The Best Old-Fashioned Yeast Potato Doughnuts (Donut Kentang)
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Asian Fusion
Prep Time: 1 hourhour35 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 32 minutesminutes
Total Time: 2 hourshours7 minutesminutes
Servings: 14-16 pieces
Author: Marvellina
I'm sharing my aunt's best old-fashioned potato doughnuts or what we call donut kentang in Indonesia. It is seriously so light, fluffy, and irresistible. Doughnuts can be shaped the old-fashioned way by hands or using a doughnut cutter.
Put all the ingredients for the dough (except for water) in a mixing bowl. I use a standmixer. Start mixing and I add the lukewarm water tablespoon by tablespoon until it comes into a dough that is just slightly sticky to touch. It's not going to be a super smooth dough, but the dough will be soft
1st proofing:
Cover and let it proof at a warm place until double in size. I use my oven's breadproof function and it took about 1 hour for it to double in size
Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and lightly dust with some all-purpose flour and set aside
Shape by hands:
Lightly dust your working surface and hands with some flour. Deflate the dough and transfer the dough to the working surface. Divide the large dough into 14 pieces, roughly about 50 grams each, don't have to be exact
Lightly dust the dough with some flour as needed. Flatten the dough slightly, about 1/2-inch in thickness. Poke your thumb through the middle of the dough and stretch it to form a hole in the middle and to shape like a ring
Place the shaped dough on a baking sheet you prepared earlier. Cover them with a dry cloth while shaping the rest
If using a round cutter:
Lightly dust your working surface and rolling pin with some flour. Deflate the dough and transfer the dough to the working surface. Roll the dough out using a rolling pin to about 1/2-inch in thickness. Lightly dust with some flour if it gets sticky
Use a 2 1/2 - 3 inch round cutter to cut out the shape. Gather the extra dough together to form a dough again and roll it out and cut again. This way, no dough is wasted. You may get about 14-16 doughnuts
Place the shaped dough on a baking sheet you prepared earlier. Cover them with a dry cloth while shaping the rest
2nd proofing:
Let the shaped doughnuts proof again until they double in size again, may take 30-40 minutes at a warm place
Frying:
Heat up about 2 inches of oil in a frying pan or skillet. If you dip a bamboo skewer or chopstick into the oil and there are bubbles around it, the oil is ready. Lower the heat to between medium and low (at least on my stove). Every stove may be different, you will figure out yours after frying one or two doughnuts how much you need to lower or increase the heat
Gently pick up one doughnut and lower it into the hot oil and gently nudge to roll it around as it fries. The doughnut will puff up evenly and it will brown evenly too. Watch the heat as it browns quickly if your heat is too high and the dough will still be wet inside
Fry until they are nicely golden brown but not too dark, about 2 minutes total. Remove from the oil into an absorbent paper towel to drain off excess oil. I then transfer them to a cooling rack. Continue frying the rest. I fried one at a time for the best result
Frost or decorate as you wish:
Once the doughnuts have cooled down, you can frost them with any icing, glaze, or sugar toppings you like
Store:
Only glaze the doughnuts you plan to serve on the same day. You can keep the rest at room temperature for 2 days in a cool dry place. For longer storage, carefully wrap each in an aluminum foil and then place in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months
Simply reheat them in an oven, wrapped in a foil at 350 F for 10 minutes or until heated through. Glaze them after that if you like