Step 1

Whisk together flour, sugar and kosher salt in a bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, beat the egg until smooth and no streaks of white remain.

Step 2

In a small pot, melt butter and shortening over low heat.Whisk in oil followed by the milk and finally the beaten egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until 106°F.

Step 3

Pour milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Fit mixer with paddle attachment and add half the flour to the bowl with the yeast/milk mixture. Mix on low to combine, then add the remaining flour and mix on low until flour is incorporated.

Step 5

Switch to the dough hook and turn speed to medium high and continue to mix until you can see strands pulling from the sides of the bowl into the center when it is mixing, approximately 12 minutes.  It will not completely form a smooth dough ball.

Step 6

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Spray hands and bowl scraper with the spray and scrape out the dough into your hands and form into a ball.  Place in oiled bowl.

Step 7

Do one fold in the bowl: grab the top far side of the dough with both hands and pull up and then fold over, towards you. Rotate the bowl and then repeat with all four sides.

Step 8

Cover with plastic wrap and bulk proof in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 9

Lightly flour your work surface. Using a bowl scraper or silicone spatula, scrape the dough onto the surface. Sprinkle with a bit more flour. Flour your rolling pin. Gently roll out to approximately ½ inch thick.

Step 10

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cut doughnuts with ring molds or biscuit cutters (3”) and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Spray surface of doughnuts, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.

Step 11

Can re-roll scraps one time with at least 20 minutes of bench rest. Knead the scraps together into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit 20 minutes before trying to roll them out again. If they shrink back, give them a little more time to rest!

Step 12

Alternatively to cook immediately: instead of retarding doughnuts in the refrigerator a second time, allow to sit out 30 minutes until doubled in size and then fry.

Step 13

Pour oil into a fryer or a Dutch oven, making sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep. Heat your oil to 350°F. Adjust your heat to keep the temperature between 350°- 360°F while frying. You will need a clip-on fry/candy thermometer for this. I heat my oil up to 360°F before adding a batch of donuts, because the cold dough will lower the temperature of the fryer oil.

Step 14

Allow the donuts to sit at room temperature 6minutes prior to frying. Gently place 3-5 donuts in the fryer, while keeping the remaining donuts in the fridge. The number you can fry at once depends on the size of your pot. You want the donuts to have room to move around and space to puff.

Step 15

Once they rise to the surface, cook for 60 seconds and then flip them with a slotted spoon. Fry until the bottom develops a nice golden brown color, about 45 seconds. Flip it again and then fry for another 10-30 seconds or until the color is a nice even golden brown. I usually test mine with a cake tester. Pull the donut out of the oil with a spider or slotted spoon, poke it and then pull the cake tester out. It should not have any streaks of dough or crumbs.

Step 16

Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels.The fry time is not only dependent on oil temperature but also the temperature of the dough and how well proofed.

Step 17

Allow oil to drip off doughnut 10 seconds then roll in granulated sugar or dip in glaze.

Step 18

Place desired fillings in a piping bag or a zip-top bag.

Step 19

Cut off the corner of the bag or the tip just large enough for the filling to come out. There is no need for you to use a pastry tip. I find they only add to the drama.

Step 20

Poke a hole in the donut with a chopstick, skewer or paring knife. Insert the bag into the hole and squeeze! I like to fill my donuts until the filling flows a little out of the hole once you stop. You could always test one to see if there is enough filling…it’s a tough job but someone has to do it!