Baked or fried; doughnuts are always a good idea, similar to salted caramel. These two in conjunction yield sweet, salty, spicy, fluffy and buttery; all. In. One! These salted caramel doughnut balls are satisfying in taste, with few needed ingredients and reduced prep and fry time.
Due to the size of these doughnuts, the frying/cooking time is reduced since a lot can go in a pan at a go. In addition, since the sizes are small they cook quickly; 0ne-two minutes with every batch. If you want to reduce the frying time considerably, adopt a larger cooking pan so you can fry as many as you can.
I used a small round cookie cutter to cut the doughnut dough and make equal-sized shapes; it is easier and faster. After pressing into the dough, roll each ball around in your hand to make a ball ( The doughnut balls do not have to be perfect).
The caramel is homemade with equal sugar and cream ratio. To avoid making the doughnut balls heavy, and dense with heavy caramel I recommend coating them with warm salted caramel.
Using warm caramel to coat the doughnut balls is easier since the caramel will have a thinner consistency such that each doughnut ball is not necessarily overpowered with a lot of caramel. After coating in caramel, set the doughnut aside so the caramel cools completely before serving.
HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL DOUGHNUT BALLS
1. MAKE THE DOUGH
Add warm milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar into a bowl, and stir to combine. Then add flour, instant yeast, baking powder, and butter. Knead for at least 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth. The dough will be elastic and slightly sticky; this is fine.
( if you are using dry yeast mix it in with the warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes to activate it then mix with the rest of the ingredients)
2. PROOF
Grease a bowl with oil then put the dough inside. Cover with parchment paper and set it aside until it doubles in size(1-2 hours on a warm day). Proofing time mostly depends on the temperature of the surroundings. The dough will rise quickly in warmer temperatures compared to a colder environment. Consequently, you can refrigerate overnight and continue the next day.
3. ROLL AND SHAPE
When ready, flour a clean surface then roll the dough up to 2-3 cm thick.
Using a cookie cutter, press into the dough to cut small-sized round shapes and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the balls sit for at least 20 minutes.
4. FRY
Set a pan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan to heat. You will know the oil is ready by dipping a skewer or wooden spoon and small bubbles rapidly form around it. (You can also take a small doughnut dough and deep into the oil. Rapid bubbles should form immediately after contact with the hot oil )
Deep the doughnut balls into the hot oil, turning with a skewer or small spoon to cook the underside of each. Remove from the hot oil setting them on a kitchen towel or napkins. Set them on napkins to enable excess oil to seep out so the doughnuts are not oily.
5. MAKE THE CARAMEL
Place a pan over medium-low heat. Add castor sugar and let it cook/caramelize until deep amber.
Add warm heavy cream, stirring constantly. Let it cook for 1 minute then switch off the heat. Add room-temperature butter and salt then mix until emulsified.
6. COAT WITH THE SALTED CARAMEL
Immediately while the caramel is still hot, dip each doughnut ball ; (it does not necessarily have to be completely coated) then set it aside on a parchment paper to cool completely. I recommend staking after coating in caramel so that most of the caramel is not left on the parchment.
RECIPE NOTES
IF THE FRYING OIL IS NOT HOT ENOUGH; the doughnuts will retain more oil and you will end up with oil-sogged doughnuts. Always test the oil before you start frying; the ideal temp is 180C when tested with a thermometer or try dipping in a skewer or wooden spoon or a small piece of the dough; bubbles should form rapidly around it.
IF THE FRING OIL IS TOO HOT; the doughnuts might burn especially since these are smaller. If the oil is too hot, lower or switch the heat off completely to cool it.
SHAPE THE DOUGHNUT BALLS BEFORE BAKING. After cutting with a cookie cutter, roll the dough round with your hand to make a ball-like shape(it does not need to be perfect) before frying.
USE WARM MILK BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO COOK THE EGGS. If the milk is too hot the eggs might cook during mixing. It should just be warm, but not warm enough to cook the eggs.
THE WARM MILK WILL REDUCE PROOFING TIME. Warm milk will increase the temperature of the dough easily activating the yeast and making proofing time less consequently reducing wait time. Likewise, make sure all the other ingredients are at room temperature; butter and eggs.
USE WARM SALTED CARAMEL. It is easier to coat the doughnut balls while the caramel is still warm since it will be thin. Cooled caramel is dense and thick, so coating the balls will be harder also each will retain too much caramel which may make the doughnuts unpalatable.
More From The Blog
- Crullers with chocolate orange ganache
- Marble cake with Ginger spiced caramel
- Chocolate sheet cake with spiced caramel
- Homemade caramel candy bites
SALTED CARAMEL DOUGHNUT BALLS
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
550 gm all-purpose flour
180 ml whole milk
2 medium eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
70 gm unsalted butter
80 gm granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
- Salted Caramel
250 gm castor sugar
350 gm heavy cream
80 gm unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
Directions
- Add warm milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar into a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Then add flour, instant yeast, baking powder, and butter.
Knead for at least 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth. The dough will be elastic and slightly sticky; this is fine. - Grease a separate large bowl with oil then transfer the doughnut dough inside. Cover with cling film and let it sit until the dough doubles in size. ( 1-2 hours on a warm day)
Alternatively, refrigerate the dough overnight. - When ready, flour your working surface then roll out the dough up to 2-3 cm thick.
Using a small round cookie cutter press into the dough to cut equal-sized shapes. - Roll each cut piece with your hands to make balls( they don’t have to be perfect) placing on parchment paper sprinkled with a little flour or oil so they don’t stick.
Let the doughnut balls sit for 20 minutes at room temperature before frying. - Place a medium-large pan over medium-low heat. Add oil and let it heat up to 180C. ( You can always check if ready by testing it with one piece. It should not sink (the oil is not hot enough).
- Quickly but carefully, add the doughnut balls into the hot oil and turn each to cook both sides. Since these are small they cool under 1-2 minutes with every batch.
- Remove from the heat and set them, aside on a tray lined with kitchen towels or napkins. This is done to soak in the excess oil from the doughnuts.
- To make salted caramel place a small pan over medium low heat. Add in castor sugar and let it caramelize until deep amber.
- Add warm heavy cream and stir constantly. Let it cook for under a minute then switch off the heat.
Immediately stir in room-temperature butter and salt until fully mixed. - While the salted caramel is warm deep each doughnut ball into it ( you don’t have to completely coat each with the salted caramel ) then set it aside to cool.
I like to stack the doughnuts such that most of the caramel won’t be wasted on the parchment paper( as shown).
AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.