out with ease. Adding bench flour changes the weight and the formula (hydration percentage) as the dry flour gets embedded into the dough.
Thickness: the dough should be rolled to 1/2” thickness. The thicker, the donut, the more it weighs, and the deeper it sinks into the oil. So no white line and a greasier donut as the oil fries above the center on both sides.
Relaxing gluten: after rolling, the dough must be rested to relax the gluten before cutting.
Shape: the shape the dough goes into the fryer is the shape it fries into. Carefully place each donut on a square of parchment paper to proof. Then use the parchment paper square to gently place the proofed donut into the oil.
Excess flour: Failing to brush off excess flour before cutting and proofing is another common mistake. Excess flour adds weight to the dough, changes the formula, and the additional dry flour changes how the dough fries.
Cutting: if cutting by hand twisting the cutter is a common mistake. It distorts the cut edge so the dough does not expand properly. Press straight down with even pressure.
