Whole Wheat Doughnuts (Update)

 

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Makes 6 (1/2 dozen) doughnuts 

 

Hello again! If you liked my oven-baked whole wheat doughnut recipe, you'll love that I found a way to make it just a little bit easier. Trial and error revealed that they will be perfectly fine with whole eggs, so no need to separate out egg yolks anymore. It's not much, but it keeps me from having to figure out what to do with leftover egg white.

 

I've also included a brief "recipe" for a basic glaze. Feel free to start with that, but feel even more free to experiment with whatever you think sounds interesting. For some of my doughnuts, I'll use a fruit juice instead of water. In the picture above, the leftmost pink doughnuts use pomegranate juice in the same amount as the water in the basic glaze. Likewise, the yellow-orange doughnuts with spots use passionfruit juice. The two sets on the right are chocolate and maple syrup; those use a slightly different glaze.

Equipment

• Measuring cup(s) and spoon(s)
• Medium bowl
• Large spoon
• Doughnut pan (half-dozen)
  

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup warm milk, minus 1 tablespoon
  
• Reduce depending on size of egg
• (Optional) 1/3 teaspoon active dry yeast
  
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil
  
• 1 whole egg
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Basic glaze for six (1/2 dozen):
  
• 2/3 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
• 2-4 teaspoons water
  

Doughnut Directions 

1. Warm milk, then dissolve yeast in the warmed milk. Let sit and stir occasionally for five minutes.
   
2. While waiting for the yeast to dissolve, combine egg yolk and oil. I find a whisk helpful with this. Add brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract, mix well. Add the milk with dissolved yeast, as well as the baking powder, and whisk very well. The baking powder will clump, so whisk until there are no clumps at all.
   Add the whole wheat flour to the bowl and mix well. No dry spots. Make sure to check the under the dough at the bottom of the bowl.
   
   • At this point, the dough may seem more like a batter, and you may think there is too much moisture. This is fine. The moisture will be absorbed into the flour during the rest/rise.
3. Rest 20-30 minutes in a warm place.
   
   • This allows the yeast to work (if used), but not to its full potential because it is not the sole rising agent. Do not rise longer, as the yeast will consume more of the sugar you added for sweetness.
4. Scoop dough into lightly greased or buttered oven doughnut pan(s). Try to make the tops smooth and fill each section to the same level.
   Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes.
   
   • The time will likely vary depending on your oven and natural variation of ingredients.  The doughnuts are done when they are solid throughout.
5. Remove from the doughnut pans as soon as possible. They will become soggy if left too long.
   
6. Let cool completely before glazing, or coat with cinnamon sugar.
   

Glaze Directions

1. Once doughnuts have cooled, add powdered sugar to a small bowl, then a small amount of water. If you think you need more water, do not add more water. Thoroughly mix the powdered sugar and water together until a sticky (not runny) mixture is formed.
   
• If you follow the basic glaze recipe I've provided, it will be thick. I haven't yet figured out how doughnut stores get their glaze so thin without it soaking into the doughnut, but feel free to enlighten me if you know an easy trick.
  
2. If you are certain the doughnuts have cooled, apply the glaze by hand, using whichever implement you used to mix the glaze in step 1.
3. Ideally, let the glazed doughnuts set for a few minutes before eating.
   

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 Whole Wheat Pizza (Update)

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Hello everyone! If you've been having trouble making this pizza recipe, you're probably not alone. Kneading is very important for pizza dough, but the previous version made a sticky dough that I found difficult to work with. Additionally, too much water in the dough makes it harder to gauge cooking time in an oven. 

I've slightly decreased water content and slightly increased oil content, and the pizza I made last night with the updated recipe was one of the best I've ever made.

 

Equipment

• Measuring cup(s) and spoon(s)
• Medium bowl
• Large spoon
• Rolling pin
• Baking sheet(s), aluminum or other metal

Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cup warm water (near 100-110 °F)
• 1/8 cup equals 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Use the full amount for a fast rise, less for a slower rise. 
• 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Dry Ingredients

• 2 3⁄4 cups whole wheat flour (regular or white), ± ~1/8 cup depending on humidity
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and stir. There may be clumps, but these will break down in a few minutes. Add remaining wet ingredients: olive oil and one of either honey or sugar. Let sit for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to fully dissolve yeast. Add lemon juice shortly before proceeding to Step 2.
2. Add dry ingredients (whole wheat flour and salt) to the same bowl. Mix until the dough begins adhering to itself, just approaching a cohesive mass.
3. Knead dough and add any detached pieces back into the center of the dough mass. By this point, the dough should be just slightly sticky, but not entirely smooth. If it is severely sticking to hands, add a little bit more flour (no more than 2 tablespoons). Continue kneading for 2-5 minutes, and no more than 10 minutes (there's just no more added benefit; diminishing returns).
• If the dough is still too sticky after adding 2 tbsp flour, do not add any more flour. Add oil instead, starting with around 1 tbsp. 
4. Drizzle a thin coating of oil to the same bowl from above and place the kneaded dough back in the bowl. Cover with a cloth, plastic wrap, or similar, and let the dough rise in a warm place for between 1-2 hours depending on how much sugar you added and the temperature of your kitchen. Be careful, though, as pizza dough can be overproofed; I learned this the hard way. This step is very important as you don't want a dense and hard pizza crust, and it makes it much easier to work with the dough later.
5. Preheat oven to 450 °F. Flatten and roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin; I use some of the same whole wheat flour to prevent the dough from sticking or tearing. Aim for even thickness and a shape that looks like it just fits the interior surface of the baking sheet with no protrusion.
• If the oven is hotter than 450 °F, the pizza may not cook all the way through before it starts to burn. If you really want to try cooking pizza at high temperatures, use a thinner crust and fewer toppings.
• You can also flatten the dough directly in the baking sheet, hand-stretching it to size. I haven't found a significant difference in the two methods besides not having to clean a rolling pin after use.
  
6. Drizzle the bottom of the baking sheet with a very thin layer of oil, or use baking paper without any oil. Carefully transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Pinch closed any holes and roll inward any protrusions to prevent the crust from burning in the oven.
7. Add desired sauce, toppings, and cheese in an even layer.
8. Bake for between 12-14 minutes, depending on the amount of toppings. Cheese should be golden colored and almost, but not quite browning.
• If using a standard oven, I find that transferring the baking sheet to the very bottom of the oven for the last 2 minutes makes the crust hold together more. It takes on a golden-brown color instead of a dull beige.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven with an oven mitt and let the pizza cool for about five minutes, about enough time to set a table. Enjoy!

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