Tried It & Loved It: Baked Doughnuts

***I apologize this post is a little late, but I had some surprise guests show up on Thursday night--my Mom and Dad!***

Have I ever mentioned my love affair with doughnuts?  I big-fluffy-pink-hearts LOVE doughnuts.  When I was in college (living at home--don't judge--it was FREE), my mom used to bribe me by asking me to drive into town to run to the post office and bank for her--in exchange for my favorite chocolate bar doughnut.  I did it without fail nearly everyday.  And I was a size 4-6.  Isn't that just plain wrong?

While my metabolism is NOT the same as it used to be, my love for doughnuts is.  But then there is that whole-foods-thing-again-and-knowing-what's-in-the-food-you're-eating, blah, blah, blah.  So I rarely eat doughnuts any more.

Such a sad story, isn't it?

But then one day it occurred to me, I can make my own doughnuts.  I did choose to do a baked version, not because they are "healthier" (who are we kidding--they are doughnuts) but for the following two reasons a) Frying them up takes time and patience and while I do have time, I am NOT that patient and b) if I did fry them, I would use coconut oil and coconut oil is expensive and I really didn't want to use it  for something as frivolous as doughnuts.  So baked doughnuts it was. 

Can you say yum?  I would so make them more often, but because you have to plan ahead (although I do menu plan our dinners, I am more of a wing it girl when it comes to breakfasts) and because of all the added sugar, I don't make them as much as my taste buds would like. 

All that aside, if you do ever get the chance-try them.  You'll LOVE them!

Baked Doughnuts ~ slightly adapted from Finding Joy in My Kitchen 

1 1/3 C warm milk (~100 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
2 T butter, softened
2/3 C sugar (I used rapadura)
2 eggs
5 C flour (I used half white whole wheat, half all purpose)
1 tsp. sea salt (ground finely)

1 T cinnamon
1/2 C sugar
Melted butter 

Stir yeast in warm milk and set aside to proof.  In a stand mixer, using paddle attachment, beat softened butter and sugar together until well combined.  Add in eggs and mix thoroughly.  Add in yeast/milk mixture.  Sift flour and salt together in a separate bowl and add in one cup portions to the wet mixture until all flour is added.  Dough should start pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball--additional flour may be necessarily, depending on humidity that day (I probably added about an extra half cup).  Once mixture is well combined, switch out paddle attachment for dough hook and knead dough on medium speed for about five minutes.    When finished kneading, dough should no longer be overly sticky and should be somewhat elastic in texture.  Grease bowl with oil or butter and do the same to your dough ball.  Cover bowl and let rise until doubled in shape.  (I place my dough in a warm-not hot-oven to rise.) 

Punch dough down and roll out on a well floured surface to a half inch thickness.  Using a doughnut cutter or a large and small circular shape (I used a drinking glass and a tiny plastic container), cut doughnuts and doughnut holes out and place on lightly greased (I used my Silpats instead) baking sheets.  Let rise for an additional hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until doughnuts are just starting to brown on top~about eight minutes.  Be careful not to over bake!

Melt butter in a bowl and mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.  When doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip doughnuts in butter and then dredge in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Best served while still warm.