How to Make Donut, Part 1 : Canadian Fried Dough

Doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes. They are the perfect way to treat yourself on a lazy weekend, or to indulge in a baking adventure. Store-bought doughnuts are great, but homemade ones are even better.

Here are three distinctive doughnut recipes to whet your appetite. Enjoy!

• Prep time (Fried Glazed): 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients for Canadian Fried Dough

• ½ cup warm water (110° F or 45° C)
• 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 pinch white sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (110° F or 45° C)
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 beaten eggs
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 5 cups whole-wheat flour, divided
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

For dusting:

• 2 cups white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

1 - In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water, and pinch of sugar until foam begins to show (about 5 minutes).

2 - Into the yeast mixture, stir in milk, ⅓ cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and ⅓ cup vegetable oil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

3 - Mix in about 2½ cups of the whole-wheat flour. Stir until the dough is too stiff to add more flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and begin to knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

4 - Form the dough into one big ball, place into a greased bowl, and cover. Let rest until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5 - Place the dough back on a well-floured surface and knead again to reshape it. Break off a piece of dough roughly the size of a heaping tablespoon.

6 - Shape the heaping tablespoon of dough into a thin strip or an oval shape. You can use a rolling pin or your hands. The dough should be 0.25 inch (0.6 cm) thick. In Canada, fried dough is often called "Beaver Trails," so let your imagination run wild!

7 - Place rolled bits of dough under a cloth to rise while you shape the remainder of the dough.

8 - Heat oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 375℉ (190℃). Oil should be at least 4–5 inches (10.2–12.7 cm) deep in your fryer or skillet.

9 - While oil is heating, combine 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon and set aside for dusting.

10 - Gently introduce pastries into the frying oil, one at a time, cooking for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove onto a wire rack.

11 - Remove excess oil from fried pastries with paper towels. Dip each pastry into the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm.

12 - Enjoy.