Donuts with a Saffron Glaze

So this is World Cup year! I am not a soccer fan but when world cup arrives and thanks to all the festive cheer, it is hard not to get caught up with all the excitement. And, since Holland is a big soccer playing nation, it would make me a bit of a drag to not cheer along.

Now I’m no expert but when I think of celebrating, healthy food doesn’t really come to mind. 🙂 I’ve been meaning to make these simple donuts for a long time. Truth be told, I’ve been afraid to make them. Always seemed such a daunting task. I decided to dive, what the heck, right?!

These are simple donuts with a bit of flair with the saffron. I get the color for the Oranje team and I get the wonderful flavor and aroma too. I was surprised how simple they were to make and apart from being labor intense it really was a joy to create. So, if you are afraid like me, don’t be and just do it!

If you don’t feel like doing the glaze you could alternately also just coat your donuts with sugar.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsps lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
2 tbsps caster sugar, plus extra, if you go with the dusting option
50 grams unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp saffron, left to dissolve in a tsp of water

to prepare
Place the yeast, water, milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add the butter, flour, eggs and another 1 tablespoon sugar to the yeast mixture and mix until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. The dough will be very sticky but that’s ok.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for around 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

To make glaze, mix the sugar and milk and add the saffron to get a rich orange color.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out the dough to a 1 cm thickness and using a round shape to cut out the donuts. I used a glass and a bottle cap for the inner circle. If you have a donut cutter use that. Place rings on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and set aside for 30 minutes or until risen. You can also fry the left over dough you get when you punch a hole in the donut. They make for cute donut balls!

Place oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until very hot. You can test the heat by throwing in one of the donut balls. Cook the doughnuts, in batches, for 1–2 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. When cooled completely, dip in the saffron glaze or dust with the extra sugar and serve immediately.