Pumpkin ring doughnuts

Are you a fan of yeast-based dough? You absolutely must try this recipe for fluffy pumpkin yeast doughnuts! These pumpkin ring doughnuts have an incredibly vibrant orange colour (Hokkaido pumpkin is best for making the pumpkin purée), but… you cannot taste the pumpkin at all. Once fried, while still hot, they are tossed in cinnamon sugar and you have a wonderful autumnal afternoon treat ready to enjoy. Highly recommended!

Which pumpkin do I use for baking? In Poland, a good variety for baking is Hokkaido pumpkin, known in the UK as Red Kuri squash. It has a delicate flavour, a floury texture and an intense orange colour. It is very versatile and can be used in many different ways in cooking.

Makes 25.

Ingredients for the pumpkin ring doughnuts:

• 450 g strong white bread flour
• 10 g dried yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
• 180 ml milk
• 280 g pumpkin purée
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk, from a large egg
• 40 g butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 70 g sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vodka/rum

All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Mix the flour with the dried yeast (if using fresh yeast, first prepare a yeast starter), add the remaining ingredients and knead, adding the melted butter towards the end. Knead the dough for long enough for it to become soft and elastic. Place in a floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume (approximately 1½ hours).

After this time, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Roll it out to approximately 1 cm thick, lightly dusting with flour if necessary, and use two glasses – one larger and one smaller (for example, a shot glass) – to cut out the rings. Knead the remaining dough once again, roll it out and cut out more rings. Place them on a baking tray dusted with flour, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume (they should be very well risen and puffy, but not over-proofed).

Once risen, fry the rings in rapeseed oil heated to 175°C, for approximately 2–2½ minutes on each side. After frying, place them on kitchen paper to drain. Then, while still hot, toss the pumpkin ring doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar and transfer to a serving plate.

Ingredients for the cinnamon sugar:

• 1½ cups caster sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Place the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar in a bowl and mix together.

Additionally:

• 1–1.5 litres rapeseed oil, for frying

Method for bread machine users:

Place all the yeast dough ingredients into the bread machine in the following order: liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients, and finally the yeast. Select the ‘dough’ programme (kneading and first rise). Once the programme has finished, remove the dough, knead it lightly, and continue according to the main recipe above.

Enjoy!