Cold-Ferment Brioche Donuts
Also called brioche doughnuts, custard-filled brioche donuts
Rich brioche-style donuts from a dough rested overnight in the fridge, so cold, buttery dough hits hot oil and blisters.
- Makes
- about 14 donuts
Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Dissolve the yeast (8 g2½ tsp) in the milk (160 ml⅔ cup) in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Add the flour (437 g3½ cups), sugar (67 g⅓ cup), salt (2 tsp), the cardamom if using, and the eggs (3). Mix on low for about 3 minutes.
Add the butter (100 g7 tbsp) two pieces at a time, mixing after each until incorporated, 5 to 6 minutes in all.
Put the dough in an ungreased bowl and cover it so no surface is exposed, leaving room for it to rise by about half. Refrigerate 6 to 15 hours.
Roll it ½ inch thick and cut with a 3-inch round cutter, with no hole. Set the rounds on parchment-lined sheets, 2 inches apart.
Proof at room temperature for 2 to 2½ hours, until a gentle poke with a floured finger leaves a dent that slowly springs back halfway.
Heat the oil or lard to 375 to 385°F. Fry 2 or 3 at a time, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until deeply golden and blistered. Push 30 to 45 seconds past the point where they look done. Drain on a wire rack and cool completely before filling.
Fill the cooled donuts with Yolk-Heavy Pastry Cream, or split them and fill with Ermine Buttercream as for Viking Bakery Buttercream-Filled Donuts.
Notes
- The original recipe proofs the cut rounds 2 to 3 hours, fries at 350°F and rolls the donuts in granulated sugar while they are warm.
- Deep-orange custard. For the Hither-style filling, the pastry cream is 500 ml milk, 8 egg yolks, 100 g sugar, 40 g cornstarch and 30 g butter.