These donuts are eaten for pancake Tuesday and for me, taste like a cross between a donut and a beavertail. These can be made big or small and you can also roll them in sugar, cinnamon or both! I am sure there are even more ways to eat them- tag #thatplantedfork if you make these and let me know how you change it up! The recipe calls for resting the dough twice- the second rest can be as little as 30 minutes as long as they rise a little bit before you fry them. A thermometer helps for the oil to ensure the right temp, but if you don’t have one, put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and if bubbles form right away it should be good to go!
For the donuts | Malasadas
-
1/2 cup plant based milk
-
2 tablespoons vegan butter (1 oz), plus more for the bowl
-
3/4 teaspoon salt
-
1 package active dry yeast
-
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
-
2 tablespoons warm water
-
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
-
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
-
Nonstick cooking spray
-
Vegetable oil, for frying
Topping:
1 /2 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Make the dough
-
Heat the milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it just begins to steam and form bubbles around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until lukewarm.
-
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
-
Beat the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the applesauce on medium-high until thick, about 2 minutes.
-
Add the milk mixture, the yeast mixture, and the flour, and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, about 5 minutes, adding more flour if needed. The dough should be just slightly tacky but not sticky.
-
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, shape into a ball, and place in a lightly buttered large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until double in size, about 2 hours.
-
Lightly coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and turn the dough onto the pan. Press and poke it with your fingers, much like making focaccia, to help stretch it until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly coat the top of the dough with oil (or cooking spray), loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature until double in size, 30 mins to 1 1/2 hours.
Fry the doughnuts
-
Fill a medium saucepan with 3 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (177°C) on a deep-fry, candy or instant-read thermometer. Monitor the heat to keep a steady temperature.
-
Using scissors or your hands, cut or pull a 2-to-3-inch piece of dough from the baking sheet and stretch it into a 4-to-5-inch circle, then lower it into the oil and fry, turning frequently, just until golden brown on both sides and cooked through- 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack (placed on top of paper towels) for 30 seconds and then toss in the sugar (or cinnamon sugar!) Repeat with the remaining dough.
They keep for a few days and taste great warmed up!