churros donuts.
in partnership with the spice house.
ingredients
brioche dough
3/4 cup whole milk
2 1/4 tsps (1 packet) active dry yeast
3 tbsps granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsps kosher salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2 3/4 cups bread flour
3 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature
vegetable oil - to fry donuts
vanilla bean cinnamon sugar coating
the spice house saigon ground cassia cinnamon
the spice house vanilla bean sugar
chocolate pastry cream
2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
6 tbsps granulated sugar
4 tbsps corn starch
2-3 tsps the spice house dutched cocoa powder (adjust to taste)
1-2 tbsps dark chocolate chips (optional, adjust to taste)
tools
digital scale
whisk
mesh sieve
small pot
stand mixer with dough hook
rolling pin
parchment paper
kitchen thermometer
large pot
wire rack
small bowl
chopstick or skewer
piping bag
steps
make the pastry cream: heat milk in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds. in a separate heat-proof bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder, & corn starch. slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture and whisk. strain & pour the mixture into a small pot and place on medium heat. continuously whisk until mixture becomes thick (less than 10 minutes). take pot off heat and add in dark chocolate chips (optional), and as they start to melt, stir to combine. immediately transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap - plastic wrap should directly touch the cream. chill for at least 2-3 hours or overnight until cold
make the brioche dough: heat milk in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds (~110F), then add in yeast and whisk well. let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. then add in sugar and whisk. add in egg and whisk
add bread flour & salt to stand mixer bowl and add in the wet mixture from step 2. mix on low with dough hook until the dough comes together and separates from the sides of the bowl. it should mainly be stuck on the hook and the bottom of the bowl (about 5 minutes)
add in butter, one tbsp at a time - mix on low until all incorporated. this can take some time, but it will get there!
increase the speed to medium-high and knead dough for about 2-3 minutes until smooth and tacky
form dough into a smooth ball. place it into a large greased bowl (use 1/2 tsp oil), cover and let proof for 2 hours, until doubled in size
after 2 hours, punch dough to deflate and remove excess air
on a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 9 equal pieces, roughly 70g each. roll each piece of dough into a round ball, then roll out into a slightly flat round shape with a rolling pin (1/2 inch thick)
place each donut onto a lightly greased individual piece of parchment paper. cover and let proof for another 1-2 hours until doubled in size
fry donuts: heat a generous amount of oil in a pot to 350F. fry donuts on each side for 1.5-2 minutes until each side is golden brown
take out donuts and place on a wire rack. let cool for 10-15 minutes
coat donuts: combine a generous amount of vanilla bean sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. dip and coat each donut in the vanilla bean cinnamon sugar
fill donuts: poke a hole in the white band of each donut using a chopstick or skewer. take out chocolate pastry cream from fridge and mix with a spoon/spatula to soften the cream. fill piping bag with cream, and pipe cream into donuts
enjoy!
notes
for optimal donuts, prepare the dough a day prior to frying. chill dough overnight prior to the 1st proof in step 6 - the dough will slowly rise in the fridge. when ready to continue, let dough sit in room temperature for about 1 hour before continuing onto step 7
i highly recommend having a kitchen thermometer, as the oil can get quite hot and be extremely dangerous
maintain oil temperature around 350F. if the temperature gets too high, let the oil cool before frying again
for a darker and rich pastry cream, add in some dark chocolate chips. you might want to add in some additional sugar to balance out the dark chocolate, but this is optional!
if the chocolate pastry cream is difficult to soften, microwave for 20 seconds then mix
