Potato Donut

Strangely, I was craving donut last week. Maybe it's because the main topic of my mailing list for the past two weeks was donut. There were donut posting everywhere, and after seeing those tempting donut pictures, I just could resist making it myself.

This is probably not the kind of donut you normally know. This donut has potato in it, mashed. It gives the donut different texture and also taste. Which one is better? Both are good and they're different from textural point of view and I like both equally. But this kind of donut reminds me the kind of donut I used to have when I was a kid.

I made this once before, but it was more than a year ago. I was a little afraid or skeptical about it before I made this donut. First, I don't feel like kneading the dough manually, it's just way too tiring, especially since there are so many donut out there. But I always keep in my mind that homemade donut is exceptional. So, I continue. Second, it's winter and yes California can be cold at times. It was gorgeous and beautiful 2 weeks before, but somehow, I just gotta pick one of the coldest weeks to make donut :(. With the help of my faithful Kitchen Aid and also the strength of my hand, the dough is finally ready for proofing. I put it in the oven, which I have turned on to warm. I tried it with hot water in a pan and put it on the bottom of the oven, but it didn't work. It did take much longer time to rise, compared to summer.

So, finally the donut is fried after the second proofing for breakfast the day after. I didn't do anything fancy with the glaze or topping. I just cover them with what we usually call donut sugar. I believe it is also known as dextrose. It is different from confectioners sugar. Donut sugar has that "cold" feeling when it touches your tongue. I couldn't find it here easily in the US, so I brought some from Indonesia on my last trip.

I was somewhat satisfied with the result. I mean it was good, but I've made a better one before with different recipe. Maybe with the different weather here compared to the one in Indonesia (the recipe is an Indonesian recipe), I need more liquid? Since I really think the amount of liquid is too little for the amount of bread flour called for. But everybody else in the mailing list doesn't seem to have the same problem. Or maybe it's the type of bread flour I used? Or the proofing process? I don't know but I can't wait for summer to come so that I can bake all the yeast-y goodies.

Potato Donut
Courtesy of Fatmah Bahalwan

500 g bread flour
50 g powdered milk
100 g sugar
11 g instant yeast (in Indonesia, instant yeast comes in 11 g packet)
200 g potato, steamed and mashed, cooled
75 g butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks
100 ml ice water

• Combine the flour, powdered milk, sugar, and instant yeast in a mixer bowl (or large bowl if you plan to knead it manually). Mix well
• Add the mashed potato and egg yolks, mix well
• Add the cold water (no ice please) in a steady stream with the mixer still running. Or if you do it by hand, add the water in about 2-3 addition. Continue kneading until the dough is somewhat smooth but not completely elastic.
• Add the butter and salt and continue kneading until elastic and the dough doesn't stick to the side of the bowl anymore. This is the key to a soft donut (or any type of bread for that matter)
• Let is rice in a warm place until the dough doubled in volume (time varies depending on the temperature of the room).
• Weigh the dough about 50g each (or less if you want smaller donuts), and shape it to the regular donut shape, or any shape you like.
• Let it proof the second time until the dough rise again.
• Deep fry the dough in hot oil over medium heat. Make sure it's not too hot
  
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